I don’t know about you, but I haven’t started a year in recent memory with fewer hopes for the immediate future than right now.
But I am taking heart from the few acts of self-care I’m observing, including only listening to the news once or twice a day, getting outside whenever I can, and being grateful for the many good things in my life.
I’m also listening to and reading commentators who say it’s no good just despairing and/or complaining about the state of things. If we care, we should get out there and make a difference.
I’m delighted that I’ve spent nearly a year working for a partnership which works primarily in the social justice sector. Our biggest project, which I’ve written about before, is the Warm Welcome Campaign which encourages community spaces to open up to offer a free, warm and welcoming space to anyone and everyone, especially those struggling to heat their homes or experiencing loneliness.
From Monday 20 January, dubbed ‘Blue Monday’ by the summer holiday industry and certainly one of the most depressing days of the year, the campaign is running Warm Welcome Week. We’re encouraging people to wear brightly coloured warm clothes in red, pink, purple and orange to chase the blues away.
We’re highlighting the amazing efforts that volunteers and partners up and down the country make in opening and supporting free, warm and welcoming spaces every week. Since October when the clocks went back, the number of community spaces registered with Warm Welcome has rocketed from 4,000 to 5,000. During this week’s cold snap we’ve had more than 40 sign up to support people in their community.
News like this really does gladden the heart at a challenging time of year.
December was a busy one and I was glad of the Christmas break. It’s always a sad moment, taking down the Christmas tree and decorations, but it’s also lovely to reclaim the sitting room and to get back into a routine of working and exercising and eating normally.
So, here’s to 2025. May it bring you health and happiness.
Lucy Rouse PR Blog 