ONE of Oxford’s best-known employers has thrown its weight behind the Oxford Mail’s Christmas campaign after reading about the plight of a former staff member.

Logistics giant Unipart, formerly part of car manufacturing conglomerate British Leyland, currently employs about 3,500 people, including 700 in Oxford.

After reading about Roy Croucher, 86, formerly a security man at Unipart for 15 years and now desperately lonely in Banbury, the firm decided it was time to get involved.

Group corporate affairs director Frank Nigriello said: “For a very long time we have been keen to respond to elements in the community where we feel we can help.

“We saw Roy in the Oxford Mail’s campaign and it struck a chord with us because it’s a former employee. It immediately rang a bell saying ‘What can we do?’.”

Unipart will now be making a generous donation to the Lonely this Christmas campaign. In addition, it and is inviting 20 lonely older people to its Garsington Road offices in mid-December for Christmas lunch.

Mr Nigriello said: “Each year we do Christmas lunch for employees over a period of days, and 20 people who may not be going to have a Christmas lunch will be invited to join our family instead, and have it on us. It’s not difficult to do and we are very happy to be able to share with them.

“It’s a terrible thing to think of people feeling very lonely, particularly at Christmas. But as a company we can do so much.”

Other ideas at Unipart include a raffle to raise extra money for the campaign, and having current employees call former staff on December 25 to wish them Merry Christmas.

As well as aiming to raise £5,400 for Age UK Oxfordshire’s ‘Phone Friends’ service, which provides a vital lifeline to older people feeling lonely, the Oxford Mail aims to recruit 10 new Phone Friend volunteers. Readers are also asked to set up their own Christmas lunches for their older neighbours who may not have anywhere to go.

The 20 older people attending Unipart’s Christmas lunch are currently being put on a list by Age UK Oxfordshire, which is also organising transport.

Deborah Astles, director of corporate responsibility at Unipart, added: “People here are very keen to help. Christmas makes loneliness worse because it’s a time when people remember having been with family or can see other people with their families.

“It’s a big challenge to remember that there’s someone next door who hasn’t had a visitor today, or may be on their own.

“It’s down to communities to look after them.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP
* Donate to the Lonely this Christmas appeal, which is aiming to raise £5,400 by Christmas to support Age UK Oxfordshire and its and Phone Friends service. Text AUKO52 £3 to 70070 to give £3 or visit campaign.justgiving.com/charity/ageukoxfordshire/endloneliness to pledge an amount of your choice.

* Volunteer with Age UK Oxfordshire. Ten new recruits are being sought over the Christmas period. There is no set minimum age and Phone Friends can volunteer from just two hours per week. To find out more, email volunteering@ageukoxfordshire.org.uk. 

* If you are organising a Christmas lunch for neighbours and older people who may not have anyone to share the day with, register it at communitychristmas.org.uk