British Red Cross Response
to Culture Secretary Oliver
Dowden’s announcement today on
tackling loneliness under lockdown, including £5m boost
for organisations like the British Red Cross to
'continue and adapt their critical work at this
time'.
Zoë Abrams, British Red Cross executive director and
Loneliness Action Group co-chair said:
"It has never been more important that we all pull together
to tackle loneliness by building on the sense of community and
connectedness that has been so inspiring to see in the face of
the coronavirus outbreak.
"Today’s announcement of investment in this area is
critical to help keep funding services and activities that
provide a vital lifeline to those who feel lonely and isolated at
this time.
"Combined with robust policies and practical action across
government departments, this should help maintain the momentum on
implementing the government’s loneliness strategy and ensure
that, even whilst this virus keeps us apart, we are making sure
that kindness can keep us together”.
Notes to Editors:
-
The British Red Cross believes that seeing people
come together to support vulnerable people and their own
communities through this emergency has been
uplifting
-
Long before this crisis, the British Red Cross
highlighted the extent of loneliness and isolation in the UK,
with one in five people affected. It expects that figure to
rise with the enormous social and economic challenges that now
lie ahead
-
As the secretariat of
the All-Party Parliamentary
Group
(APPG) on
loneliness the British Red Cross is looking forward to working
with its new chair, Neil O’Brien OBE MP to support policy and
actions by government that it believes will help shift the dial
on loneliness once and for all
-
Throughout 2020, the APPG on Loneliness is running
a major independent inquiry into tackling
loneliness to
explore crucial but complex policy areas and develop tangible
and ambitious next steps for government.
-
The consultation,
which is
open to members of the public, Government and arms-length
bodies, MPs and peers, NHS stakeholders, businesses, councils,
councillors, academics, and voluntary and charity sector
organisations, is
live until
the end of April
2020.
-
Find out more about the British Red Cross’ work to
combat loneliness in and out of a
crisis here
