1 in 4 adults in the UK feels lonely some or all of the time.

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week and this year’s focus is loneliness. We could think of no better way to raise awareness than by talking with our friends at Marmalade Trust. Marmalade Trust are the UK’s leading loneliness charity who help people make new friendships. We spoke with healthcare professional Amy Perrin who started the charity.

How did Marmalade Trust begin?

I started Marmalade Trust back in 2013. Whilst volunteering in Bristol, I realised that some of the older members in my tea party group didn’t have anywhere to go for Christmas Day, so I decided to take a few of them out. It had such an important impact on helping isolated people connect and it has grown from there!

What is Marmalade Trust’s mission?

To create a society where we recognise that loneliness exists and support each other to find new friendships. We do this by running direct projects in the Bristol area. These support people experiencing chronic loneliness and by raising awareness nationally.

Why do you think it’s important that we talk about loneliness?

It’s so important that we talk about loneliness! Loneliness is a natural human emotion, something we are all likely to experience at various points in our lives. Yet, there remains so much stigma surrounding it. We must talk about it so we can recognise it in ourselves and others and avoid it from being a chronic issue.

What is Loneliness Awareness Week and how can people get involved?

Loneliness Awareness Week is a national campaign we run to raise awareness. It takes place between 13th-17th June 2022. You can get involved by sharing our assets, being part of the campaign and sharing and talking to people about loneliness. Together we can reduce the stigma.

What are some of the misconceptions about loneliness?

People often think that loneliness is a mental health issue – it isn’t. Try and consider loneliness as a warning sign. Like hunger is a warning sign that we need to eat, loneliness is a warning sign that we need to address our human connections. It is often thought that loneliness just affects people of an older age, whereas in reality, 18-24 year-olds report higher levels of loneliness.

You can find out more details about Loneliness Awareness Week and Marmalade Trust by visiting their website or follow them on socials marmalade_trust.

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