Today is my birthday and I’m naturally retrospective of all that’s happened this past year. I’ve spent the majority of my first year of marriage in lockdown and been diagnosed with fibromyalgia – all of that came with all he stress you’d expect. But I always felt supported by my friends and colleagues. While at times I struggled, I never felt alone – I felt a strong sense of community. And with that came being seen, heard and supported. So, for my birthday this year, I’m making it a point to shout about us as loudly and unabashedly as I can. Because someone, somewhere needs to hear this – you are not alone.  You’re part of our community too.

 

Unable to see friends and family

At this time of year, a lot of us are getting excited to see friends and family. This year we don’t know when we’ll all be able to get together again and that can be a lonely place to be. This might be a new feeling for many of us. But for others it’s also a reminder that they do feel alone and isolated.

So, this year, we’ve set up a Facebook group where people in the community can check in with each other, chat about whatever they like and support each other.  Join the Foothold community on Facebook or email us to let us know if you’d like to chat to one of our befriending volunteers.

 

Being cut off from caring support

We know that this time of year can be particularly hard if you’re a carer – a lot of services aren’t available over this period. You might feel that you have to struggle to get through it and hope things become easier – but you don’t. We’re here to alleviate some of the challenges you face throughout the year. Find out more about how we can support you as a carer.

 

Feeling alone in your challenges

You may not be physically alone. You may be surrounded with family and have regular catch ups with friends online. But you might also be facing a challenge like redundancy, trying to make ends meet or feeling stressed or depressed. Sometimes, challenges like that can make us feel alone – we don’t know where to turn or what to do.  So, I wanted to remind you that help is here – it just takes one simple step.

 

Talk to us

Get in touch with us and talk to us about whatever’s going on. We can work with you to help you find a way forward.  Whether it’s chatting with your community on Facebook, talking about your day with one of our volunteers or asking for some help to get you feeling more in control – we’re here for you, whenever you need us.