Supporting socially isolated older people

What can the church (and wider society) do to reach and support people for whom social isolation and loneliness are part of a daily reality?

A reflection by Linking Lives' founder and outgoing national director Jeremy Sharpe 

It was during 2000 that I met a man in his 60s who had a significant impact on me, both personally and professionally.

Peter had lived alone for many years and had been struggling particularly following the death of both of his parents in quick succession. In the following months, he entered a ‘spiral of depression’ which led to the hoarding of various items in his house (which became overrun by newspapers and rubbish) and he very rarely ventured outside of the end of his road.

When I started to get to know him, as part of an initial befriending scheme I had set up through Woodley Baptist Church in Woodley, Berkshire, he relied on deliveries of food from a neighbour and visits from me most weeks.

As a newly appointed community worker for the church at the time, Peter’s situation challenged me to reflect on the question: ‘What can the church (and wider society) do to reach and support people for whom social isolation and loneliness are part of a daily reality?

Although a relatively extreme example of an older person experiencing loneliness, Peter’s story became a fundamental motivation to me since this time and helped to expand this initial local befriending scheme.

In 2010, we began to explore options to develop befriending as a model through churches and Christian charities across the UK leading to the registration of Linking Lives UK as a national charity in 2016.

Since this time, we have focused on enabling this simple, tried and tested model, of regular home visits by a volunteer, to be used in various settings across the UK ranging from Inverness to Guernsey and Belfast to Norfolk.

This has resulted in exciting partnerships with around 100 amazing organisations over the years collectively reaching many thousands of socially isolated older people through befriending, and it has been a privilege to work with such inspiring and passionate organisations and individuals from across the UK.

We have also developed training courses and resources aimed at volunteers operating in community spaces, including our popular ‘Good Conversations’ online course.

Although issues around ‘loneliness and social isolation’ are perhaps not as deeply in the public awareness as in past years, there are still many people for whom a sense of loneliness is a daily part of their reality.

‘Loneliness in Britain is worse than ever. During 2023 a quarter of the population felt regularly lonely, a figure that has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic...These figures are worrying. They point to a wider breakdown in the mental health, resilience and sense of hope felt by people today’ (Lonely Nation, Centre for Social Justice, May 2024).

Many churches are already addressing loneliness (either explicitly or implicitly) through regular activities such as lunch clubs, warm spaces, community cafes, toddler groups etc.

However, many of these are only accessible to those able to leave their house. There is a real need, however, to engage with and support those who, for various reasons, are housebound or have limited mobility. It is these people that outreach activities such as home visiting and befriending can really impact, and this is the model offered by Linking Lives UK in partnership with churches and Christian organisations.

Having founded Linking Lives UK as a charity in 2016, I have now decided to move on to new challenges and so we are looking for a strategic and passionate leader to take this exciting work forwards over the coming years, as we continue to develop and grow the ministry.

Details of this exciting opportunity can be found on our ‘Vacancies’ website page with a deadline for applications of 27 September 2024.

Image | Linking Lives

Jeremy Sharpe is the national director of Linking Lives UK

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