Grief Encounter is proud to announce their continued partnership with ITV Good Morning Britain’s 1 Million Minutes campaign, working to end loneliness and isolation in the UK through the power of volunteering.

Kate Garraway, ITV Presenter, says: “Very often a smile and a word to check in with people does wonders.”

The Good Morning Britain ‘1 Million Minutes’ campaign is now in its seventh year; the initiative asks viewers to pledge time rather than money and has so far seen almost half a billion minutes donated to charities connecting those who feel alone.

It has never been more important for us to talk about feeling lonely, especially following the acute isolation the cost-of-living crisis is currently causing millions of people throughout the country. And so the message for this year is, it won’t cost you a penny to save someone from loneliness. You can get involved by visiting our 1MM page, pledging your time this festive season, and helping us end loneliness for bereaved families.

Launching on Thursday 1 December at 6am on ITV1 and ITVX, and continuing throughout the month, the entire Good Morning Britain family will be supporting the award-winning social purpose campaign. Alongside GMB presenters, familiar faces across ITV, celebrities and influencers alike will also get involved and show their support both on air and online.

Since launching in 2016, a staggering 404 million minutes of time have been donated to charities in need of volunteers who can connect with those who feel alone.

Susanna Reid, Good Morning Britain host said: “I don’t want anyone to experience the pain of loneliness, and I fear that as people cut back during this crisis they may become more vulnerable. Our entire GMB family is proud to support 1 Million Minutes – a campaign that actively seeks to make a difference in tackling loneliness. We hope to encourage the nation to do whatever they can, big or small, to help support those who are suffering from the effects of loneliness and isolation this year.”