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Carrying on the conversation
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Following last month’s focus on stigma, July’s newsletter offers a chance to consider how conversations about loneliness are being carried forward, not just through campaigns, but in everyday practice, policy and research.
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We share recent findings, examples from community settings, and reflections on what’s helping people feel more connected. As ever, the aim is to bring together different strands of work and insight, and to offer a space for thought and learning across sectors.
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Grab a cool drink and take a moment to catch up on all the exciting new developments in the fight to end loneliness.
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What we are thinking about
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The Film and TV Charity, in partnership with the Centre for Loneliness Studies at Sheffield Hallam University, has recently published new research examining the disproportionately high levels of loneliness experienced by people working behind the scenes in film and TV. The research provides compelling evidence to suggest loneliness is a key driver of poor mental health in this freelance-reliant sector, and is largely driven by work-related factors.
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The research makes several recommendations to mitigate the impact of workplace loneliness which include employers maintaining communication and relationships with freelancers after and between projects; measuring and tracking loneliness such as through workplace wellbeing surveys; the creation of inclusive opportunities for meaningful workplace connections; and formal ‘buddy’ and peer support systems.
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As freelancing becomes more common in the general workforce, this research is of critical significance for policymakers across multiple sectors.
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The Film and TV Charity, the Campaign to End Loneliness and Intergenerational England (APPG Secretariat) recently met with Paul Davies MP to discuss the relevance of the report for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Tackling Loneliness and Connected Communities.
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You can read the report by clicking below.
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The Campaign to End Loneliness Roadshow
As you will have heard already, it was our plan to host the Campaign to End Loneliness conference this year in September.
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A number of individuals and organisations have contacted us to say that in the current financial climate the cost of both registering for the Campaign to End Loneliness annual conference, and travelling to it, is prohibiting them from attending.
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We don’t want to exclude anyone from attending and are committed to offering an in-person event in support our commitment to fostering greater social connections. We have therefore taken the decision to cancel the conference scheduled for 10th September 2025. Instead, we are planning a Campaign to End Loneliness Roadshow which will visit localities around the UK.
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These will be smaller local and/or regional events but will facilitate greater access and enable us to: raise awareness and understanding of loneliness; involve more people with lived experience of loneliness; share our evidence on loneliness and good practice; learn about what is working locally, and where the gaps in provision are; and create a mechanism for linking to governmental policy and to the new All Party Parliamentary Group on Tackling Loneliness and Community Connectedness.
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We hope that you will join us in this exciting new initiative at a locality near you in the months ahead. We will be back in touch in due course with dates and venues for our roadshow events. In the meantime, if you are interested in hosting us at one of our roadshow events please get in touch
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The Campaign to End Loneliness co-leads the Tackling Loneliness Hub along with Neighbourly Lab. We’re currently delivering the “Translating Research into Practice” webinars, so remember to follow the link below to register for the hub and receive reminders and invitations to these events.
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Dr. Luzia Hue recently released the first edition of a new podcast titled “Connected by Loneliness”. The first episode is called “Why you should not tell a person who feels lonely to meet up with others more”. Dr Hue writes about the first episode:
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“A stereotypical lonely person is someone who sits alone in a room and does not have anyone to talk to. Accordingly, many interventions try to tackle feelings of loneliness and social isolation together, by increasing social contact. However, especially young people usually feel lonely without being isolated or spending too much time alone. In this episode, I explain why mixing up these concepts is a problem when we want to reduce loneliness and how exactly they are different from each other.”
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You can listen to the podcast on Spotify using the link below.
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An Edinburgh business owner has started weekly walking groups to help facilitate the forming of social connections. Activities such as walking groups can be a great opportunity to meet others, and have the added benefit of getting yourself out in nature too.
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Even if you’re not local to Edinburgh, the group gives a great example of the types of activities which can be managed on a relatively small scale, and how beneficial this can be.
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At the Campaign, we always recommend getting out in nature with others when possible, but be sure to stay hydrated and cool in the summer heat!
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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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The World Health Organization has released a report highlighting the serious health risks associated with loneliness and social isolation, linking them to increased risk of early death and a range of mental and physical health problems. The report calls social connection a vital determinant of health, especially for young people, older adults, and those in low-income settings.
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To address the issue, WHO proposes global and national action, including public awareness campaigns and investment in community infrastructure. The report urges governments and societies to treat social connection as a key public health priority. You can read the full report 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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This article from the Guardian reports on a UK study by the Social Market Foundation, which found that people living in areas with poor public and active transport, particularly rural towns reliant on cars, are significantly more likely to feel lonely. The researchers urge investment in walkable, transport-connected designs to prevent social isolation.
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Read the full article below.
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This article details a German 18‑year longitudinal study which analysed data from 224 families across three life stages (ages 4, 14, and 22) to explore predictors of emotional loneliness in young adulthood.
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The research found that over 25% of teenagers reported emotional loneliness, rising to 50% in early adulthood during the pandemic. Key influencing factors included adolescent mental health issues, adverse childhood experiences, dysfunctional maternal parenting, and problematic internet use. The findings suggest that early mental health interventions, parenting support, and addressing childhood stressors may help prevent long‑term loneliness.
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Read the full article below.
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This recently published global review highlights that loneliness is common among older adults, especially those in North American, women, and those in care settings. The study calls for urgent action from policymakers and health professionals to address its impact on mental health and well-being.
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The Conversation article by Professor Brendan Kelly argues that despite widespread claims, there is no true “loneliness epidemic”, at least not in terms of rising rates. Prior to the COVID‑19 pandemic, levels of loneliness in countries like the UK, the US, Finland, Sweden and Germany remained remarkably stable. Although loneliness did increase during lockdowns, it returned to pre‑pandemic levels relatively quickly.
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Nonetheless, the author acknowledges that loneliness remains an important and enduring public health concern, warning against hyped-up “emergency” framing which may distract from long-term, sustainable solutions. The central contention is that while loneliness is real and harmful, labelling it an epidemic might mislead policymakers and the public into treating it as a novel crisis rather than a persistent social condition that requires thoughtful, measured responses.
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