Oldham Strictly winner Kelvin Fletcher backs national neighbourliness campaign

With 84% of people saying society should do more to promote neighbourliness, a new campaign running throughout October is calling on people to use the extra hour gained when the clocks go back to carry out a simple act of kindness in their community.

Created by tech-for-good platform, Neighbourly, #TheExtraHour is a national campaign encouraging individuals, families and businesses to pledge their time for good – from checking in on a neighbour to helping out at a local food bank.

As over a third (35%) of people believe we’ve become less neighbourly in the last 20 years, The Extra Hour campaign aims to inspire thousands of people to pledge their hour for good and is supported by hundreds of charity partners across the country.

“In a world that often feels rushed and disconnected, this campaign is about reminding people that even a small act of care can have a lasting impact,” said Steve Butterworth, CEO of Neighbourly.

“The extra hour we gain when the clocks go back is a perfect prompt. It’s a reminder that time is a gift and giving it to others can strengthen the bonds that hold communities together.”

From this week, members of the public can visit the campaign website to pledge their extra hour, see what others are doing across the country, and discover simple ideas for neighbourly action, many of which can be done close to home, for free, and in under 60 minutes.

In fact, Oldham-born Emmerdale star and Strictly Come Dancing winner, Kelvin Fletcher, took to his Instagram to back the campaign, saying: “As the clocks go back later this month, we all gain an ‘extra hour’; Neighbourly is encouraging people to use it to give back through small acts of kindness that make a big difference. 

“I know first-hand the benefits and importance of giving back, as every single week we have the wonderful David Lewis charity on our farm.

"Their presence and enthusiasm bring us genuine joy and the smiles on their faces show how much they enjoy coming to us.”

The campaign has already been embraced by hundreds of charities and community organisations across the UK, including national community dining charity FoodCycle, which turns surplus food that would otherwise go to waste into free meals helping address hunger, loneliness and food waste.

FoodCycle CEO, Sophie Tebbetts, said: “This is a great campaign which shows the huge value small actions can have.

"At FoodCycle we rely on the kindness of volunteers around the country to help reach thousands of people through our community meals each week.

"Anyone with an extra hour to offer can find out about being a surplus food collection volunteer via our website, and if you have more time to spare, we have lots more opportunities to get involved in cooking, serving and washing up at meals.

"We see every week how the act of volunteering can make someone’s day, and it’s so rewarding for those who give their time too.”

You can learn more about the campaign, pledge and share your extra hour and get ideas of what you can do to take part on the campaign website.

Employers and partner brands are also being encouraged to take part by pledging time for their teams and sharing the campaign internally.

To pledge your extra hour or learn more, visit: https://hub.neighbourly.com/the-extra-hour - and follow the campaign at #TheExtraHour on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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