Love My Neighbour is a simple but potentially lifegiving campaign to remind and encourage us all to go beyond the threshold of the church and connect with our older neighbours this winter.

Winter is a time of increased loneliness, especially among those in later life. As the days get shorter and colder many older people forego their usual opportunities to gather and connect with others, and stay home.

This is understandable, but it means that during the winter older people spend more and more time not taking part in wider social interactions, with some not venturing far beyond their own front doors.

But loneliness can have serious consequences, affecting peoples' mental and physical health, even increasing the risk of premature death.

We all have a God-given need for community, God himself is a community of three. Loneliness and social isolation over a prolonged period is not His plan for anyone.

Love My Neighbour is about simple intentional acts of love. It starts with praying for our neighbours, finding out their names, then perhaps popping by for a chat, sharing our stories with them and asking them for theirs, inviting our neighbours out – to the garden centre, the church coffee morning, or a special event.

For further inspiration, we share ideas here on these pages, on social media, in our Blog section, and on our YouTube Channel.