Millions face Christmas alone, reveals BBC poll

Millions of people in Britain - 7% of the population - expect to spend most of Christmas Day alone this year, according to a new poll looking at the impact of loneliness in the UK.

The poll of over 2,000 adults from across Great Britain was carried out by ComRes for a day of BBC programming about loneliness on December 12th – ‘A Life Less Lonely’.

Other key findings from the survey include:

· Nearly three in ten British adults (28%) say that they feel lonely at least some of the time.

· 18-24 year olds are nearly as likely (30%) to feel lonely as those over 65 (31%).

· A third (33%) of Brits (and 27% of those aged 18-24) say that they feel left behind by new ways of communicating and 85% prefer speaking to friends and family face to face.

· Two thirds (65%) of adults think they should do more to help family, friends and neighbours who are lonely.

A Life Less Lonely’ looks at the work of over twenty charities running inventive projects up and down the country aiming to ease isolation for people who experience loneliness.