A new Call to Action: Tackling Loneliness & Building Community
Over one hundred sector organisations have come together to develop a new Call to Action for a future government to tackle loneliness and build community.
In our new Call to Action, Tackling Loneliness & Building Community, we have come together as 14 leading charities to set out our priorities for a future government to tackle loneliness and build community.
Over the summer of 2023, we engaged over 100 organisations committed to tackling loneliness to support its development.
Five years on from the first government loneliness strategy and creation of a dedicated Minister for Loneliness, it remains a serious problem.
Recent data from the Office of National Statistics shows that millions of the UK population say they are often or always lonely.
And the number of people who are chronically lonely has risen by half a million since 2020, with the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis taking a considerable toll on people’s health, wellbeing and relationships.
As a sector, we are calling for renewed action to tackle this crisis.
Join our Call to Action
We have come together as a sector to develop and support calls to build community and tackle loneliness in the UK.
If you would like to join our Call to Action, email williamwall@redcross.org.uk, and include a high-definition image of your logo.
Our recommendations
We know that connected communities are healthier, happier, more prosperous and resilient. To achieve this across the country, we recommend:
- Renewed national leadership on loneliness and connection. This should include appointing a dedicated Minister for Loneliness to lead a refreshed national strategy, overseen by the Prime Minister and supported by a cross-governmental team.
- A new strategy should have clear, measurable objectives. These should be backed with funding, and developed in collaboration with people with lived experience and expert organisations.
- Priorities for action must include rebuilding community. The government should support local authorities to address loneliness and invest in our built environment;
- Ensuring our services are well equipped to address loneliness. These include services from the voluntary and community sector to the NHS; and supporting cross-sector action.
Full list of signatories
This Call to Action is supported and released by the following organisations:
- Age UK
- Astra Foundation
- British Red Cross
- Campaign to End Loneliness
- Carers UK
- Cares Family
- Jo Cox Foundation
- Royal Voluntary Service
- Mind
- UK Youth
- LGBT Foundation
- Sense
- Marmalade Trust
- Nesta
Also supported by:
- Association of Convenience Stores
- Barnado's
- Befriending
- Beth Johnson Foundation
- Beyond Words
- Christians Against Poverty
- Cinnamon Trust
- Civil Society Consulting
- Coaching to Contribute
- Cohousing Scotland
- Colostomy UK
- Create Community
- Creative Lives
- Duke of Edinburgh
- Early Career Loneliness Research Network
- Eden Project
- Embracing Age
- Faith Action
- Faith in Later Life
- Family Action
- Farnham Maltings
- FoodCycle
- Frazzled Cafe
- Friendly Bench
- Fulham Good Neighbours
- Glive
- Globe Community Project
- Great London Friendship Project
- Historic England
- Home Instead Charnwood, Loughborough and Coalville
- IfEveryoneCares
- Inclusion in Action
- Inclusion in Arts
- Independent Arts
- James Ross Hunter Youth Suport
- K&D Befriending
- Lenzie Co-Housing
- Letsbfriend
- Libraries Connected
- Linking Lives UK
- Louder communities
- Manchester Got Talent Youth
- Men's Sheds
- Mental Health UK
- Methodist Homes
- National Pensioners Convention
- Neighbourly Lab
- Nerve Tumors
- Nottingham: The Wolfpack Project
- Parkinsons UK
- Railway Benefit Fund
- Reading Agency
- Re-Engage
- Rethink Mental Illness
- Rosie's Trust
- Rural Coffee Caravan
- Scouts
- Seema Kennedy OBE
- Stay Up Late
- Tackling Loneliness Collaborative
- The Grieving Pint
- The Helpful Bureau
- The Link Visiting Scheme
- The Warm Welcome Campaign
- Together Co
- Two Generations
- UNBLND
- University of the 3rd Age
- Vision Foundation
How we take action on loneliness
Our Loneliness Action Group makes sure that government work on loneliness will have a lasting legacy.
Get help with loneliness
If you’re living with loneliness, or know someone who is, we can help you connect with your local community, and find new friends and activities.