The Christmas holidays can be a daunting prospect for some people because they bring into sharp relief their sense of loneliness. The BBC has released a poll that shows nearly a third of us feel lonely at some point in our lives, with younger people experiencing similar levels of loneliness as older people. However, research from The Campaign to End Loneliness (CEL) demonstrates that the summer months are worse for older people, which suggests that loneliness is a complex issue that we need to be aware of throughout the year.

In the run up to Christmas there has been increased media interest in loneliness. Anna Goodman from the Campaign explained what loneliness meant on the BBC and Laura Ferguson (CEL) highlighted ‘Seven ways we can end Loneliness‘ acting as individuals or organisations, and that often the ‘smallest things can be the biggest help’.

The Campaign helps to stimulate changes in policy and practice, which will help to reduce loneliness amongst older people. We are proud to continue to support the Campaign whilst also developing our Transitions in Later Life strand. This new strand is based on learning from the work of the Campaign and our Ageing and Social Cohesion programme.