Neighbourhood approaches to loneliness

The tale of two cities

Tracey Robbins JRF Qa Research

What exactly is loneliness?

• A mismatch of the relationships we have and those we want • An internal trigger telling us to seek company as thirst tells us to drink and hunger tells us to eat • Loneliness describes the pain of being alone as solitude describes the joy of being alone • Isolation is often where there is no choice but to be alone • Some people seek solitude, but few choose to be lonely, primarily because it isn’t good for us

Loneliness in the UK Almost half of adults in England say they experience feelings of loneliness

Loneliness = A serious risk to health

Loneliness harms our mental and physical health

• • • •

Lonely people:

Are vulnerable to alcohol problems Eat less well – they are less likely to eat fruit and vegetables Are more likely to be smokers and more likely to be overweight Are less likely to engage in physical activity and exercise

A neighbourhood approach

• • • • • • Place based approach to loneliness Asset based approach to community development Working with people in their neighbourhood to explore what contributes to feelings of overwhelming/problematic loneliness Exploring factors like location, health and wellbeing, safety, independence, life transitions Developing and putting into practice local ideas and activities to reduce the effects of loneliness Making every contact and conversation count

The neighbourhoods –York Carr Estate

Young families Mixed tenure housing Debt problems Few natural meeting places Little community focus

New Earswick

Ageing population High levels of unpaid carers Plentiful meeting spaces Rowntree model village Programme fatigue?

The neighbourhoods – Bradford Denholme

Rural Older population Poor public transport Active town council Local meeting places

Bradford Moor

Urban area Ethnically diverse Overcrowded housing Economically deprived High drug and unemployment rates

Local people leading the way

• Recruited, trained and retained 32 community researchers in Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) in all four neighbourhoods • Community researchers gathered information, undertook outreach and all fieldwork and analysis and spoke to over 100 stakeholders • Talking to over 2000 people gathering almost 7667 individual comments

Action Research using PLA

From actions to ideas

• Members of the neighbourhoods came up with over 1000 ideas to reduce loneliness • An average of 65 ideas were prioritised in each neighbourhood and shared with community partners and local stakeholders • Community researchers in the neighbourhoods have done planning, negotiation and project management training • Each neighbourhood has reduced (not easy!) these ideas to 5 priorities which they are now putting into practice • Community researchers are now activists – sharing the key messages

What is now happening

NELLI Parents play group Community allotments Café Nelle NELLI Vision ONE DENHOLME Walking group Film club App/ face book Website & newsletter makeover BRADFORD MOOR Community Market Confidence group Get2 Gether Community activists contributing to further work: Local meetings Presentations Media CARR CONNECTORS Pop-up Café Working with local church & children's centre volunteering opps.

Key messages from the programme

• • • • • Loneliness kills people and communities Regulation kills kindness and reduces action Lonely people are vulnerable, this is a safeguarding issue Building personal and community confidence builds community resilience Community researchers are now activists – sharing the key messages

Key messages from the programme

• • • The stepping stones to engagement and education need to be put back There is a real contradiction between society’s ideals and individual experience You can take the ideas out of the process. You cannot take the process away from the ideas

Evaluation methodology

• • •

Qa Commissioned in Autumn 2011

– – Worked alongside the programme Critical friend when needed

The aim of the evaluation was to

– foster positive progress, capture wider lessons & assess overall programme effectiveness

Methodology

– Desk research – – – – – Case studies with Community Researchers Community survey – pre & post Community focus groups Stakeholder depth interviews Critical friend

Adaptations

•

Several changes throughout the life of the programme & the evaluation

– Dynamic / changing programme – Resulted in several methodological changes

Increased case studies with community researchers Depth interviews JRF & JRHT staff Peer Research for the evaluation Some community focus groups

Introductions

Causes of loneliness

What causes loneliness?

A range of ‘risk factors’ increase our vulnerability to loneliness:

Wider society:

• • • Transport Physical environment Community • • • Housing • Technology Crime Population changes • • • • • •

Personal:

Poor health Sensory loss Loss of mobility Less income Bereavement Being out of work • Other change, e.g. becoming a carer

Washing line activity

You have no additional funds What one thing could you or your organisation do to reduce loneliness Personal and professional

Free resources

• • • • • • • • • This resource pack brings together the lessons and experiences from the programme and includes: Living with loneliness?

infographics; – a four-page summary of the causes of loneliness, with Let’s talk about loneliness – a four-page summary of ideas and actions to reduce loneliness, with infographics; Neighbourhood approaches to loneliness: our stories from some of the people involved; – a collection of case studies Working with your community to address loneliness evaluators; – top tips from our external Can do – guidance and tips for negotiating community action; How you can reduce loneliness in your neighbourhood (the process); Let’s talk about loneliness session plans – five one-hour group work sessions to get you thinking and talking about loneliness. Lets talk about loneliness involved in our research - a short film featuring interviews with the communities

Anyone can be lonely, even busy people.

Anyone can reduce loneliness – their own or others

Wot… no time ?

• • • • • • How do we make every contact count?

How do we look after the health and wellbeing of our communities, colleagues and ourselves?

How do we give the gift of time when we lead such busy lives? How do we resource prevention in hard times?

How do we ensure that our community assets are community hubs used to their full potential and open to all? Let’s see how we can all talk about loneliness