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Christmas Cheer
Bringing joy and companionship during the festive season
What is Christmas Cheer?
Bringing people together at Christmas
Christmas Cheer is Marmalade Trust’s Christmas Day project for people experiencing loneliness who would otherwise spend Christmas Day alone.
We welcome Project Members, our VIP guests, from Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
There are two ways to take part:
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Festive Christmas lunch: Join other Project Members and volunteers at a local venue for a traditional Christmas meal, gifts and companionship. Volunteer transport is available to help you get to and from the venue.
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Doorstep visit: If travelling to a venue isn't suitable, a trained volunteer can visit you at your doorstep on Christmas Day with a Christmas gift and spend some time chatting and connecting with you.
Whichever option is right for you, Christmas Cheer is about making sure that people who would otherwise spend Christmas Day alone have someone to share part of the day with.
Who can take part?
Find out if Christmas Cheer is right for you or someone in your community
Christmas Cheer is for people who:
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Will not see anyone on Christmas Day, with no friends or family to spend some of the day with
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Feel lonely all or most of the time
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Live in their own or rented home and are not currently homeless or living in temporary accommodation
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Are able to take part safely and independently in the type of Christmas Cheer activity they are applying for
If you would like to attend the Christmas lunch
You must be able to:
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Get in and out of transport independently
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Move around independently at the venue
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Be comfortable spending time with other Project Members and volunteers
If you would like a doorstep visit
You must be able to:
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Get to your front door independently
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Be comfortable having a volunteer visit and spend some time connecting with you
Christmas Cheer is not a specialist support service. If someone needs specialist support, for example during a mental health crisis or in relation to substance misuse, there are other services better suited to their needs.
How to take part
Refer someone or apply for yourself
If you know someone who meets the eligibility criteria and will otherwise spend Christmas Day alone, you can refer them to Christmas Cheer.
You can also apply for yourself. If you are experiencing loneliness and think Christmas Cheer could be right for you, you are welcome to complete the form yourself.
The form asks for some personal and health information. We need this information to understand your circumstances, make sure Christmas Cheer is suitable for you, and plan the right support to help keep you and our volunteers safe on Christmas Day.
Please answer the questions as fully and accurately as you can. Your information will be handled in line with our privacy policy.
If you have previously participated in a Christmas Cheer project please don't complete the referral form again. Get in touch with us directly at christmas@marmaladetrust.org or call 07566 244788.
Referrals close on 12 December 2026, but our spaces, particularly for Christmas lunch, usually fill before this date. We recommend submitting your referral as early as possible to give you the best chance of securing a place.
What happens after you apply?
What to expect next
Once you have submitted the form, please give us up to one week to get in touch with you by phone. We will talk through your application, confirm your details and discuss your place on the project.
Would you like to volunteer?
Help us bring people together this christmas
There are 4 different types of roles you can volunteer for on Christmas Day 2026.
The Roles:
Doorstep Visit Volunteer - You are a friendly doorstep visitor on Christmas Day. You visit 2 people (Marmalade Project Members), have a chat on their doorstep and deliver a festive gift (bought and wrapped by Marmalade Trust)
Venue Lead Volunteer - You are a friendly host of a Christmas Lunch. You host between 12 - 40 people at a designated pub or restaurant in Bristol, South Gloucestershire or North Somerset on Christmas Day. You are not alone as we make sure there are 2 lovely hosts at each meal.
Please note there is some admin, venue prep and presents to pick up beforehand with this special role.
Driver Volunteer - You are a friendly driver on Christmas Day. You collect people (Marmalade Project Members) from their homes and drive them to a designated pub or restaurant in Bristol, South Gloucestershire or North Somerset. You will then return and collect them at the end of their meal and drive them home again.
Driver & Host Volunteer - You are a friendly driver and meal host on Christmas Day. You collect 2 people (Marmalade Project Members) from their homes and drive them to a designated pub or restaurant in Bristol, North Somerset or South Gloucestershire. You will then join the group for the meal, afterwards returning the 2 people you originally picked up back to their homes.
Application Form:
Our volunteer application form takes around 10 minutes to complete and asks you to provide the information we need to get your onboarding started.
As part of the form, you'll be asked to provide the names and email addresses of two professional or volunteering referees. Once you submit your application, we will automatically send them a reference request. It also asks you to tell us which Christmas Cheer volunteer roles you're interested in, so please do have a look at additional information on the options. We appreciate any form is a little tedious, but taking the time to complete the form fully helps us coordinate your references, checks, training and volunteer agreement much more easily, so that we can get you ready to volunteer on Christmas Day with as little burden on your time as possible.
Volunteered with us before?
You don't need to complete the full application again. Simply complete our short re-application form. This will allow us to update your information and role interest for this year.
Have a question about volunteering? Call us on 07566 244788 or email Delia at volunteer@marmaladetrust.org
Last Christmas...
In 2025, we are proud to have brought joy and companionship to 213 people experiencing long-term loneliness in our area. Everyone who joined us was supported by our network of over 165 wonderful trained-volunteers.
One project member told us: "This was the first time I attended a Christmas meal with the help of
Marmalade Trust and it was a most wonderful experience...”
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How it all started
Health professional and volunteer, Amy Perrin, knew how tough loneliness and social isolation can be. Through volunteering, Amy met three older people spending Christmas Day alone. Seeing the shortage of Christmas events in Bristol, she took them out herself. Amy was approached by GPs and even a local bank clerk asking if she could include more people, and soon 3 became 18! After Christmas, with a doormat piled high with thank you cards, Amy realised the importance of what had been achieved and Marmalade Trust was born. Amy is our brilliant founder and CEO, and in 2024, she was awarded an OBE for services to older people.
How to get involved all year round...
From sponsored runs to cake sales, fundraising is a brilliant way to support our charity.
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