We’re delighted to be once again sharing the message of loneliness awareness globally with #GlobalLonelinessAwarenessWeek. Representatives from countries worldwide will be getting involved.
Collaborating and raising awareness of loneliness is key to addressing the growing global loneliness issue and directing those who need information to the appropriate support.
Building connections and breaking stigma
Created and hosted by Marmalade Trust, Loneliness Awareness Week raises awareness of loneliness across the UK (and beyond!) and gets people talking about it. Marmalade Trust is a leading loneliness charity based in the UK. We launched Loneliness Awareness Week in 2017 and it grows in momentum each year across the UK and this year we are excited to see other countries get involved too.
Loneliness Awareness Week is a week dedicated to raising awareness of loneliness and reducing the stigma that surrounds it. It’s all about creating supportive communities by having conversations with family, friends or colleagues about loneliness.
Why we need to raise awareness of loneliness
Loneliness is a natural human emotion. We are hardwired to need social connections; by talking about it, we can support ourselves and others. Starting Monday 12th June 2023 there will be many ways for everyone to do something. Whether you are a small or large business, organisation, community group or individual, there is something for everyone.
Loneliness can have profound effects on our mental, emotional, and physical well-being - it can even shorten our life span. Whilst we’re seeing an increase in discussion on the subject, stigma remains and there are some key misconceptions that still need to be challenged. Ask anyone to picture a lonely person and most will imagine an older person living on their own. As such, we often rebuke and dismiss feelings of loneliness because ‘that doesn’t apply to me’.
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.
Our 2024 campaign
Loneliness Awareness Week raises awareness of loneliness and empowers everyone to make connections across the UK and worldwide.
Join us from 10 - 16 June 2024!
This year's theme, Random Acts of Connection, encourages everyone to increase those simple, everyday moments of connection which help us feel happier and less lonely. Get involved by hosting or joining an event on the Connection Map, learning about loneliness or making your own #RandomActsOfConnection!
How you can get involved
1️⃣ Host or join an activity on the Connection Map
2️⃣ Make Random Acts Of Connection! It can be as simple as a chat in a queue or smiling at a neighbour
3️⃣ Grow your understanding of loneliness with our expert resources 💛
Each June, millions of people from every part of society take part in Loneliness Awareness Week across the UK and globally. This year, join individuals, businesses, schools, charities, governments and public figures to raise awareness and empower everyone to find new connections.
Together, let's make Loneliness Awareness Week 2024 our biggest yet!
Watch the 2024 Global Loneliness Awareness Summit
Register for the virtual live stream of the 2024 Global Loneliness Awareness Summit hosted by The Coalition to End Social Isolation & Loneliness and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine:
About the 2024 Global Loneliness Awareness Summit
Each June, in honour of Global Loneliness Awareness Week, the Coalition activates local communities, policymakers, and innovators to share resources, identify areas of collaboration, and educate the public on the importance of addressing social isolation and loneliness. Alongside our partners at the Global Initiative on Loneliness and Connection (GILC) and Marmalade Trust, we mobilize relationships across the globe to elevate awareness of the crisis worldwide.
At this free event, you will have the chance to hear from thought leaders and policymakers as well as add your voice to the conversation through small group discussion and networking opportunities. We also invite Coalition members to join us on June 12th as we head to Capitol Hill to speak directly with policymakers about the need to address social isolation and loneliness.
Get in touch
For more information, please visit lonelinessawarenessweek.org. You can reach us by email: info@marmaladetrust.org.
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