'The silence can be deafening' - Joanna Lumley fronts new appeal to tackle growing loneliness crisis among older people this Christmas

Joanna Lumley, Judi Dench and a number of other celebrities are joining forces this year to support Age UK's urgent call to end elderly loneliness, which has reached crisis levels.

As the charity reveals stark statistics, including the heartbreaking reality of a million older people eating dinner alone on Christmas Day, it also shared details of its Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight campaign, which shines a light on the issue, and calls for the public's support.

Although loneliness and social isolation are experienced by people all year, the winter months, and particularly the festive period, can be hard for those facing solitude.

Dame Joanna Lumley is an Age UK ambassador. Referring to the campaign she says: "Christmas is such a special time for so many of us - full of warm memories, laughter and togetherness. It's truly devastating that this isn't the situation for so many older people, who often spend it completely alone. No laughter, no season's greetings, no phone calls - the silence can be deafening."

While for many, Christmas conjures images of joy and friends and families coming together, research from Age UK has found that one in two (6.3 million) say they don’t feel the joy they once felt at Christmas time.

One in five (2.6 million) say they miss the sound of laughter at Christmas time, and 1 million people say they're more isolated at Christmas than any other time of the year.

Heartbreakingly, 1.5 million will be eating dinner alone, and 760,000 suggested they won't bother getting dressed on the day.

Looking at reasons for loneliness of these levels, it was found that many young and midlife adults incorrectly assume older people are too fragile to get involved in Christmas festivities, believing they'd prefer peace and quiet instead.

Dame Judi Dench is also an Age UK ambassador. "Christmas is meant to be a time of light, warmth and being together," she says. "Yet for so many older people, it can be a time of silence - days without conversation or company.

"That’s why I’m proud to support Age UK this Christmas. With your help, they can bring a meaningful connection to older people. They work locally and nationally to give comfort and support where it’s needed most."

Age UK is dedicated to creating meaningful connections and providing expert support to older people through their national and local services - these are especially helpful during the festive season as well as all year round.

This includes Age UK’s national Telephone Friendship Service, which matches older people with a volunteer who they share similar interests with so they can get to know each other through weekly calls.

The charity reports that during Christmas week last year (24th – 31st December), Age UK volunteers made over 70,000 minutes’ worth of calls to their telephone friends.

To donate to Age UK’s A Crisis in Plain Sight campaign, please visit: www.ageuk.org.uk/appeal.

Anyone who needs support, who is worried about an older relative or friend or wants to find out more about Age UK’s friendship services, can get in touch by calling the Age UK Advice free of charge, on 0800 169 6565 (8am-7pm).

Any older person looking for a cheerful chat day or night can call Age UK’s Silver Line Helpline, on 0800 4 70 80 90.