Conversations to Connect 

Conversations to Connect is a new podcast on loneliness which has been created and produced by Fenella Hakwsley-Walker.  We were thrilled to be asked by our volunteer Fenella to collaborate with her on this podcast series – each month it will focus on different aspects of loneliness and connection and we are delighted to work in collaboration with Fenella to develop this work. Our first episode kicks off with an introduction to loneliness and our work from Robin Hewings, Programme Director of the Campaign to End Loneliness. Future episodes will feature contributions from a wide variety of speakers, commentators, academics, writers and artists who all share an insight into loneliness and social isolation.

Fenella is a linguist & Global Marketeer. She studied French and Spanish at the University of Nottingham and has lived and worked in Mexico, Martinique, Spain and France. Fenella was drawn to the topic of loneliness after experiencing it herself, whilst working in Paris and this led to an increased awareness and understanding of the profound effect it can have on your perception and experience of the world around you. She is an advocate for social inclusion and connection and currently volunteers for the Campaign to End Loneliness and This is Book Love.

To listen to the podcast:

The podcast is available on all the usual podcast platforms or you can listen to the first episode below which focuses on Exploring loneliness and community solutions with Robin Hewings, Programme Director of the Campaign to End Loneliness.  

Loneliness Explored -our podcast series on loneliness (2021)

Loneliness Explored was our limited series of podcasts on different aspects of loneliness produced during Covid-19.  Each episode looked at an aspect of loneliness whether it is bereavement, communities, conversations and psychology.  Many thanks to our expert contributors including:

• Michelle Dawson, who has worked at the front line of social exclusion in the North-East in her role for the charity Ageing Better
• Andy Langford, who draws on deep first hand experience at Cruse Bereavement Care  of helping the newly bereaved to find a way through their loneliness
• Deborah Hardoon who is responsible for leading the What Works Centre for Wellbeing centre’s research on what works to improve people’s wellbeing in the UK
• Lucy Selman from the University of Bristol, and has in-depth perspective of grief from her academic work which  has focused on the  psychosocial and spiritual aspects of the illness experience; decision-making and communication; family care-giving and bereavement as well her experience in  founding the Good Grief Festival.
• Mike Niles from B-Friend, who founded the charity to reducing the loneliness of the elderly population in his local area of Doncaster – one of the most deprived areas in England
• Dr Gillian Sandstrom from the University of Essex who brings her perspective as a psychological scientist studying social interaction to help people connect to each other.

You can download each episode from all the main podcast platforms or below.