Bristol Beacon hosts launch of the Impact Alliance: a charitable programme to end loneliness

Bristol Beacon was delighted to host the launch of the Impact Alliance on Tuesday 3 December; a coalition of over 50 organisations dedicated to ending loneliness.

This ambitious charitable programme aims to “make loneliness a stranger” by addressing social isolation in the West of England.

The Impact Alliance fosters collaboration, shares expertise, and pools resources to create significant and sustainable change. The initiative will focus on distributing funds in Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, and Bath and North East Somerset.

During the launch event a panel of experts from various fields, including business, education, housing, and care for older people, were interviewed on stage by Bristol Beacon Chair Jonathan Dimbleby.

The panel included Kay Libby CEO for Age UK Bristol, Julie Barnett Professor of Health Psychology at the University of Bath, Carol Watson Service Director for Commissioning Housing and Partnership at South Gloucestershire Council, Jessica Vallentine Director of Responsible Business for Business West, Kate Jopling policy and strategy consultant and Chief Executive of the St Monica Trust, David Williams.

At the beginning of last year, the St Monica Trust invited a range of people and organisations to a series of ‘think tank’ meetings to explore new ways of working, which lead to the creation of the Impact Alliance. The Trust has also committed £500,000 per year to the programme, with the goal of raising a minimum of £1.5 million annually through contributions from partner organisations.

Strong evidence shows that loneliness has a range of negative effects on individuals, including poorer health, increased risk of premature mortality, the onset of depression and other common mental health problems, as well as poor psychological well-being. According to a white paper issued by the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness:

• Over 9 million adults are often or always lonely. (British Red Cross and Co-op)

• For 3.6 million people aged 65 television is the main form of company. (Age UK)

• More than 1 in 3 people aged 75 and over say that feelings of loneliness are out of their control. (Independent Age)

• 43% of 17 – 25-year-olds using Action for Children services experienced problems with loneliness. (Action for Children)

• Weak social connection is as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. (Holt Lunstad)

• Loneliness costs UK employers £2.5 billion per year. (Co-op)

• Disconnected communities could be costing the UK economy £32 billion every year. (Big Lunch)

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