I hope you are all looking forward to Christmas and are able to spend this special time with your loved ones.

For some though, the festive season can be extremely lonely. You may have a relative, or neighbour, who lives on their own. If so, a simple knock at the door to check they are okay can make a world of difference and really lift a person’s spirits. It is also extremely rewarding to do such a small thing and see the how much it means to the person in question.

We have a range of teams within the Council who will be working throughout the Christmas break and I would like to thank them for all they do to help our local residents, especially at this time.

Our social care teams, for example are a good example of staff who will be on duty while many of us are enjoying a few days’ break and they will provide a friendly face to those people in our community who do not have anyone to support them.

I know there are also a whole host of local community groups and charities who really come to the fore at this time of year. Whether it is delivering presents to the Children’s Ward at Great Western Hospital, organising hot meals for those who are homeless, or knitting blankets and clothes for rough sleepers.

Our Live Well team is working closely with a variety of organisations to help those who need a little bit of support this Christmas. For example, the team this week have been distributing presents and 75 hampers from the Finance and Efficiency team at Nationwide, to some of the clients they support. Thanks Nationwide Finance team!

These gifts have been going to those people who benefit from the Swindon Circles service, which is a befriending service run by volunteers who like to offer their free time to be great company and a friend to an older person who could be facing social isolation.

Some of the hampers and gifts have also been sent to The Foyer, which supports some of the most disadvantaged young people in Swindon. I have been privileged to see pictures of the hampers being delivered and the smiles of those who received the gifts show just how well they have been received.

However, the Live Well team’s work is not done yet as they are expecting a further 105 hampers from another generous department at Nationwide to give to those in need.

The team are also handing out blankets and draft excluders, which have been knitted by Swindon’s Big Knit volunteers, to those who are really struggling with the cost of living crisis and for elderly people who are returning home following a stay in hospital.

Finally, I would like to give a quick mention to an appeal we are running for refugees and asylum seekers in our town. If you have any spare clean and warm men’s jackets, our team would be delighted to hear from you.

You can donate them from between now until 3pm on Friday, at Sanford House (SN1 1HE) during their usual opening times.

Wishing you all a happy Christmas.