Over half of Brits inspired to do a good deed for their community for the first time this Christmas

Over half of Brits inspired to do a good deed for their community for the first time this Christmas

  • Brits are set to spread Christmas cheer in their communities this year by checking in on elderly neighbours, donating to food banks and helping others with their grocery shop
  • 54 per cent felt the events of 2020 have inspired them to do more for other people
  • The thought of someone being lonely this Christmas has spurred 47 per cent of people to do a good deed
  • It comes as 76 per cent feel technology has played a big role in helping those who are lonely
  • To support those in need, O2 has announced a nationwide mobile device and data donation drive to support the most vulnerable who are digitally disconnected from others
  • Support the campaign and donate your old smartphone to Community Calling – visit http://www.hubbub.org.uk/communitycalling

58 per cent of Brits are planning to do a good deed for their community for the first time this Christmas, according to new data released by O2, with Brits set to spread Christmas cheer this year by checking in on elderly neighbours, donating to food banks and helping others with their grocery shop.

Researchers who polled 2,000 adults found that festive spirit is still alive and well with 54 per cent saying that the events of 2020 have inspired them to do more for other people.

It comes as O2, the UK’s No.1 network extends its Community Calling campaign in partnership with the charity Hubbub, giving people the chance to do a good deed by donating their old smartphones. O2 aims to gift 10,000 old smartphones to vulnerable individuals in the most deprived areas of the UK, helping to combat loneliness. As part of the campaign, O2 will be donating 12 months of free connectivity to the beneficiaries, which will include unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 6GB of data per month for a full year.

Other thoughtful acts likely to be carried out include donating unwanted items to the disadvantaged (39 per cent), spending time with someone who is lonely (25 per cent), and donating money to charity (38 per cent).

This selfless behaviour is something people want to continue beyond the festive period as almost two thirds (61 per cent) say that it is something they want to carry into 2021 and almost four in 10 regret not going out of their way to do a good deed sooner.

Other significant motivations behind doing a good deed were found to be looking out for those most vulnerable (43 per cent) and wanting to give back to the local community (35%) while 47 per cent said they did it due to the thought of someone being lonely at Christmas.

95 per cent admitted they know of someone who is or has previously been affected by loneliness and 60 per cent of those polled have, at one time, experienced this themselves.

Empowered by the events of 2020, 56 per cent will now make more of an effort with those who suffer from loneliness, while the study, conducted by OnePoll, also found 76 per cent feel technology has played a big role in helping those who are lonely during the pandemic.

Mark Evans, Chief Executive of O2, said: “Connectivity has been vital to keeping the country running during the pandemic, but if you’re unable to get online you’re likely to miss out on a lot of support. We’ve already seen the positive impact Community Calling has had on vulnerable people in London – providing a lifeline for those most affected by the pandemic, so we’re pleased to announce this expansion, starting in Manchester. This campaign reflects our broader commitment to be there for our customers and the wider community, whenever they need us.”

Anyone in the UK can get involved by donating old smartphones. It is easy to sign up online – you’ll receive a free-post donation box to post your old and workable smartphone, to be refurbished by trusted partner Reconome. It will be data-wiped, sanitised and redistributed with user guides and PAYG SIM cards from O2. Alternatively, those who don’t have an old smartphone can choose to donate the cost of one month’s top-up for the beneficiaries by visiting hubbub.org.uk/donate-data-to-community-calling-resources.

O2 and Hubbub are also encouraging businesses to support the campaign by organising bulk device donations or providing collection boxes in their offices (where appropriate).

If you’d like to support the campaign and donate your old smartphones to Community Calling, visit http://www.hubbub.org.uk/communitycalling/ for more details.

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Terms apply. Based on total number of connections to O2 network vs. number of connections to each of Vodafone, BT Group and Three as of 30.06.20. To verify, see www.o2.co.uk/network.

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Source: O2 Blog