OLDER people facing the prospect of spending Christmas on their own are being offered the chance of some festive companionship by a national charity.

The Abbeyfield Society is opening the doors of six of its care homes in the North East so that single people can come in and enjoy a free meal or overnight stay.

The charity’s Companionship at Christmas campaign runs from Christmas Eve until January 4 and involves more than 120 of its homes and housing schemes across the country.

Abbeyfield was launched 56 years ago to improve the quality of life for older people and provide companionship, and the festive campaign ties in with those aims.

This year the homes taking part in the North East are Petilaw House and Riverhill in Corbridge, Abbeyfield House in Warkworth, Ravenslaw House in Alnwick, Armstrong House in Bamburgh and Thorney Close in Fenham Hall Drive, Newcastle.

Companionship at Christmas was launched on national radio recently by actor Geoffrey Palmer, who is a patron of Abbeyfield and the spokesman for the campaign.

It aims to combat the increasing trend of festive isolation and loneliness amongst older people by offering an alternative.

Over the 10-day period, older people can come along to one of the participating homes in Northumberland and Tyneside and have an overnight stay and/or a festive meal with others.

Mr Palmer said: “It is so sad that more than 750,000 older people are chronically lonely and while this is a daily issue, being alone or lonely is particularly sad around Christmas time.

“If the offer of free dinners and overnight stays over the Christmas holidays at an Abbeyfield house brings a bit of cheer to just one older person faced with spending the festive season alone, it will be worthwhile.”

Anyone interested in taking advantage of the offer should call 0845 0523553 or visit www.abbeyfield.com

It is open to anyone who is over 55, alone over Christmas and currently living independently.