How local infrastructure is tackling loneliness and isolation

Mental Health Awareness Week took place earlier in May, focusing on the themes of loneliness and social isolation, but we know that these are issues our members focus on all year round. Their work is vital - from social prescribing schemes that link people into their community, to encouraging volunteering which helps people socialise and build positive relationships.

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We asked our member organisations what they were doing to tackle loneliness and isolation,  and here is just one of the many amazing projects that local infrastructure organisations are working on.

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Sefton CVS - Community Connectors Project

Loneliness is now understood to be a social determinant of health, and this is an issue that became particularly pertinent during the pandemic, with many people disconnected from their usual communities. Now, as we move away from lockdowns and try to rebuild our connections, initiatives like Sefton CVS's Community Connectors Project are vital.

The Community Connectors Project aims to help adults reduce their levels of social isolation and loneliness, by engaging them with activities in the community. Working as part of Living Well Sefton, Community Connectors offer short-term, goal-orientated support to increase independence and confidence for individuals to access groups and make their own links in the community.

The team work with individuals on a personalised care, solution-focused approach, talking about what matters to them, what interests them, what they would like to do, what would help and then work with them as to how to make it happen. Community Connectors work alongside individuals on a short-term basis to help increase their confidence in attending groups/activities, whilst enabling and encouraging them to make their own connections. This might include accompanying them to a social activity or group, to ease fears for people of going somewhere for the first time on their own.

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How does this look in practice?

Bootle Connector Joe recently went on a walking group day out to Sefton Park with a man he had been working with, who was anxious about starting a group that he had never been to before. Joe told us about the experience:

'The gentleman is visually impaired, but that did not stop him. As we walked across the fairy glen in Sefton Park, he skipped across with ease, laughing and joking with the other members of the group. Since that day, the group took a real shine to him and always ask where he is if he misses a walk or how he is getting on when I see him. So, to see him go from being anxious for the first time meeting the group to being a valued member of it is really heart-warming.'

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Sunflowers Lunch Club

Another great example from Sefton CVS is the Sunflowers Lunch Club. Maghull social prescribers helped set up the club, specifically for older people who had become isolated after shielding for over 18 months during the pandemic. They found older people were lacking in confidence when it came to leaving the house after such a long time, and a significant number had become frailer after being inactive for so long. The Sunflowers Lunch Club connected with community and faith groups in the area to combat loneliness, by giving older people with greater frailty somewhere to socialise, and to build confidence about getting back out and about – linking people into community ventures increases their sense of belonging, which in turn promotes good mental health.

Projects like this highlight the importance of local infrastructure in making the connections between individuals, organisations and communities. Through partnership working, Sefton CVS have been able to strengthen communities and improve the mental health of the people they work with. At NAVCA, we want to continue to support these initiatives.

We are always looking to share stories from our members so that we can celebrate the importance of local infrastructure organisations. If you're a NAVCA member and would like to share your story, please get in touch.