Government’s work on tackling loneliness
|
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and the
Office for Civil Society have published details of work and
announcements on loneliness. Contents Objectives Covid-19 A
Connected Society Funds Documents Tackling loneliness matters to
everyone: individuals, employers, communities, educators and health
professionals. Supporting people to have meaningful social
relationships is not just...Request free
trial
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and the Office for Civil Society have published details of work and announcements on loneliness. Contents Tackling loneliness matters to everyone: individuals, employers, communities, educators and health professionals. Supporting people to have meaningful social relationships is not just crucial to people’s physical and mental health. It also affects their engagement in the workplace and wider community cohesion. We all need to take action to tackle loneliness across society, and government can play an important role supporting this. Objectives As set out in the 2018 loneliness strategy, three overarching objectives guide the government’s work on loneliness. The first is reducing stigma by building the national conversation on loneliness, so that people feel able to talk about loneliness and reach out for help. The second goal is to drive a lasting shift so that relationships and loneliness are considered in policy-making and delivery by organisations across society, supporting and amplifying the impact of organisations that are connecting people. The third is playing our part in improving the evidence base on loneliness, making a compelling case for action, and ensuring everyone has the information they need to make informed decisions through challenging times. The government will continue to publish annual reports in this area, with the second planned for early 2021. COVID-19 The government has launched a major effort to tackle loneliness during the coronavirus outbreak and period of social distancing. Led by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, the plan will aim to ensure that, for people of all ages and backgrounds, staying at home does not need to lead to loneliness. It includes:
Read the latest advice on social distancing and how to help safely guidance during the coronavirus pandemic if you’re supporting people that are experiencing loneliness. A Connected Society ‘A connected society: a strategy for tackling loneliness - laying the foundations for change’, published on 15 October 2018, is the world’s first government strategy for tackling loneliness. It builds on years of work by many individuals and organisations, and acts as government’s first major contribution to the national conversation on loneliness and the importance of social connections. This strategy is an important first step, but government is also committed to long-lasting action to tackle the problem of loneliness. The first Loneliness Annual Report published in January 2020 provides an update on the progress made against commitments made in the strategy, and sets out the government’s future direction of travel. The second Loneliness Annual Report will be published in January 2021. The main strands of government’s current work on loneliness are:
Funds Building Connections Fund The £11.5 million Building Connections Fund is a partnership between government, The National Lottery Community Fund and The Co-op Foundation. This fund supports 126 projects that aim to help bring communities together and improve the evidence base on what works to tackle loneliness. Further information about the fund, including a full list of grantees, can be found here Loneliness Covid-19 Grant Fund Government has announced £5 million of funding to support national organisations working to tackle loneliness and build social connections to help them to continue and adapt their critical work. This fund launched on Wednesday 13th May, and closed for applications on Friday 29th May. We received 103 applications for this fund and awarded grants of between £500k and £1m to 9 organisations, a full list of which can be found here. Loneliness Microgrants Fund Government has announced a further £4 million Loneliness Micro-grants Fund in partnership with The National Lottery Community Fund. It will provide funding to a large number of hyperlocal, grassroots organisations who are helping to build relationships in and across communities to help reduce loneliness. This fund will open for applications in January 2021, with a second round launching in the Summer. Documents
|