Welcome to the Uniting Communities Overcoming Loneliness monthly e-news. We’ll keep you up to date with the latest news about loneliness initiatives, research, innovative case studies and data.
Overcoming Loneliness replaces the former Teams platform and Not Alone newsletters.
If you have a story to share about how your work or organisation is overcoming loneliness, please contact us at advocacy@unitingcommunities.org
South Australia
Port Adelaide Plaza leads a new pilot project to help tackle loneliness
To help tackle loneliness and improve the wellbeing of those in the local community, in partnership with the Port Adelaide Enfield Council, Port Adelaide Plaza Shopping Centre is proud to introduce ‘Happy to Chat’.
The ‘Happy to Chat’ initiative provides a space for people to support one another and find genuine connection, boosting the level of healthy conversation that happens in the community. Everyone has a story to tell and taking just ten minutes to share with someone, might just be the highlight of their day.
The concept is simple – a seating area within the Centre has a welcoming sign on it that reads: ‘Happy to Chat: Sit Here If You Don’t Mind Someone Stopping to Say Hello’. A free coffee is provided with every chat.
Community Connector volunteer chatters, Lauren, Tammie, and Sharon, are available every Monday from 1pm-2pm and Wednesday between 10am-11am to chat to whoever is sitting there.
$43 million to support Community Centres across SA
The State Government has increased funding for community centres to combat social isolation, promote a stronger sense of belonging among disadvantaged people, and foster inclusive, equitable, and resilient local communities.
The new program incorporates comprehensive research and service development improvements to ensure that community centre funding and services in South Australia are evidence-based, better aligned with the particular needs of each community and are more transparent and equitable across the sector.
Minister for Human Services, Hon Nat Cook says "This funding boost for community centres is a forward-thinking investment in the long-term wellbeing and resilience of South Australians. Community centres help break down isolation and create meaningful connections for people taking part in programs or volunteering."
Australia
The Great Separation – documentary coming soon in October
Frasers Property has sponsored the creation of The Great Separation, a ground-breaking documentary by award-winning producer Shannon Swan which explores the causes, impacts and solutions to loneliness and will soon air on SBS Australia in October.
Seen through the eyes of protagonist Joey Fry, the film explores the harmful consequences—as well as practical remedies—to the epidemic of loneliness affecting a quarter of Australian adults.
“The future of how we all live depends on how we live life together” said Emily Wood, General Manager Brand & Customer at Frasers Property Australia.
“That belonging piece came out really strong. Then we thought, if we exist to create belonging, we need to really unpack and understand that really well, and what that means for people, and what role we can play in creating that in our places” she said.
Friends for Good new online course– understanding and identifying loneliness
Friends for Good are running a free online course on October 11 on understanding and identifying loneliness. This course is designed for a range of audiences to give a foundation knowledge about the issue of loneliness including:
Basic research findings in relation to causes and prevalence of loneliness in Australia
Identifying at-risk individuals
Responses to loneliness
Connect the 40% - Building a platform to help aged care residents experiencing loneliness and isolation connect with people in their community
HelloCare anecdotally learned that up to 40% of elderly people living in residential care facilities do not receive regular visits, and thus developed the concept of a gift-giving platform. The aim of this platform is to improve the lives of people living in residential aged care facilities who may not have visitors or external acknowledgement on a regular basis by facilitating personalised gift giving.
It’s a simple process that involves:
Selection of a gift
Adding a personal message
Gift is sent to the resident in a nursing home.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare – latest release
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare have released their latest data and findings on social isolation and loneliness. The new release covers:
Who experiences social isolation and loneliness
Role of social media
Prevention and reduction of social isolation and loneliness
Companion animals.
ReachOut Australia – young people and loneliness
ReachOut.com has dedicated resources for the issue of loneliness and isolation including tips for overcoming loneliness and advice for young people living in regional and remote communities.
ReachOut also have an online community where young people can get in contact with other like-minded people. The ReachOut Community is a supportive, safe and anonymous space. It is an opportunity for young people to hear from others about what has helped them and share what they’re going through.
International
Alone No More: Combatting loneliness in young people (UK)
Read about Molly Taylor, founder of Alone No More, who is a passionate activist dedicated to combatting youth loneliness both locally and nationally:
“My inspiration to establish Alone No More, an initiative dedicated to ensuring no young person faces loneliness alone, comes from my own lived experience. Interacting with other young people daily through my activism revealed that everyone has felt lonely at some point in their life. While current estimates suggest around 2 million young people experience loneliness, I’m convinced this figure is an understatement. It’s clear that sharing our stories and experiences is crucial in recognising the symptoms and bridging the resource gap. The lack of accessible and well-defined resources further underscores the urgency, driving me to create a hub for young individuals and organisations alike to collaborate in addressing loneliness.”
Action Guide for building socially connected communities – webinar (UK)
Join the Foundation for Social Connection and Healthy Places by Design on September 28 at 2:00 PM ET for an exciting launch webinar introducing their Action Guide for Building Socially Connected Communities. They encourage you to attend if you are interested in learning more about social connection and implementing strategies in your community or if you are currently engaged in efforts to foster community connection. Register for the webinar today!
During this interactive webinar, you will have the opportunity to ask these local leaders questions about their social connection initiatives.
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