Connection and belonging at Christmas: A festive idea to tackle loneliness in Dronfield Woodhouse

Oct 29
6 min read

Anna’s story is a beautiful example of how one person’s care and creativity can spark lasting connection and a sense of belonging. At Feeling Connected, we believe that local people hold the power to make an enormous difference in their communities. Often, it begins with a simple idea - a small gesture that brings neighbours together and helps reduce loneliness and isolation.

Making Christmas a little brighter for everyone

In Dronfield Woodhouse, Anna wanted to create something special for her neighbours during the festive season.

Her goal was simple but powerful: to help people feel part of a community, to bring neighbours together who might not usually meet, and to make Christmas a little brighter for everyone - especially those who might otherwise feel lonely at what can often be a difficult time of year.

Building on the success of a small advent trail she organised the previous year, Anna decided to expand the idea. With support from Feeling Connected, she brought to life the “Neighbours Advent Trail and Christmas Celebrations”, a joyful community initiative that ran throughout December.

Every evening, local residents revealed their decorated Advent window as their neighbours joined together to find them, with the help of a simple map Anna created.

The Advent Trail culminated in a festive carol singing gathering on a simple patch of land between the three streets that took part. They enjoyed mince pies and non-alcoholic mulled wine - and a chance to come together to chat, sing and celebrate Christmas.

A Personal Touch that Made a Difference

Invitation to a neighbourhood Christmas carol get together with Christmas decoration gift

With the help of a Feeling Connected Micro Grant, Anna was able to add a special touch to her invitations - a hand-delivered Christmas decoration for each household. This small gesture helped make the event feel personal, inclusive, and warm.

Where possible, Anna and her small team of helpers took the opportunity to chat on doorsteps as they delivered the invitations.

These short but friendly exchanges helped people feel included before the celebrations even began.

“There are lots of elderly people who live in our area and we wanted to encourage them to come out of their homes to meet their neighbours,” Anna explained. “There are also lots of younger families who often get so busy they don't have time to chat and meet people who live locally to them.”

By reaching out in this personal way, Anna helped break down barriers. Some residents, who had never spoken before, felt more comfortable coming along. The decorations themselves became lovely conversation starters, brightening homes and giving people something to talk about as they followed the Advent Trail.

A Community Coming Together

The response was heart-warming. Decorations and invitations were delivered to seventy-two households across three streets in Dronfield Woodhouse, reaching around two hundred residents.

Neighbours gather chat, eat and sing Christmas carols on a patch of land between their homes

Anna created lots of different ways her neighbours could help bring this festive idea to tackle loneliness to life.

Some residents decorated their windows for the Advent Trail, others walked with their neighbours to find them.

Some helped prepare and deliver invitations, others helped prepare the refreshments for the carol singing. Many helped themselves and others feel more connection and belonging as they chatted and sang Christmas carols together on a simple patch of grass between their homes.

This whole twenty-four day event created many moments of genuine connection that continued long after the festivities ended. Anna shared one touching example:

“I met new people myself. One lady at the carols event who I’d never seen before was nervous to participate and was standing back. She experienced family illness last year so didn’t come out. So it was really lovely she felt she could come on her own this year and enjoy it.

We've seen each other since then and we now say hello. When it snowed, she and another lady knocked at our house to see if we needed anything. That wouldn’t have happened before. Now people feel comfortable to do that.”

Those small gestures - saying hello, checking in, offering help - are what transform individual neighbours into a community.

The Power of Shared Effort

Another lovely outcome was the sense of teamwork among those who helped organise the celebrations. Fourteen volunteers played their part in making this festive idea a reality - whether by preparing refreshments, helping with invites and deliveries, or decorating advent windows. Sharing these simple tasks helped people get to know one another better.

Anna and some of her helpers sitting together at the table, smiling and enjoying socialising while putting together the invitations and decorations

“We shared the tasks which made it easier,” Anna said, “but it also felt like a social thing for us too and we’re more comfortable with each other now as a result.”

At Feeling Connected, we know that connection doesn’t just happen by 'attending' events - connection - it grows through shared purpose and collective efforts. Anna’s story shows how even the act of planning and preparing can be a source of belonging and joy.

How Feeling Connected Helped

With our Micro Grant, Anna was able to cover the cost of the decorations included with the invitations, as well as the refreshments for the Christmas carols gathering. We also printed her invitations and carol sheets, helping her reach more neighbours and making the event free and accessible to everyone.

And, importantly, because our Micro-Grants are open to individuals or small groups of neighbours, Anna got the funding she needed without being forced to over-complicate things.

(For most other community funding and grants, you have to be a formal group with a committee, written set of rules and a separate bank account in the group's name - you don't need any of that for a Feeling Connected Micro-Grant)

“It was really nice to do something with our neighbours, being out and about delivering the invitations and decorations, and there was a warm feeling at the carols event.

The decorations with the invite and the refreshments made it much more significant as a community thing.”

Anna included our Feeling Connected logo on her printed materials, which helped her raise awareness and tell others about the support we offer.

We’re delighted that Anna has continued to stay involved as a valued and active member of the Feeling Connected network. This has resulted in several other local residents making their own ideas a reality, with our funding and support.

Anna's commitment to community doesn't stop there. Anna is also a volunteer organiser at the Dronfield Toddler Group, which has also benefitted from our funding support, and runs twice a week at the Dronfield Baptist church. She is also a key member of Dronfield 2Gether - a wonderful community group committed to improving health, well-being and community spirit in Dronfield and the surrounding villages. Anna also works at Life Dronfield, a Christian charity and community organisation committed to providing inclusive, welcoming spaces and activities for people of all ages, including children, families, young people, the elderly and those who are isolated.

Small Actions, Big Impact

What stands out most about Anna’s project is how she brought it to life, in uncomplicated but truly creative and powerful ways - and that has a bigger impact thank you might think.

Anna created many thoughtful opportunities for people to help out and join in - both before and during the twenty-four day event

The simple yet creative invitations that included a small gift, prompted an opportunity to connect well before the event started.

The location was a simple patch of land between neighbours homes where they sang together and shared festive treats

These have all helped to turn three ordinary streets into a community.

That’s the heart of what Feeling Connected is all about: helping local people bring their simple but powerful ideas to life, because connection and belonging grow best when they start close to home.

Want to Make a Difference in Your Community?

If you’ve got an idea to bring people together where you live, we’d love to help you make it happen. Feeling Connected offers free advice, micro grants and on going support to help local residents run their own projects that reduce loneliness and build community connection.