Features / Loneliness Awareness Week
‘Learn more about what loneliness really is – it’s not pleasant but it’s familiar’
Loneliness Awareness Week is approaching and the Marmalade Trust are focusing on raising awareness and supporting those with chronic loneliness.
The week of June 9-15 is when Loneliness Awareness Week falls and the trust is asking people to think “about your own individual communities – is anyone lonely?”
The charity which is based out of St. Pauls Learning Centre has had an important impact, with more than 4,000 people involved in their projects, delivering loneliness training to 55,000 people across the UK.
is needed now More than ever
This week is crucial in furthering this positive impact. For it they will be running a digital campaign on their social media – this year’s theme is reducing the stigma that hangs around loneliness.
Marmalade Trust organises chatty coffee morning, art workshops, dog walks and more – photo: Marmalade Trust
The campaign is not just digital however as a local beavers club is set to visit a care home, coffee mornings and art workshops are being organised and a range of businesses are doing bake sales to help raise awareness.
Radio stations have planned to have open conversations about loneliness solidifying Marmalade Trust’s message that loneliness is a normal feeling that is felt by everyone and can be helped.
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Marmalade Trust founder, Amy Perrin OBE said: “It’s important to remember you’re not on your own, learn more about what loneliness really is – it’s not pleasant but it’s familiar. I’ve been lonely before and I expect I’ll be lonely again.”
Amy Perrin began her work as an NHS therapist and this opened the window for her to recognise loneliness as a bigger societal issue.
She noted that one year, at a tea party group she hosted, Perrin couldn’t find anywhere for people to go on one of the loneliest days of the year; Christmas day. This spurred her on to find a solution and found Marmalade Trust.
So far, Perrin has been the most proud of their 2020 campaign ‘One Less Lonely Voice’ which helped rescue so many out of the lockdown loneliness.
Amy Perrin OBE noted that loneliness affects all age ranges – photo: Marmalade Trust
This campaign came at just the right moment when such a large amount of people were struggling and gained so much support.
The COVID lockdown campaign received support from the royal family, the prime minister and even got its own stamp with Royal Mail. Perrin is hoping for the same level of support this year.
Marmalade Trust maintains that loneliness knows no barriers, affecting not just the assumed elderly people and have worked with universities and have gone to primary schools to give talks.
Perrin described loneliness as being just as dangerous to anyone as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
The trust employs a three-step approach to tackling this.
The first step is acknowledging that loneliness is a feeling and not a mental health condition, we all feel it.
Secondly, she says you must realise what it is that you personally need whether that is friendship, intimacy or a community.
Thirdly, identifying why you have not been able to achieve this
It’s more important than ever to take the time to check in with the people we care about. That’s why we’re getting together over a cuppa for #BrewMonday this year☕💚 @Samaritans https://t.co/KWL43nkky9 pic.twitter.com/T7ERkGHyou
— Marmalade Trust (@marmaladetrust) January 20, 2025
Through Loneliness Awareness Week, Marmalade Trust are hoping to reach as many people suffering through chronic loneliness as possible and encourage all to think: what can I do to help?
Main Photo: Marmalade Trust
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