Northern Ireland bar behind viral Christmas ad raises £23,000 to help charities tackle loneliness

The Enniskillen bar behind a viral Christmas advertisement which pulled at the world’s heart strings has raised £23,000 to help Age NI and the South West Age Partnership (SWAP) in their work to help combat loneliness.

Charlie’s Bar Enniskillen teamed up with local embroidery company, Ted and Stitch, to create a limited edition apparel range. In addition to this, a dedicated GoFundMe page was set-up with donations received from as far away as America, New Zealand and Canada.

The campaign resulted in an increase in the number of older people contacting the charities to find out about the services they provide, enquiring about joining a local older person’s group or people wishing to find out how to volunteer with local groups.

Una Burns, manager and third generation of family owned Charlie’s Bar Enniskillen, said: “The response to our Christmas ad was just incredible. Our only intention was to try and create awareness of loneliness and the importance of kindness and we are thrilled with the response it got and the vital awareness it created.

"We are delighted that we were then able to use it as a vehicle to help raise vital funds for Age NI and the South West Age Partnership and actually make a difference to the lives of thousands of older people across Northern Ireland who need companionship, advice and support.”

Alison Forbes from SWAP said: “The Charlie’s Bar Christmas campaign made such a difference to local older people, just by highlighting that anyone can be lonely. We have seen an uplift in queries around joining a local older person’s group or how to volunteer with local groups. We’ve also seen an increase in the amount of people enquiring about our services in SWAP.

"The funding raised through this fantastic campaign will allow us to run grassroots programmes across Fermanagh which will encourage older people to come out of the house and engage in a variety of our programmes. Our aim is to connect people through projects that will give them the confidence and strength to meet new people and get involved in local community life. This funding will be a huge help in doing that.”

Rosalind Cole, Age NI Fundraising manager added: “The £23,000 raised from the Charlie’s Bar Christmas campaign is an incredible contribution, which will help us continue to deliver support and advice to many older people in Fermanagh and throughout Northern Ireland.

“Almost 80,000 people over 65 live alone in Northern Ireland, one in five over 55s are experiencing high levels of loneliness, so this campaign has also been a huge success in helping to raise awareness of the impact of loneliness and isolation on older people. A big thanks to Una and the team at Charlie’s Bar for getting behind Age NI and SWAP and helping to put this important issue in the spotlight.”

Age NI has a dedicated advice line for older people who need advice and support on a range of issues, including money matters, social care, housing and health. Call on freephone 0808 808 7575 (Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm).