Our projects

Our aim is that every older person feels warm in their home and connected to their community.
We do this by sourcing and distributing practical gifts and information that reduce the negative impact that feeling lonely and isolated can have on older people’s physical and mental wellbeing. We have a special interest in helping older people who are cold in their homes. We also seek opportunities to connect communities with kindness.

Our Small Acts of Kindness projects are:

Warm in Winter gift bags

Many older people struggle to keep warm when the weather turns cold. Our aim, each winter, is to source and distribute up to 10,000 Warm in Winter gift bags that will help older people keep warm in their homes.

Celebrate Christmas gifts

Many older people have no one to celebrate Christmas with. Each winter we distribute a box of gifts to 500 older people who are alone at Christmas.

Violet’s Gift

 Ahead of Christmas 2020, we were delighted to announce a new partnership with Violet's       Gift, a Christmas charitable project set up in 2015 to provide gift donations to people in care homes with no loved ones. Supporting the logistics, storage and wrapping sessions and with the help of all our amazing volunteers, 1000's of gifts are made available to Hertfordshire care homes.

Bags of Kindness

A project in partnership with and funded by Hertfordshire County Council and HertsHelp, 3,000 Bags of Kindness are given out to clinically extremely vulnerable people across the county.

Purple Pages information packs

Our Purple Pages information pack contains a wealth of carefully sourced literature about services and activities for older people. Provided by national and local organisations and always with a telephone contact, our Purple Pages information packs are included in every gift bag that we distribute.

How you can help

Our work has had a significant impact on the lives of some of Hertfordshire’s most vulnerable, older people.

Our ultimate aim is to be able to source and distribute a Warm in Winter gift bag to every older person who needs one. With your help we can make this happen.

￡10    helps purchase gifts for an older person who would otherwise be alone at Christmas

￡25    goes towards the cost of a gift bag that will help keep an older person warm this winter

￡50    provides 10 older people with a blanket to wrap up warm in

￡100  provides 20 older people with thermal gloves, socks and a warm hat

“I am overwhelmed at the super gift from you wonderful people. I am a widow and I have always managed but the last few years I have sat freezing or gone to bed early because I can't afford to heat my home. You are angels.”

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Warm in Winter gift bags

In total, since the Small Acts of Kindness first began in 2014, we have reached over 60,00 older people in Hertfordshire, many of whom are cold, lonely and isolated.

Most have struggled to keep warm in their homes during the winter months. Some were faced with the almost unimaginable and impossible choice between heating their homes and buying food.

Being cold can lead to health risks such as raised blood pressure which can result in an increased risk of strokes, heart attacks and falls.

Our Warm in Winter gift bags contain essential, practical, keep warm items for older people including; a fleece blanket, thermal hat, gloves, socks, a mug and hot drinks. They are distributed free of charge to older people aged over 55 across Hertfordshire.

These gift bags are an intervention that can help reduce the risks that older people face when they are cold. For some older people they could be a life saver.

Additionally, all gift bags contain our comprehensive Purple Pages information pack of literature that signposts them to relevant activities and services for older people, helping to break the cycle that loneliness and isolation can bring.

Recipients of Warm in Winter gift bags:

  • Are warmer in their homes with the associated reduced risk of cold-related illness or seasonal death.
  • Feel less lonely and isolated.
  • Have increased feelings of wellbeing.

Here are some of the comments received from grateful recipients:

"Made me feel very happy and not so alone. That there are people who are so caring. Such a lovely gesture."

"I was delighted with my bag, it made me feel really special and most importantly loved."

 “Happy and grateful for the lovely surprise and all the lovely treats. It really made me feel special and really appreciated your kindness.”

“Very humble at such generosity and kindness. Such lovely practical gifts- it felt like Christmas had come early.”

“In this Covid lockdown there have been many acts of kindness and I now feel included amongst them.”

“Better in mind and spirit, a cheery reminder of the goodness of people.”

“Such a pleasant surprise. Just like Christmas of my childhood. I enjoyed it immensely.”

“Everything, it contained so much variety, it will provide many hours of relaxation and comfort to take my mind off of the stressful situation at present.”

“Hat, gloves, and all the information, I hadn't realised how much support there is.”

Celebrate Christmas gifts

Research by Age UK revealed that over 400,000 older people each year dread the prospect of a lonely Christmas. 23% of over 65s (that is 2.5 million people in the UK) say that the festive season is not a happy one for them.

Our Celebrate Christmas boxes include gifts such as a scarf, puzzle book, pen, biscuits, chocolates and mince pies as well as a signed Christmas card from our team. They also include a ‘Gift for Giving’ – an additional small gift that recipients can give to a friend, neighbour, carer or family member. They are distributed to older people who would otherwise be alone at Christmas.

 “I felt like a child opening a Christmas stocking! It brought a smile to my face and made me realise that there are lots of kind people around.”

“It was a nice surprise and cheered me up loads. I've kept the Christmas presents to open on Christmas day. Wonderful boost to my day. Thank you.”

Violet’s Gift

Working in partnership with Violet's Gift means that we can reach even more older people at Christmas. We were incredibly proud to work with Violet’s Gift and to be part of such an amazing project.

Since Christmas 2020 over 3,000 people with no loved ones have opened a Christmas present, feeling a little loved, thanks to hundreds of volunteers who have donated, wrapped and delivered gifts.

Emily Benner, Violet's Gift founder said: “This couldn’t have happened without our incredible partner Small Acts of Kindness, who not only ran our present wrapping sessions and kept us Covid secure but helped us improve our project at every stage, provided a personal support to us (including use
 of their warehouse) and improved how we support people. Thank you to Lynne Misner and her brilliant team, we are so grateful!”

The gifts were wrapped with a Christmas card, a note from the present wrapper, a letter to the recipient and a feedback form.

Croxley Green Parish Council are also a major partner, as a distributor and a drop off point for the gifts which nearly fill the council chamber!

 

Bags of Kindness

To bring some comfort and support, our Bags of Kindness project has been developed and funded by our partners Hertfordshire County Council and HertsHelp to reach extremely vulnerable people throughout the county. The gift bags include a fleece blanket, gloves, hat, face mask, soup, biscuits, hot chocolate,  Small Acts of Kindness Activity Book, an information pack, and a KIND bar. The project began in response to the pandemic to give 3,000 gift bags to clinically extremely vulnerable people throughout Hertfordshire. 

Purple Pages information packs

In an age where often the first place to look for information is online; many older people face digital isolation simply because they have less access to the internet and are not as digitally literate as those who have grown up in a digital age.

This is an innovative project because it works in partnership with information and service providers to take information directly to vulnerable, older people rather than expecting people to decide for themselves what information they need and then find out how and where to access it.

Our Purple Pages information pack contains a comprehensive range of literature about services and activities provided by national and local organisations that are relevant and useful to older people and always with a telephone contact. They are included in our Warm in Winter gift bags and are also available as a standalone item. 



Our Purple Pages Directory, included in the pack, covers the ten council districts of Hertfordshire, providing information on services and activities which are specific to each of those areas.


Based on our experience with the Mental Health Liaison Service, based at Watford General Hospital, during the first Coronavirus ‘lockdown’, we produce an activity book in partnership with Home Instead Watford. We also include colouring pencils and a pack of playing cards. During the pandemic, we learned that increased isolation was having a huge impact, but small things could make a big difference. These can help reduce the negative impact that loneliness can have on someones mental well-being, especially for those living alone.


“I loved everything but especially the leaflets. Lots of information about what's going on in Hertfordshire.”