Faith organisations scoop over £500k from government loneliness fund

£20 million. Yes, £20 million – that’s what the government announced last June to help fund charities and community groups to help isolated people and those experiencing loneliness. The winners of the funding have just been announced and it’s great to see a significant amount going to faith-based projects.

These include groups such as Saltbox, who were Highly Commended in our Faith and Health Award, as well as the Church of England Children’s Society and Communityworks in Bradford, for its Nani Ji project working with isolated older women, plus many more.

This serves to underline the contribution that faith-based organisations are making to tackle loneliness in our society. It also makes us wonder what else faith groups are doing that tackles loneliness, but without realising or even considering this as a main goal?

With a collective amount of nearly half a million pounds, we know that this will serve to highlight the role that faith groups already play in tackling this huge issue as well as significantly increasing the impact within and around the specific communities.

Projects in this round of funding include a range of things from crafts and days out for vulnerable adults to easy access support to youth centres and workers to help teens.

Sometimes seeing the work of others makes you realise that you and your faith group are also doing something to tackle the issue! If this is the case, please add your voice to our project by completing this short survey which will tell us how you are responding to this issue and enable you to share your good practice, so that we can all serve our communities better.