British supermarket chain Asda has teamed up with Larry Lamb to reimagine its cafés as 'Chatty Cafés' in efforts to tackle loneliness 

One in 10 over-60s face a lonely festive season, unsure that they’ll speak to anybody between the 15th of December and the 1st of January. This data comes from Asda’s Christmas Community report which surveyed 1,000 over-60s. The report reveals worrying findings about the lack of human interaction that millions of people will likely face this Christmas:

  • During Christmas 2023, 17% said there were days when they didn’t speak to a single person. 
  • One in 10 said they’d gone to a supermarket simply to speak to another person. 
  • 79% said they’d reluctantly rely on their TV to keep them company this year, with 29% saying they’d depend on their pets. 
  • 42% said their mental health suffered following a lack of interaction.

To try and combat loneliness and isolation in the older generation this Christmas, Asda and the Asda Foundation have pledged £1 million through its ‘Don’t be Gnome Alone this Christmas’ campaign. They’re encouraging over 60s to visit their local Asda store to enjoy a ‘Winter Warmer.’ This deal offers over 60s a soup, roll and unlimited tea or coffee for just £1. The supermarket’s 'Chatty Cafés' encourages people to come together to eat, drink and make new friends. 

Asda has also teamed up with national treasure Larry Lamb who visited the Heron Retail Park store in Basildon to launch the new Chatty Café concept. The actor and radio presenter spent hours chatting to over 40 older people who attended the grand opening. “I’m very fortunate to be surrounded by friends and family this time of year, but that’s not the case for everyone, and it’s so important that we all club together and help combat loneliness,” Larry said.

Having learnt of these heartbreaking statistics, Larry encourages everybody to help spread Christmas joy. “If there’s somebody, anybody – young or old – who you know is going to be struggling for company this Christmas, pick up the phone or go and pay them a visit – and obviously, pay a visit to one of Asda’s Chatty Cafés.”

As well as its Chatty Cafés, Asda colleagues will be wearing ‘Happy to Chat’ badges and checking in on older customers in-store and when delivering home shopping orders. The Foundation will also deliver £600 thousand worth of grants tackling loneliness amongst the elderly, boosting activities in local communities, and supporting them with funding for daily essentials. 

Chief Customer Office at Asda, David Hills, said, “Our teams do incredible work to support communities all year round, and I’m so proud to be able to launch the Chatty Cafés initiative today, alongside our renowned Winter Warmers deal, which we know is a lifeline to many. We’re pledging to bring people together this festive season and encouraging people across the nation to check in with the elderly in their communities this Christmas.”

If you are facing loneliness this festive season, counsellor and coach Sukhi Kaur shares her tips for navigating these feelings with compassion and self-care. In her article, ‘Feeling lonely this Christmas? You’re not alone’, Sukhi shares the benefits of talking to a professional counsellor or therapist in a safe, non-judgmental space.

If you would like to explore talking therapy to help you navigate your feelings of loneliness, regardless of the time of year, you can find a qualified professional on Counselling Directory.

If you want to get involved with Asda’s campaign, you can reach out to a community champion at your local Asda store for more details of events near them.