FOR 19 years, Noreen Scott has sadly watched as other families celebrate Christmas.

Sitting alone in her Blackbird Leys flat, the 72-year-old said she used to just “sit and cry”, wondering why everyone else had somewhere to go.

But after phoning in to her local radio station, a kind-hearted family will this year take in the lonely widow.

She said: “I have been completely on my own since my husband David died.

“Christmas used to be alright because I had my dog Tammy to take out for a walk and you’d meet people on the way, say good morning to them.

“But I had to have her put down a few years ago. It’s since then that I’ve felt alone really. I just bolt the door on Christmas Eve and spend the day reading and watching TV.”

Mrs Scott’s husband David passed away from cancer in 1992.

Since then, the retired shop clerk said she had surrounded herself with friends — except at Christmas when everyone else had family to visit.

She said: “My friend goes over to her daughter’s and another one has all her family round at Christmas.

“I’ll be on my own, watching TV and listening to the radio. I know there are community meals around, but I’ve always been a bit shy so I haven’t had the courage to go.”

Mrs Scott phoned in to a BBC Radio Oxford show to speak about loneliness at Christmas.

She said: “I’ve never done it before. But a woman was on the radio, talking about how alone she felt at Christmas.

“And I wanted to let her know that she wasn’t the only one. There’s lots of us out there.”

Luckily for her, Catherine Kaboleh, from Oxford, was listening to the radio.

She heard Mrs Scott’s story and decided to act — phoning in the next day to offer Mrs Scott a place to visit on Christmas Day.

She told the radio show: “I just couldn’t get her voice out of my head.”

Mrs Scott said she was now nervous about meeting new people but was “really looking forward to it”.

She said: “I’m overwhelmed really, I still don’t think it’s sunk in.

“It’s just marvellous to know that people care.”

* PEOPLE like Noreen shouldn’t spend Christmas alone, according to a Blackbird Leys charity. The Leys Community Development Initiative, based in the Blackbird Leys Community Centre, is holding a day of celebrations on Christmas Day. The food and games are open to anyone from the community who is finding Christmas hard to cope with at home. Project manager Marsha Jackson said: “Christmas can be a hard time for a lot of people. For many, it can be the most depressing time of the year. “If you’re by yourself or you don’t have any money, it’s a bad time. “So this event is about coming together, celebrating together and not being by yourself or thinking about people you’ve lost.” The day runs from 2pm until 8pm and is free to attend. The charity also has the use of a minibus to pick people up. A free festive buffet will be provided and there will be a relaxed programme of films and interactive games. Miss Jackson said: “The plan is for this to be a really special day. People shouldn’t spend Christmas alone. “This is for everyone, young people and their families, the over 50s. “We have a great team of volunteers who will be freely give up their time to help on the day. So everyone is welcome.” The Leys CDI was set up in 1995 to develop project beneficial to the community. For more information contact 01865 395927.