Loneliness

LONELINESS is “disproportionately” affecting people with chronic health conditions and disabilities, it has been claimed, after researchers found that three out of five people with multiple sclerosis (MS) felt lonely because of it.

A theatre company is working with local charities in York and Sheffield to put on “immersive” Christmas shows, which includes a meal, in a bid to tackle loneliness and social isolation

A WEST Yorkshire pensioner who spent Christmas Day at his local care home has told how an initiative that brings people together on December 25 spared his loneliness, as research revealed that almost three quarters of older people in Yorkshire still don’t know how they will spend Christmas.

RETIREES flock there in search of the rural idyll in later life, but some find the reality can be lonely and isolating - especially after the death of a spouse.

Cross-departmental Government commitment is needed if we are to make an impact on the increasing levels of loneliness felt by all sectors of society, a charity has warned, after one of the largest ever surveys on the issue.

A NEW film that highlights the relationship between those who are struggling to buy food and loneliness is being screened for the first time, following research by the University of Sheffield.

LONELINESS is set to become a “major public health concern” if isolation among the soaring numbers of over 50s is not addressed, Age UK has said in a major new report.

TO some people, they are the hiccups in life that bring you down, but with time, you overcome them.

SPORTS enthusiasts affected by loneliness and dementia can find friendship and support at two new weekly groups.

Just a few miles away, Dunswell has experienced a similar change to Cherry Burton, but on a grander scale. It has seen
the most rapid increase in over-65s in Yorkshire – rising from four per cent to 30 per cent of the population in the past 30 years.

IN the 1960s, Cherry Burton near Beverley was a village on the up. New housing estates saw families flock in, filling the village schools, populating youth clubs and creating a community where people wanted to stay.

THE VOICES of older people need to be heard at the highest level of policy making, the Yorkshire MP at the head of parliament’s group on ageing has said.

IT COULD be re-thinking the length of time it takes for an older person to cross a road, or specifically designing public spaces to that people have more opportunities to simply bump into each other.

IN HIS youth, Leeds businessman Mike Day would accompany his father on day trips, concerts and meals he’d organised for older people who were lonely or isolated - and this Christmas, he will “carry on the baton” and build on his legacy by arranging a Christmas meal for elderly people in Leeds.

CHARITIES and community groups can now apply for up to £100,000 from a £9m fund set up to tackle loneliness.

IT has become almost cliché - the image of an older man, finding solace in his shed. But new research has found that community spaces for men, Men’s Sheds, can boost attendees’ emotional and physical health - and reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation.