Loneliness
Sew much love: why friendship matters
By Helena Kondziela, Communications Specialist at Action Hampshire Friendship has always held deep meaning for me - not just in the joyful moments, but especially through life’s more challenging chapters. It gives me a sense of purpose, connection, and shared understanding. Perhaps it’s no surprise then, that I’ve found myself working in the charity sector - where connection, kindness, and support are at the heart of what we do. I recently completed a strengths profile questionnaire,... read more »
A vision for the future: ending loneliness, connecting communities
You are warmly invited to our AGM and Communities Tackling Loneliness celebration event The Paul Woodhouse Suite, Winchester Cathedral, Friday 1 March, 10:30 - 12:30. Join us for Action Hampshire's Annual General Meeting to find out more about the work of the charity, and our challenges and achievements, in the 2022/23 year. This is an opportunity for our members to vote on key issues affecting Action Hampshire. Following the AGM we'll be joined by Dr Debra Gray from... read more »
Loneliness – just how bad is it?
Loneliness “a subjective, unwelcome feeling of lack or loss of companionship. It happens when we have a mismatch between the quantity and quality of social relationships that we have, and those that we want.” Perlman & Peplau, 1981; DCMS Loneliness Strategy; ONS The terms loneliness and isolation tend to conjure an image of an older person, housebound and frail with physical isolation leading to loneliness. Increasingly however, we are becoming aware that loneliness is negatively... read more »
“I’m not lonely” - read Claire's blog about loneliness
Humans are social beings... We all need meaningful connections to thrive. So why is there such a stigma to people admitting that they are lonely? Throughout Action Hampshire’s recent Communities Tackling Loneliness with Transport project, we’ve been learning from our delivery partners and VCSE partners across Hampshire & the Isle of Wight about their desire to reduce loneliness. Staff and volunteers within the VCSE sector and communities work tirelessly to help people connect and reduce loneliness.... read more »
"Loneliness is something that affects all of us"
It’s not just the destination, but the journey – Some learnings from our ‘Communities Tackling Loneliness with Transport’ Project What do you think of when you think of someone that’s lonely? For me, this has often been an image of an elderly person. However, loneliness is something that affects all of us, and in fact younger people aged 16-29 are the group most likely to report that they are... read more »
Hampshire to get £566,000 funding to tackle loneliness with transport
Older people in Hampshire will soon be able to access new, greener community transport to help them stay connected to the people and activities they love. A coalition of organisations have been successful in winning a government grant of £566,000 from the Department of Transport to trial new innovative approaches to tackling loneliness through transport across Hampshire. Three charities (Good Neighbours Network via this link, Age Concern Hampshire via this link and click... read more »
Loneliness and Mental Health
The theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is loneliness - an apt focus given the social disruption many of us have experienced over the past 25 months. The Mental Health Foundation has just released its latest publication (Loneliness and Mental Health) which shows just how the past two years of lockdown, anxiety about the pandemic, and rising living costs have all taken their toll on mental health in our communities - and how... read more »
Could you be a befriender? Your city needs you!
Communicare, which ran lunch clubs and activities for isolated, often lonely, residents pre-restrictions, says, as people ‘return to normal’ with work and social commitments, understandably, many can’t commit to making calls. The charity’s Manager, Annie Clewlow says: “We are currently in touch with more than 600 of the city’s residents and have waiting lists for others who need help. We had an influx of volunteers at the start of the lockdown when people were furloughed... read more »