As we approach the Holiday Season and most are gearing up for the Christmas season with every gift imaginable, carols are playing on repeat, Christmas trees are being dusted off and children are thinking about what they want to ask for from Father Christmas, for some, the approaching holiday season is not a time of joy - it is a time of dread, or sadness and loneliness, and for some it is a season of fear.

Crisis support hotlines see usage rates spike by 25% to 30% on Christmas Day and Boxing Day alone, while crisis relief and emergency housing programs can see spikes of around 40%. Domestic violence increases up to 33% across Europe over the holiday season, and new research shows that 25% of young people experience loneliness during this time.

Well, this may not be an easy conversation to have, but it is a very important conversati ...