10th-16th June is Loneliness Awareness Week. The theme for 2024 is Random Acts of Connection, this theme is encouraging everyone to increase those simple, everyday moments of connection which help us feel happier and less lonely.
Loneliness is something that can affect every person at any point in their lifetime. Each experience of loneliness is different. It's subjective and personal to each of us.
You may experience Loneliness when you leave home for the first time, when you retire from work, you may feel lonely even if you live a busy life and are surrounded by lots of people.
The Marmalade Trust have written that by identifying and acknowledging all the times that we have personally felt and experienced loneliness, we can start to change our viewpoint, accept it and understand how to take action to manage the feeling (and our social connections) in the future. It's all about creating supportive communities by having open, honest conversations. Loneliness is a natural human emotion - we are hardwired to need social connections. By talking about it, we can support ourselves and others.
Here are some resources to help if you are struggling with Loneliness:
Loneliness Awareness Week - This website is a great resource with lots of examples how you could find a connection in your community. Sometimes it is getting started that is the hardest part!
Connection Map – Loneliness Awareness Week You can use the connection map to find an event near you.
Guide to loneliness Marmalade Trust have written a guide about tackling loneliness and how it affects us as individuals.
Be inspired Ideas by the Marmalade Trust for forming connections.
We're proud to support Marmalade Trust this #LonelinessAwarenessWeek – 10 to 16 June.
At The Recovery College, We have a course titled 'Let's Talk About Loneliness'. This course can be for sufferers of loneliness and people seeking to learn more about loneliness to support others. This course raises awareness and looks at causes and effects of loneliness. Each course is co-produced with staff, students and people with lived experience.
If you would like to know more about the Let's Talk About Loneliness course please email