Vote for The Yorkshire Post's Loneliness campaign to win the Making a Difference award

Voting is now open to crown the newspaper campaign that has made a real difference - and we need you to vote for Loneliness: The Hidden Epidemic.

The Yorkshire Post has been shortlisted alongside 31 other powerful newspaper campaigns for the Local Newspaper Week ‘Making A Difference’ award.

Loneliness: The Hidden Epidemic won the award in 2014, and was again shortlisted in 2015.

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But we want to show how the campaign is still making an impact in its third year of campaigning by bringing the award back to Yorkshire for a second time.

Loneliness: The Hidden Epidemic was launched by the newspaper in February 2014 with two main aims, for loneliness to be universally recognised as a health priority and to encourage our readers to volunteer for support services.

Since then, local authorities around the region have been persuaded to include loneliness in their over-arching healthcare strategies; the campaign has been backed by high profile individuals such as Silver Line founder Esther Rantzen and Prime Minister David Cameron; and we gave reported on the many personal stories of those affected by loneliness in the region.

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In February, on the second anniversary of the campaign, we revealed how a cross-party commission, which will include a representative from The Yorkshire Post, is being set up to examine loneliness and launched a new drive to persuade readers to donate a combine 2,016 hours to the Royal Voluntary Service this year.

The winner of the award will be chosen by public vote during Local Newspaper Week, which runs from May 16.

Voting closes on Wednesday and the winner will be announced at the Society of Editors Regional Press Awards on May 20.

Nicola Furbisher, managing editor of The Yorkshire Post, said: “Winning this award in 2014, in the infancy of the campaign, meant a great deal to us as it was voted for by the public.

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“Over the last two years, people have told us how putting the spotlight on loneliness has helped them in coping with their own isolation, and we’re thrilled that the power of our campaign has once again been recognised.

“All it takes in one click to vote - there’s no need to fill out a form or give any of your details. Help us to show those in power that we are still shouting about the devastating effects that loneliness can have.”

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