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Loneliness Awareness Week 2025
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This month, we’re marking Loneliness Awareness Week, a key moment in the year to reflect on what loneliness means, who it affects, and how we respond. The theme for 2025, ‘reducing stigma’ through the creative theme ‘meeting loneliness together’, invites us to challenge common assumptions and open up more honest conversations about loneliness in all its forms.
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Despite being a universal human experience, loneliness is often misunderstood or hidden due to fear of judgement. Reducing the stigma around it is essential if we’re to ensure that people feel able to speak up, seek support and stay connected. Across this edition, we highlight work that is doing just that, from research that deepens our understanding, to initiatives that create space for empathy and shared experience.
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Whether you're reading as a practitioner, policymaker, researcher, a person experiencing loneliness, or simply someone interested in the topic, we hope this edition offers useful insight and inspiration.
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Thanks, as ever, for being part of the conversation, and we encourage you to get involved in Loneliness Awareness Week in any way that you can.
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What we are thinking about
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Loneliness Awareness Week is June 9 to June 15 this year. The site above gives a map of lots of events you can join, or you can even host an event for others. These events provide a fantastic opportunity to create connections, find activities to enjoy with like-minded people, and help in the fight against loneliness.
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If you’ve not seen it until now, the site also gives useful information on how to help with feelings of loneliness.
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The Campaign team will be hosting events in Hallam Square, Sheffield on Monday 9th June and Wednesday 11th June.
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There will be music, arts and crafts, opportunities to win prizes, a challenge to see how far we can collectively cycle for loneliness, and a screening of the radio play “The Autumn of My Years” in the Void cinema.
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For more information and how to find the events, check out the events pages on the Marmalade Trust’s Connection Map links below:
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Loneliness Awareness Week At Sheffield Hallam University
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The Autumn Of My Years At The Void Cinema
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Cycle For Loneliness At Sheffield Hallam University
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Come down to Hallam square and connect with our fantastic team and other members of the public, keep an eye on social media, and together help use reduce the stigma surrounding loneliness!
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The Centre for Loneliness Studies and the Campaign to End Loneliness recently collaborated with the Film and TV Charity to carry out research on loneliness and mental health within the film and TV industry. A detailed evidence-based report and a shorter ‘highlights’ report into the biggest contributors to loneliness in the film and TV industry is due to be released during loneliness awareness week.
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Look out for more about this important research on the Campaign’s social media platforms, but in the meantime, head to the Charity’s website where you can find more information on past research they’ve carried out, and all the ways in which they support their beneficiaries.
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On Tuesday 10th June the Campaign to End Loneliness will be Supporting Intergenerational England to re-launch this vitally important APPG through its inaugural meeting. MPs will meet to agree the official name and aims of the APPG, and a programme for work for the next year.
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Look out for more news during loneliness awareness week about how the meeting progressed, what was agreed and how you can get involved in the future.
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We’ve shared this resource in previous editions, but think this is a great opportunity to raise more awareness around the tool the team have put together to help form connections with others.
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This page gives a wonderful example of how simply starting a chat with someone on a park bench can form a new connection, and provide an opportunity to learn and share experiences.
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We’ve picked one example of Will, the creator behind A Mug of Life, starting a chat with Peter and sharing stories over a cup of tea. We hope you find this as inspiring as we did.
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Tips to help with loneliness
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Find our latest collection of tips to help manage feelings of loneliness in our blog post on the link below.
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Loneliness Around the Globe
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Learn from global loneliness expert and researcher, Dr. Luzia Heu, Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Social Science at Utrecht University, Netherlands about her research on loneliness across cultural settings.
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The lecture was originally hosted online on May 20th 2025, but you can access the recording below.
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On our reading list
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We have a collection of interesting articles we’ve found this month on the subject of loneliness. Some academic journals articles might not be available in full, but the abstract will give a good overview of the paper for everyone.
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Loneliness, mistrust, and age segregation are rising. But they’re not inevitable.
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The new Intergenerational England report shows how we can change direction across education, housing, care and more.
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Sign up to read the report below.
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This article argues that instead of turning to AI companions to ease loneliness, people should consider reading books, which offer proven emotional and social benefits. Research shows that reading, especially fiction, can reduce feelings of isolation and stimulate the same brain areas used in real social interactions.
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This article from The Independent highlights the widespread issue of loneliness among older adults in the UK, noting that many avoid discussing their feelings due to stigma and a desire not to burden others. Age UK reports that loneliness can lead to neglecting self-care and exacerbate health problems. The article encourages recognising signs of loneliness and suggests reaching out to support services like Age UK and The Silver Line, which offer resources to help alleviate isolation.
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Dates for your diary
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9 June – 15 June – Various locations
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Hosted by The Marmalade Trust, the group have once again put together some resources to help form connections. From their website: “Meeting Loneliness Together, this year's theme, is all about reducing the stigma around this natural human emotion. Sign up to our newsletter for updates, follow us on social media, download our resources, and promote your connection activity on our Connection Map.”
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9th June, 11th June – Hallam Square – 11am – 3pm
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As we mentioned earlier in the newsletter, check the website above and our social media for more information on events we’ll be hosting at Hallam Square in Sheffield!
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10th June – Online – 10:30am – 12:00pm (GMT)
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Join GILC for this Global Loneliness Awareness Week discussion on the drivers of economic insecurity and the relationship with social isolation, loneliness, and social connection. Hear from global and local experts and contribute to the worldwide dialogue.
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