Acknowledgements
Reading Voluntary Action would like to thank the following people and organisations for their support and contributions to this toolkit:
Befriending Networks
Berkshire Community Foundation
Councillor Karen Rowland
The Earley Charity
The Eden Project
Edward and Jane McArdle
HM Government Cabinet Office
Reading Neighbourhood Network
Reading Borough Council
Wendy Lewis at Indent Creative Graphic Design Agency
Zuhura Plummer, artist
References and useful websites
Local
Reading Voluntary Action (RVA) works with Reading’s voluntary and community sector by providing specialist advice, information, access to resources, volunteer recruitment and training to people who work in or with charities, community groups and voluntary organisations. They publish a variety of useful online resources, plus news and information through a range of channels.
Website: rva.org.uk phone 0118 937 2273 or drop in Tuesdays and Thursdays 10-4 on 3rd Floor Reading Central Library, Abbey Square, Reading RG1 3BQ.
Reading Neighbourhood Network (RNN) is an umbrella organisation of residents and neighbourhood groups active across Reading. Website: rgneighbours.net
Reading Borough Council provides a range of support services to local communities through their Neighbourhood and Adult Social Care Teams. Phone: 0118 937 3787 or website: reading.gov.uk
National
Jo Cox Foundation “Our small team works hard to support everyone who is determined to be part of practical efforts to advance the causes Jo championed. We know that by bringing people together to act we are greater than the sum of our parts.” website: jocoxfoundation.org
Campaign to End Loneliness focuses on older people, “We share research, evidence and knowledge with thousands of other organisations and the public to make a difference to older people’s lives.” Website: campaigntoendloneliness.org
Befriending Networks is the umbrella body for befriending services operating across the UK and beyond. They currently have over 250 members, to which they provide a range of services and member benefits, including training for befrienders and the staff who manage them. Website: befriending.co.uk
The Big Lunch is about millions of people getting together to share food, have fun and get to know each other better. It’s a simple idea – that for a few glorious hours, cars stop, shyness stops and neighbours come together in the street to meet, greet, share, swap, sing, plan and laugh. Website: edenprojectcommunities.com/thebiglunchhomepage
HM Government’s work on tackling loneliness
Café schemes
Coffee companions
The Chatty Café Scheme
Street Parties
How to Run a Street Party Civic Edition
http://www.streetparty.org.uk/resources/
Population-specific resources
The links and reports below will provide you with a wealth of information, ideas, research and intelligence relating to the experience of loneliness by specific demographic groups. If you come across a useful one that’s not listed, please let us know and we can share it here.
Older people
Intergenerational Report for L&SI SG July 2019 v2
Campaign To End Loneliness
CEL-Alone-in-the-crowd
Independent Age
Independent Age’s guide Advice-guide-If-youre-feeling-lonely
Independent Age’s report isolation-the-emerging-crisis-for-older-men-report
Centre for Better Ageing
AgeUK’s Loneliness Maps
Younger people
BBC Loneliness Experiment
A-Place-To-Belong-The-role-of-local-youth-organisations-in-addressing-youth-loneliness
Childline
Carnegie-UK-Trust-Young-Scot-Kindness-report-002
Less of a Lonely Place short film
Disabled people
Alzheimer’s Society
Local-groups—Reducing-loneliness-full-report
Younger People With Dementia
DEEP-Guide-Choosing-a-meeting-space
People with mental ill-health
Together for Mental Wellbeing
MIND
Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority people
RCLC-Report-July-2018
CEL-Alone-in-the-crowd
Men
Men’s Group Flyer ACRE
Beermats in pubs project
Samaritans’ Report Men Suicide Society Research Report 2012