Befriending charity seeing loneliness increase
BBCA small charity which supports people who are alone has said levels of loneliness in the UK have "gone through the roof" since the coronavirus pandemic.
Michelle Willis, a team leader for Omega in Shropshire, said she had been getting referrals for its befriending service "non-stop", from all over the country.
She also said she was facing a constant battle to fund the service and was seeking more grants.
Another organisation, The Marmalade Trust, which organises Loneliness Awareness Week, said a third of people in the UK felt lonelier now than before the pandemic.
Ms Willis said she had "seen an increase in mental health problems, depression, anxiety in every age, from the youngsters to the elderly".
She said she was helping people from all areas of the country too, urban and rural.
Omega offers a telephone call and letter writing befriending services and helps more than 400 clients.
As a co-ordinator, trying to ensure enough volunteers were trained to deal with the referrals, she said her workload was currently "very, very high".
Mary Lawrence, a volunteer at Omega who was previously employed as an occupational therapist and worked in mental health for almost 40 years, said: "The loneliness epidemic has deepened."
She said she believed this was partly because people were "more ready to speak about mental health now, instead of pushing it under the carpet".
Ms Lawrence also said she believed health service delays had led to people becoming isolated while awaiting treatment.
Listening to some of the stories she heard has made her appreciate how lucky she was.
"What have I got to grizzle about?" she asked.
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