Government-wide drive to tackle loneliness

Prime Minister Theresa May is to host a reception at Downing Street and set out the government’s plans to tackle loneliness and social isolation.

May will announce that the government is accepting a series of recommendations from the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness as she hosts a reception to celebrate Jo Cox’s legacy and her work in combatting loneliness.

Ahead of the reception, the Prime Minister paid tribute to Jo Cox, her family and those working for the Foundation and Commission for highlighting the issue.

Theresa May has now implemented the first of the recommendations, appointing a ministerial lead on loneliness.

The Minister for Sport and Civil Society Tracey Crouch will lead a cross-government group which will take responsibility for driving action on loneliness across all parts of government and keeping it on the agenda.

Work has additionally begun on: developing a cross-government strategy on loneliness in England to be published later this year; developing the evidence-base around the impact of different initiatives in tackling loneliness, across all ages and within all communities, led by the government’s What Works centres; establishing appropriate indicators of loneliness across all ages with the Office for National Statistics; and a dedicated fund which will see government working with charitable trusts, foundations and others to stimulative innovative solutions to loneliness, provide seed funding for communities to develop activities which enable people to connect, and scale-up and spread existing work offering practical and emotional support to help lonely individuals reconnect with their communities.

A number of initiatives are already in place to help reduce loneliness, including improved mental health support and the pocket parks programme which gives lonely people the chance to join volunteering groups and interact with neighbours.

Theresa May, Prime Minister, said: “For far too many people, loneliness is the sad reality of modern life.

“I want to confront this challenge for our society and for all of us to take action to address the loneliness endured by the elderly, by carers, by those who have lost loved ones – people who have no one to talk to or share their thoughts and experiences with.

“Jo Cox recognised the scale of loneliness across the country and dedicated herself to doing all she could to help those affected.

“So I am pleased that government can build on her legacy with a ministerial lead for loneliness who will work with the Commission, businesses and charities to shine a light on the issue and pull together all strands of government to create the first ever strategy.

“We should all do everything we can to see that, in Jo’s memory, we bring an end to the acceptance of loneliness for good.”

Tracey Crouch, Minister for Sport and Civil Society, said: “I am privileged to be taking forward the remarkable work done by Jo Cox, the Foundation and the Commission. I am sure that with the support of volunteers, campaigners, businesses and my fellow MPs from all sides of the House, we can make significant progress in defeating loneliness.

“This is an issue that Jo cared passionately about and we will honour her memory by tackling it, helping the millions of people across the UK who suffer from loneliness.”