New Fund for Frontline Organisations Tackling Loneliness
16th October 2019
Marking 1 year since the launch of the Loneliness Strategy ‘A Connected Society’ is a time for celebrating what has been achieved and planning for the future to end loneliness in the UK.
The recent announcement of a new £2 million fund to help frontline organisations tackling loneliness is good news for grassroots organisations.
“The investment will help small organisations promote themselves more widely, help fund the use of suitable venues and accessible transport, and bring established groups together to best serve local people at risk of loneliness.” Read the full announcement here.
This new fund follows on from:
- £11.5 million Building Connections Fund – the first Government fund ever dedicated to reducing loneliness, jointly funded with the Co-op Foundation and National Lottery Community Fund
- £1.6 million Space to Connect fund in partnership with the Co-op Foundation, to unlock community spaces where people can come together such as community cafés, art spaces, or extending opening hours of community buildings
- £1 million in the Nesta Tech to Connect Challenge Prize, to encourage the design of solutions to tackle social isolation and promote community cohesion
In addition, the #LetsTalkLoneliness Campaign as well as the #LonelyNotAlone Campaign have begun to raise awareness about loneliness, decrease the stigma around it, and educate about the effects it has on health and wellbeing.
Befriending Networks is proud to represent its memberships in discussions of policy to end loneliness.