Co-op raises £5.5m in 18 months for British Red Cross’ loneliness campaign

Eighteen months into its two year charity partnership the Co-op group has raised £5.5 million for the British Red Cross to help it support people experiencing loneliness and social isolation. The original target was £3.5 million. From May 2017 the British Red Cross will provide personalised support for up to 12,500 people experiencing loneliness or social isolation. New teams of dedicated community connectors and support at home staff and volunteers will deliver new services in 39 locations in all four nations of the UK. A study by the Co-op and the British Red Cross has revealed "epidemic levels" of loneliness and social isolation in the UK, with over nine million people feeling always or often lonely. It identified areas around the UK that need support and what that support would look like. The research also found that more than 80% of people agree that there are small actions people can take in their everyday lives to tackle loneliness. As a result the Red Cross is now asking people to put words into action by giving a couple of hours a week to tackle this major issue affecting people across the UK. Around 500 volunteers from across the country are needed to support the new services and they will spend time helping each person reconnect with their community, with a commitment of as little as two hours a week.   https://twitter.com/DoncasterCLF/status/839791497478291456   https://twitter.com/F2CUK_/status/806952693461872640   https://twitter.com/redfoxcountry1/status/816359654796075009      

from UK Fundraising http://ift.tt/2okvRNb