At Christmas, we submerse ourselves in the spirit of the day. For some people, it is one of the few times a year they see their family, or get a break from work. Recently however, there have been nation wide campaigns from charities such as Age UK on combating the loneliness older people suffer at Christmas.

As Christmas is a time for family, living through Christmas alone is understandably something we wouldn’t wish on our own future. The issue has been raised so far into the public conscious that Age UK raised £174.6 million in 2014/15. And although we are happy to raise the money, or follow an advert on the TV, it is less common for us to volunteer to help the organisations first hand.

Your local community is no doubt bursting with opportunities to volunteer, and with everybody making an effort to keep to their New Year's resolutions, this could be a chance to get involved head on.

One such charity, based in Kingston Upon Thames, is Staywell. This is the new name for Age Concern Kingston Upon Thames, and as of 2016 they celebrated 70 years helping in the local community.

Their work is not just based on sitting and talking to those people who may feel lonely, although this is still part of their activities. Staywell offer the opportunity for volunteers to teach basic computer skills to people who otherwise would be lost, to act as a photographer for their website and newsletters, and to get involved in one of their outreach programs. In previous years, these programs have seen a garden being totally overhauled and given a new lease of life, or a community art exhibition being presented.

Staywell is a charity that is not just prominent at Christmas, as their services exist every day to provide support in retirement, take their cause to schools around the borough to raise awareness for their work, and provide at the very least a friendly voice on the end of a phone.

At a time where we promise ourselves to make changes in our lives, get fit, drink less, work hard, surely the most rewarding thing we could possibly do would be to make a difference in someone's life. Volunteering with a charity like Staywell is not hard, and a few clicks on their website could see you doing some gardening for a retiree in the fast approaching spring, and most of all, develop new friendships.

Just think for a moment, if it was you alone in your retirement, a friendly face would remind you of your place in the community.

Freya McMurray, Tolworth Girls' School.