New £5m commitment to tackling loneliness during lockdown

The major new Government effort into tackling loneliness and social isolation during the coronavirus outbreak and period of social distancing comes after research out yesterday by the Mental Health Foundation showed a quarter of adults have felt lonely during the lockdown.

It comes days after Loneliness Minister Baroness Barron, speaking exclusively to the Yorkshire Post on Saturday said there was much the Government could learn from how charities had responded to the crisis in keeping people connected.

As part of the announcement, she will also chair a new Tackling Loneliness Network, which will bring together a range of organisations including the Jo Cox Foundation, the BBC, Facebook and other charities, businesses, and public figure to explore ways to bring people together to build strong community spirit, with a focus on groups at particular risk of loneliness, and will work to continue these initiatives in the future.

Culture secretary Oliver Dowden said the new plan aimed to ensure that, for people of all ages and backgrounds, staying at home does not need to lead to loneliness.

It includes a new public campaign to get people talking openly about loneliness, a guaranteed £5 million boost for national loneliness organisations and including loneliness as a priority category of £750m charity funding package previously announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

Loneliness charities including Age UK will also be supported to work with NHS Volunteer Responders in their communities.

Mr Dowden said: “Coronavirus and social distancing has forced all of us to look loneliness in the eye. So recognising the signs and tackling the stigma has never been more important.

“We’re launching this plan now to help ensure no one needs to feel lonely in the weeks ahead. It will help everyone understand the role they can play in looking after each other, and empower our expert charities and volunteers to reach more vulnerable people.”

Zoë Abrams, British Red Cross executive director and Loneliness Action Group co-chair said the investment would be “critical to help keep funding services and activities that provide a vital lifeline to those who feel lonely”.

Catherine Anderson, chief executive of The Jo Cox Foundation said the priority given to loneliness at this time was “extremely welcome”.

She added: “When we eventually come out of this crisis the country will emerge stronger and healthier if we act now to establish a legacy of stronger connections that are maintained in the future.”

Three out of four people ages 65 and older said their contact with family or friends has been “significantly limited” due to the crisis, the Campaign to End Loneliness said.

The charity, which partner with the Yorkshire Post in the launch of its ongoing Loneliness campaign in 2014, has welcomed the Government’s new commitment to tackling the issue during the pandemic.

Chair Deborah Alsina said: “Even before Covid-19, millions of people in the UK were experiencing loneliness. The lockdown, while necessary, has exacerbated this problem, particularly for older people, who are more likely to live alone, and less likely to be internet users.

"Loneliness cannot be considered a second-tier issue during this crisis. By working together, we can help ensure that more people are staying physically distant, but socially connected during the lockdown, as well as putting in place services and support to assist people in the recovery phase post-pandemic.”