Using sustainable transport to help end loneliness
Tackling Loneliness with Transport, funded by the Department for Transport was a collaborative project, bringing together experienced delivery organisations (MHA, Good Neighbours Network, and Age Concern Hampshire) with the University of Winchester and two strategic partners - Action Hampshire and Hampshire County Council. The project was completed in July 2023 with Action Hampshire as project/learning lead.
The initiative enlisted specialist support from the Campaign to End Loneliness. The University of Winchester has carried out an evaluation of the project, with an initial report being presented at Action Hampshire's AGM on 1 March and the full report launched at an online seminar on 20 June. The report is available to download at the link below:
Download the Communities Tackling Loneliness with Transport in Hampshire final report at this link
Initial learnings from the project
Initial findings from the University of Winchester revealed that people are generally unwilling to admit to being lonely. It also became clear that it's vital for transport solutions to be safe and accessible. Not just because it is essential for many to access activities but because the journey itself can also be a valuable part of the experience. Chatting on the bus and seeing the world outside enhances social connectivity. The use of electric vehicles played an interesting role here as they are much quieter, making conversation easier!
Follow this link to view the three pilot schemes and view the infographic
Report launch webinar - The Impact of Transport on Loneliness: the Challenge of Sustainability
We launched the final report at an online seminar on Thursday 20 June. Dr. Debra Gray from the University of Winchester presented her team's findings and invited the webinar participants to consider how they might apply these findings in their own work to reduce loneliness.
Download the Communities Tackling Loneliness with Transport in Hampshire final report at this link
We'd like to thank everyone who joined us for the evaluation launch. Video and audio recordings of Debra's main presentation are available below, along with her presentation slides:
Download the video recording of the report launch at this link
Download the audio recording of the report launch at this link
Download the report launch webinar presentation slides at this link
