The Campaign to End Loneliness has a wealth of knowledge and experience about the issue of loneliness in older age, and is happy to be contacted by members of the press.
For media enquiries:
Please email Alice Stride, or call 0203 865 3907.
All out of hours media enquiries can be made on the same number.
Our press releases:
- The Loneliness Epidemic: research reveals loneliness in older age ‘more likely than ever’ September 2017
The Campaign to End Loneliness has revealed that 9 in 10 people (89%) believe loneliness in older age is more likely now than ever – with over half of British adults saying that admitting to loneliness is difficult.
The Campaign also released a review by the London School of Economics (LSE) that demonstrates that it pays to invest in loneliness interventions. Up to £3 of health costs can be saved for every £1 spent on an effective intervention.
The Campaign to End Loneliness is launching the first phase of its work to drive public action to tackle loneliness in older age, working with partners from across the UK to inspire thousands of people to take action in their communities, workplaces, and businesses. The Campaign is supported with National Lottery funding from the Big Lottery Fund.
Laura Alcock-Ferguson, Executive Director of the Campaign to End Loneliness, said:
“There is much to do to overcome loneliness. The huge stigma surrounding it is clear, which is slowing down efforts to combat it. This is isolating millions of older people – and with our ageing population, the epidemic of loneliness is growing fast.
“The fact that over three-quarters of older people will not admit to feeling lonely is deeply worrying. The health impacts of loneliness are devastating; it is worse for you than obesity and as bad for you as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Most worrying, however, is the popular view that loneliness in older age is more likely than ever – that loneliness is inevitable.
“But, with two thirds of people wanting to address the loneliness epidemic – and with compelling evidence that it pays to tackle loneliness – we know that we can challenge this. Loneliness is not
inevitable. So, we are calling on the public to take action. Watch and share our inspiring new film ‘The Loneliness Project’, and join the campaign. Together, we can end loneliness.”
The Women’s Institute has committed to taking local and national action to help tackle loneliness in the UK. Marcus Rand, Director of Development and Communications at the Campaign to End Loneliness, delivered a speech at the WI’s Annual Conference this week, securing the support of WI members to act on loneliness.
Over half (56%) of Gransnet users who describe themselves as lonely have never talked about their loneliness to anyone, with the vast majority of that number saying their close friends and family would be quite surprised or even astonished to hear they feel lonely, according to a new survey carried out by the over-50s social networking site
The UK’s loneliness epidemic is costing employers a massive £2.5billon a year, according to a major new study published on 20 February 2017.
The research was commissioned by the Co-op who, along with the Campaign to End Loneliness, are members of the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness. It shows that people who are lonely are five times more likely than others to leave their job within a year.
With over 30 million people employed in the UK the £2.5 billion cost of loneliness translates into an average cost of at least £82 per year per employee. The financial impact of loneliness includes:
• £20 million related to employee health outcomes and the costs of the associated sickness absence:
• £220 million related to the health of those who are cared for by friends or relatives in work, and the costs to employers of the associated caring activity by employees
• £665 million related to employee wellbeing, and the costs to employees of the related reduction in productivity
• £1.62 billion related to employee wellbeing, and the costs to employers of the related increase in voluntary staff turnover
‘The Cost of Loneliness to UK Employers’, was compiled by the New Economics Foundation. Marcus Rand and Dr Kellie Payne from the Campaign to End Loneliness were members of the report’s review panel.
Welcoming the research, Laura Alcock-Ferguson, the Director of the Campaign to End Loneliness, said:
‘It’s great to see the Co-op taking the lead and encouraging other businesses to play their part in tackling the loneliness epidemic. We need more businesses to join us because loneliness is real and cutting lives short and to tackle it we need a society wide response with everyone, including business, playing their part.
‘Behind these eye watering financial costs are real people that can be helped and supported by businesses, large and small, in our towns and cities up and down the UK.’
Rufus Olins, Chief Membership Officer Executive of the Co-op, said:
‘For the first time this report puts a figure on the cost on loneliness to business. It is clear that employers should not only be aware of the issue but should also be prepared to support employees.
‘We already know from research we published last year that ordinary events in life have the potential to disrupt our social connections and can lead to individuals becoming lonely even though they may be surrounded by others.
‘This rich insight clearly shows that there is a role for businesses and that is why we are beginning to develop support for colleagues who are lonely and will be sharing our learnings with others. By implementing well thought out strategies employers can not only support individual colleagues but also make a positive impact on their bottom line.’
The Campaign to End Loneliness will deliver a national initiative, using funding raised by National Lottery players, to reduce the loneliness experienced by more than one million older people in the UK. The project will work with them to co-design programmes to tackle the issue and will drive public action to create 250, 000 acts of kindness such as regular phone calls and volunteer work in the community.
- New research reveals that over half of all lonely people simply miss having someone to laugh with Dec 2016
Over 1 million older people in the UK suffer chronic loneliness, a condition which increases likelihood of an early death by 26%. A new survey of lonely people 65 years-old and older by the Campaign to End Loneliness, found that, of all possible experiences, simply being together with someone is missed most of all (52%), closely followed by laughing with another person (51%). Meanwhile 46% miss having a hug.
The majority of British people have experienced loneliness and also know someone who is lonely, according to new research. In a survey, 84% of British people said they have felt lonely, with 13% feeling lonely ‘all of the time’. The research commissioned by the Campaign to End Loneliness also shows that almost two-thirds of people (64%) know someone who is lonely. Despite the large numbers of people affected, the research suggests that loneliness is a taboo subject: 92% of respondents think that people are scared to admit that they are lonely.
The Campaign to End Loneliness has developed a step-by-step guide to help local authorities and stakeholders identify the hidden lonely. The Missing Million: In Search of the Loneliest in our Communitieshelps commissioners and service providers to identify older people experiencing, or who are at risk of experiencing, loneliness. It will assist frontline workers to better understand and respond to loneliness, and to engage with older people experiencing loneliness.
Campaign to End Loneliness has appointed creative agency 23red to lead its communications campaign to raise awareness of the issue of loneliness affecting older people in the UK.
The Campaign to End Loneliness, in partnership with Ageing Well in Wales, brought together over 150 people across from the UK on 20 January, to share and discuss new research and solutions to tackling chronic loneliness in older age.
The Campaign to End Loneliness has received funding from the Big Lottery Fund to build on its policy and frontline work and extend its impact across the whole of the UK.
The Campaign has secured up to £50,000 of development funding, to expand the Campaign’s activities towards a whole community focus, highlighting loneliness as an issue which has a wide-ranging impact on society.
Chronic loneliness could increase the demand on NHS services including A&E this winter, unless more help reaches older people.
In a new survey, The Campaign to End Loneliness estimates nearly 2.5m people over 60 (16%) would not know where to go for help if they were feeling lonely, and predicts it is likely to worsen with nearly 1 in 5 (19%) over 60 year olds expecting to be lonely as they get older.
One in five people aged 60 and over who experience loneliness say they have no one to turn to, according to a new poll published today.
The Campaign to End Loneliness, who published the survey is warning that loneliness and isolation are as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and is calling on local authorities to take the lead on reducing and preventing loneliness in their local areas.
The organisation says a range of support is needed to overcome the ‘many triggers’ of loneliness faced in older age. The Campaign states that the support needed should include transport and technology – with 41 per cent of those who feel lonely saying transport is a barrier to seeing people, and half (51%) of older people polled believing the internet can help prevent loneliness.
David Cameron will need to take bolder steps than any previous leader to deal with a rapidly ageing population. And the Prime Minister and new government must deliver on its promise of security and dignity for people in retirement.
That’s according to an open letter to the Prime Minister signed by sixteen organisations concerned about the needs of our ageing society including the charity Independent Age, the International Longevity Centre – UK, Anchor, the National Council for Palliative Care, the United Kingdom Home Care Association and the Campaign to End Loneliness .
Loneliness ‘maps’ are needed to help local charities and public services find and support those experiencing, or most at risk of, loneliness, according to a new report published today.
Hidden Citizens: how can we identify the most lonely older adults?, published by the Campaign to End Loneliness and University of Kent says local services and councils should use existing data to predict where the most lonely and isolated residents live – allowing limited resources to be targeted at the people and places that need them most.
Despite a growing recognition of the substantial public health implications of loneliness and the urgent need to take action, there is a significant knowledge gap among funders and commissioners about what really works in addressing it.
Promising approaches to reducing loneliness and isolation in later life, a report produced jointly by Age UK and The Campaign to End Loneliness, seeks to fill that gap and offer some practical answers.
The Campaign to End Loneliness is calling for more support for older people all year round following new research that indicates they are more likely to feel lonely in the summer.
The Campaign to End Loneliness is calling for improved support for men in older age following new figures that show they are more isolated than older women.
- New money to fight loneliness across England September 2014
The Campaign to End Loneliness has welcomed a Big Lottery Fund announcement detailing the 15 areas to receive Ageing Better grants to help combat loneliness and isolation.
- New Government map of isolation in adults using social care July 2014 (PDF)
Millions of lonely people are going uncounted as government tracking of isolation and loneliness fails to see beyond those in social care.
- A failure to track loneliness is making the problem worse June 2014 (PDF)
New government data suggests the UK may be one of the loneliest places to live in the Europe. However campaigners warn that we are failing to measure the problem directly and this is making the problem worse.
- Summit called to address loneliness in the North West May 2014 (PDF)
The Campaign to End loneliness is holding a summit to bring together the North West’s health and social care leaders, voluntary sector managers and older people’s representatives on Tuesday 8 July in Manchester.
- Web training not silver bullet for loneliness May 2014 (PDF)
Think tank Policy Exchange has called for every person in the UK to be taught basic digital skills as a way of addressing loneliness among the over 65s.
The Campaign to End Loneliness and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation have gathered together leading thinkers from across the charity sector to consider how loneliness underpins many of the problems faced by the most vulnerable in our communities.
- A million lonely older people spell public health disaster May 2014 (PDF)
A new Age UK survey has found that over one million people aged 65 or over in the UK describe themselves as feeling always or often feeling lonely, an increase from last year. Two in five say that their TV or pet is now their main form of company.
- Doctors need to take more responsibility for loneliness April 2014 (PDF)
New research has found many doctors are failing to make the link between loneliness and damaging health behaviours like smoking, drinking, and poor diet.
- Macmillan warns of loneliness risk to cancer sufferers February 2014 (PDF)
Macmillan Cancer Support warns of looming loneliness epidemic with the number of people diagnosed with cancer set to double by 2030.
- Loneliness twice as bad for health as obesity February 2014 (PDF)
New research from the University of Chicago has found that loneliness has double the effect on early mortality then that of obesity.
- Esther Rantzen Launches ‘The Silver line’ November 2013 (PDF)
Esther Rantzen has launched The Silver Line, a new 24/7 phone line designed, in part, as response to loneliness and isolation among older people.
- Family doctors ill-equipped for loneliness epidemic November 2013 (PDF)
New research from the Campaign to End Loneliness shows that three quarters of GPs in the UK are seeing between 1-5 patients every day who turn up not essentially because they are lonely.
- New Government map of isolation in adults using social care November 2013 (PDF)
New Government data out today finds that the majority of adults using social care (57.7 per cent) in England are not getting the social contact they would like.
- Jeremy Hunt highlights loneliness in key speech: Campaign response October 2013 (PDF)
In a speech to be given to delegates at the National Children and Adults Services (NCAS) conference, the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has flagged loneliness as a critical issue affecting older people.
- Pope brands loneliness a serious evil afflicting the world October 2013 (PDF)
In an interview for Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Pope Francis said that: “The most serious of the evils that afflict the world these days are youth unemployment and the loneliness of the old.”
Those responsible for health and wellbeing in England are not measuring or prioritising the issues of loneliness and isolation in older age: Read more…
MPs across the country join forces with former Care Services Minister Paul Burstow and the Campaign to End Loneliness to highlight loneliness as a major health and care issue that should be taken seriously by government and local organisations in 2013. Read more…
The Campaign to End Loneliness joins forces with Gloria Hunniford to urge people across England to let their local health bodies know about the health impacts of loneliness and how much tackling loneliness matters to them. Read more…
International research conference held in Oxford brings together worldwide experts on loneliness to highlight the health threat of loneliness, at which Minister for Care Services, Paul Burstow MP, launches an online toolkit for local health organisations and councils to address loneliness in older age. Read more…
The UK’s one million lonely older people who aren’t able to leave their homes and don’t have contact with friends or relatives are the focus of the first major summit on loneliness, hosted today jointly by Minister of State for Care Services Paul Burstow MP and the Campaign to End Loneliness. Read more…
With only days before the last Royal Mail posting date for Christmas, the Campaign to End Loneliness is calling on us all to reach out to older neighbours or family who might be isolated or lonely over Christmas. Read more…
Local commissioners must address the health risks of loneliness by supporting and promoting local support that helps combat loneliness in older age. Read more…
The Campaign calls for more local collaboration between the statutory and third sectors to reduce loneliness among older people, which in turn could reduce health costs. This call comes as the Campaign to End Loneliness and the Centre for Social Justice work together to host the “Vital Connections” conference on 15 November 2011. Read more…
The Campaign to End Loneliness is calling for local health-focused strategies to reduce isolation and loneliness amongst older people. This call comes as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation launches its Neighbourhood Approaches to Loneliness programme today. Read more…
The Campaign to End Loneliness is calling for investment in preventative measures to reduce isolation and loneliness among older people. This comes as the final report is published of an ‘Isolation Week’ social experiment by charity, Friends of the Elderly. Read more…
- Human rights violations for human contact must be tackled to avoid further health costs - June 2011 (PDF)
The Campaign to End Loneliness is concerned by the evidence of low levels of human contact available for older people as reported by Equality and Human Rights Commission publication today. Read more…
- Campaign Launch Press Release – Jan 2011 (PDF)
Five organisations are joining forces to fight isolation and loneliness in older people, which research suggests is as great a threat to health as smoking and as much of a threat as obesity. Read more…
