Widower 'dreading' first Christmas alone after wife's death writes heart-breaking appeal for company

The unidentified man stressed he did not want 'to be a burden'

The man - who has not been identified - has not yet responded to all the offers (Getty)

A widower has written a heart-breaking message appealing for company this Christmas Day after losing his wife earlier this year.

The man, known only as Raymond, sent a message to Prestwich People, a community page for the Manchester area, explaining he was “dreading this first Christmas without her.”

“I don't want to be a burden but are there any community meet ups on Christmas Day where I can go and meet others so I don't have to spend the day eating my dinner alone?”

In the message Raymond, whose adult son lives in Australia, says he has been “gaining the courage to write this” and that “any help would be much appreciated.”

InboxI hope you can post this for me. Thank you.I have been gaining the courage to write this so here goes...I lost...

Posted by Prestwich People on Thursday, December 17, 2015

The note quickly gathered attention as local residents invited him to their homes.

“You are more than welcome to come and spend Christmas day with us,” Joanna Ferris wrote. “It will be organised chaos and you will probably be grateful for the peace when you leave but I'm happy to pick you up and drop you back home again.”

Danielle Mawdsley offered Raymond time with her family: “My granddad also lost his wife a couple of years ago and he is on his own.

“You'll get on like a house on fire. You are very much more than welcome,” she added.

Paul and Jayne Millar also invited the elderly gentleman round to theirs, promising a pint in their local after picking him up.

Although Raymond has yet to accept any of the offers, the page’s administrators have promised to keep residents updated, writing they were “blown away” by their generosity.