Tag: Campaign to End Loneliness

Covid lockdown created a loneliness epidemic and it still exists – here’s six ways to help a sufferer

LONELINESS AWARENESS WEEK 10 – 16 JUNE 2024

A NEW campaign to raise awareness of loneliness will be launched this week. The theme for “Loneliness Awareness Week” – which runs from June 10 to June 16 – is Random Acts of Connection. 

It aims to encourage people all over the country to take a moment to do something unexpected and help a person who may be suffering from loneliness.

Counsellor Lynn Crilly is an expert in this area and supports people experiencing loneliness. She says covid lockdowns created an epidemic of loneliness which the country urgently needs to tackle. 

Lynn said: “Lockdown exacerbated loneliness and social isolation. Being forced to work from home, unable to meet with friends or go for a drink went against our nature as social creatures. But despite lockdown being a distant, if horrific memory, there are still a huge number of people in the UK today who say they are lonely. 

According to the Campaign to End Loneliness, in 2022 there were 49% (25.99 million) people who reported feeling lonely at some point and of those, 7.1% – or 3.83 million people experience chronic loneliness, meaning they feel lonely ‘often or always’. This has risen since 2020, indicating the impact of lockdown and the change it had on our society on our social interactions and emotional wellbeing.

Lynn added: “Loneliness can often be tied up with other problems like depression or grief, which can cause people to withdraw from friendships, activities or social occasions. But it can also be due to socioeconomic factors like money worries or a change in circumstances such as moving for a job or a divorce. 

“It can be hard to tell if someone is lonely. Sometimes they aren’t even aware of themselves.  Just because someone enjoys their own company doesn’t mean they are lonely, and conversely, someone who works in a busy office and is surrounded by people may be. Feeling lonely is not necessarily the same as being alone, but someone who is isolated is more likely to experience loneliness.”

  1. If you know someone who might be lonely, the best thing you can do is let them know that you are there for them. There is a stigma attached to loneliness and isolation, particularly in younger people, so don’t just try once and give up if they don’t engage. It could take time for someone to trust you or want to talk about how they are feeling.
  1. Ask if you can help. Often people who are lonely may be so because of their age or because they have become less independent. In an ageing population, this is going to become more prevalent. If you are worried about someone, invite them out or suggest a local charity who could help. Sometimes someone who is older or lives with a chronic health condition may only see carers or health visitors day to day. Even someone driving them to go shopping or for lunch can reduce that isolation.
  1. Join a club or group together. Approach it from a, ‘I’ve always wanted to try x, fancy giving it a go?’ so it doesn’t seem like you are being patronising or pitying. Don’t push people into doing things but if someone seems interested in an activity, you could make it something you do together. 
  1. Be reliable. For someone who is isolated or feeling lonely, that promised phone call which gets forgotten can become magnified in the life of someone who might not speak to anyone else for the rest of the day. If you are busy, see if someone else can check in on that person and let them know you will be in touch soon. 
  1. Ask how they are feeling. Loneliness is often linked to other health conditions so by talking to someone about how they are feeling, without making it about a specific issue, you may be able to help someone open up and address what could be at the cause, particularly if it’s a recent behavioural change. If someone has a low mood which doesn’t lift, it could be worth asking a charity like Mind or Samaritans for advice. 
  1. Make efforts to include them into social activities. We often think of loneliness as something which affects older people but according to the ONS, people aged 16-29 are more than twice as likely to report feeling lonely often or always than those over 70, with those 30-49 close behind. Social media and dependence on technology may also contribute to this with people who grew up swiping on screens interacting more with devices than people. With pubs and restaurants closing down and the impact of lockdown on mental health and what has become the ‘new normal’, the socialising of previous generations has been replaced by on screen interactions which our animal brains don’t treat as the same as meeting people in person. 

Call for connected recovery to tackle loneliness

New poll shows a quarter of Scots say Covid-19 pandemic has left them feeling more isolated than ever

Parliamentarians across parties are calling on governments to put connecting communities at the heart of Covid recovery – as a new British Red Cross poll shows a quarter (23%) of Scots say the pandemic has left them feeling more isolated than they ever have before.  

28% say that feelings of loneliness are still affecting them even though Covid-19 restrictions have eased, in comparison to earlier in the year. 

As many people continue to struggle with loneliness two years into the Covid-19 crisis, politicians and Civil Society Organisations want governments across the UK to reaffirm their commitment to tackling loneliness – and to improve and invest in community and social infrastructure needed to connect people. This includes public transport and shared public spaces, such as parks.   

Calling for a cross-UK Government agenda to ‘loneliness-proof’ communities, parliamentarians have relaunched the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tackling Loneliness and Connected Communities, to keep these issues high on the political agenda. 

Former Government Loneliness Minister and Conservative MP Tracey Crouch, and Labour MP Kim Leadbeater will be co-chairs, and the group will be supported by a new partnership of the British Red Cross, the Campaign to End Loneliness, and the Astra Foundation. 

These parliamentarians are looking to build on the great work already done across the political spectrum, civil society, and people and communities themselves, to help raise awareness of loneliness – and tackle its root causes – at a time when a new Opinium poll for the British Red Cross shows that in Scotland: 

  • A quarter (23%) of Scots say that the pandemic has left them feeling more isolated than they ever have before. 
  • Around three in ten (28%) say that feelings of loneliness are still affecting them even though Covid-19 restrictions have eased, and a fifth (20%) are more worried about their feelings of loneliness now than they were before the pandemic.  
  • More than two in five Scots (45%) say they are worried that with Covid-19 cases increasing in the UK, they will need to reduce their interactions with others again.  
  • A third (33%) of Scots think that the pandemic has had a lasting impact on their relationships and social connections, while a quarter (24%) admit that they have found it difficult to reconnect with friends and family since lockdown restrictions lifted.  

More positively, the latest research does show that 28% of people across Scotland feel more connected to their local community now than they did before the pandemic, with a third (33%) saying that the pandemic has brought out the best in their community.  

Tracey Crouch, MP for Chatham and Aylesford, became the UK’s – and the world’s – first ever Loneliness Minister in 2017 and has continued to champion efforts to better connect people since. 

Kim Leadbeater, Labour MP for Batley and Spen, has long worked to tackle loneliness and bring people together, and continues to build on the work of her late sister, Jo Cox, who was a pioneer in putting loneliness and social isolation on the political agenda.  

Tracey Crouch MP said: “When I was appointed Loneliness Minister in 2017, I got to understand the scale of the challenge and, through my work with local government, health professionals, charities, and community groups, we were able to identify the best ways of helping people who are lonely to reconnect with their local community. 

“Since then, we’ve made real strides in tackling stigma, encouraging people to talk about their feelings, and in bringing in practical measures like social prescribing which sees people take part in activities or groups to improve their health. 

“Now we need to go further and address some of the underlying factors that prevent people from connecting with others, especially in terms of investment in key infrastructure and assets in local communities.” 

Kim Leadbeater MP said: “As we look to recover from this pandemic, we have to recognise the impact Covid-19 has had on some of the most vulnerable people in society, especially those who have been isolated for long periods of time. 

“I know from my efforts to tackle loneliness and bring people and communities closer together, that loneliness was a real problem before Covid-19 and, for some, it will be an even greater challenge now. 

“It’s crucial we improve things where we live and that means good transport links, clean and safe public areas, recreational spaces like parks and gardens – things we take for granted but are the glue that binds our communities together.”  

British Red Cross Policy and Public Affairs Manager for Scotland Kenneth Watt said: “Our latest research shows just how much more work needs to be done if we are to achieve a connected recovery from Covid-19, one that builds people’s confidence, brings our communities together, and puts a strong focus on those most impacted by the pandemic.  

“We’re delighted to be supporting this push to encourage leadership and action on tackling loneliness, from all levels of government through to local communities up and down the country. 

“Together, we need to build on the good work that has been done by government and communities themselves during the pandemic because loneliness is not a new or short-term problem and will continue to hold people back beyond this crisis.” 

Robin Hewings, Programme Director at the Campaign to End Loneliness, said: “We are pleased the Campaign to End Loneliness is partnering with British Red Cross to provide secretariat to the APPG on Tackling Loneliness & Connected Communities. 

“Research has shown the pandemic has left many more people feeling more isolated than ever. It helps us open up the conversation some more that loneliness is going to be a serious issue beyond Covid-19. 

“And that so much more needs to be done to address the issue at scale and build upon the great work that has been done so far to bring communities together in helping them all to build back better.” 

If you are experiencing loneliness, please know that you are not alone. If you would like some help, the British Red Cross support line operates from 10am to 6pm seven days a week on 0808 196 3651.

You can also visit www.redcross.org.uk/loneliness-resources to access our toolkit of resources for adults and young people, including online group sessions and digital classrooms, as well as thought-provoking podcasts where others share their experiences of tackling loneliness. 

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