We’re so pleased to hear that loneliness has been chosen as this year’s theme for Mental Health Awareness Week!

Since the pandemic, there’s been an increasing awareness of loneliness as a widespread, indiscriminate health issue that requires urgent attention and action. Being selected as the theme for Mental Health Awareness Week also confirms what we’ve known for a long time – that loneliness and mental health go hand-in-hand, and from our experience working with lonely people, it’s rare to see one without the other.

Ofcom-consultation-response

WaveLength CEO, Tim, shares his experience of loneliness and reveals the tools that helped him during that time.

Q: On a scale of 1-10, where would you rate loneliness as an emotion (1 being a pleasant emotion and 10 being a very unpleasant emotion)?

A: I would rate it around about a 5 to a 7. I see it as a necessary human process that has a purpose. It’s something in-built within us. The difficulty is when it trips over and becomes a health issue.

Q: Do you find it easy to talk to people about feeling lonely? Who do you turn to when you feel this way?

A: I don’t feel inhibited by doing this and I think there’s a little bit of a myth that people do. I usually look to family members and friends to talk to, but I also believe that pets can be a great support. Forums and chat groups are useful too.

Q: What advice would you give to someone else who is experiencing loneliness?

A: Don’t necessarily feel awkward if you don’t want to talk about loneliness. There are many other things you can do to help yourself. I find going out and pursuing my sport in the countryside very helpful.

It’s recognised that being outdoors in nature is one of the most effective ways of minimising feelings of loneliness. Combining that with social activities such as walking, riding a bike or horse, or pursuing an activity such as fishing or gardening, can be very beneficial.

Q: Is there anything positive about loneliness?

A: Yes, loneliness serves a real purpose and reminds people of the human need for connection. It’s a completely natural human emotion and feeling. We should not be scared of feeling lonely, but we also need to make sure that it does not tip over into a situation that is affecting our good mental health. We also have to respect that some people are happy being lonely and socially isolated. We need to understand that loneliness is a natural function and it’s not always doom and gloom despite being portrayed that way. Even people who are endemically lonely can respond dramatically to interventions, for example media technology (radios, TVs, tablets) that help them feel more connected.

Our Grants and Office Administrator, Nidhi, opens up about her experience of loneliness.

Q: What did you do to help you cope with the feelings of loneliness you were experiencing?

A: Reading, talking to friends, online games, house decorations, yoga

Q: On a scale of 1-10, where would you rate loneliness as an emotion (1 being a pleasant emotion and 10 being a very unpleasant emotion)?

A: 10 – very unpleasant emotion

Q: Do you find it easy to talk to people about feeling lonely? Who do you turn to when you feel this way?

A: It’s not easy, but I’m fortunate to have supportive friends whom I could discuss this with and feel heard and valued.

Q: What advice would you give to someone else who is experiencing loneliness?

A: Talk to someone about it if possible, seek help if you have no friends and family. Perhaps restarting a hobby that you enjoyed or voluntary work is another option to give you something to look forward to. Taking a walk to clear the mind is helpful as well.  

Q: Is there anything positive about loneliness?

A: I wouldn’t say there is any positivity in loneliness for most people, but it could make you mentally stronger to cope with situations and make your way through them.

WaveLength’s new Digital Fundraising and Communications Lead, Hannah, shares her recent experience of loneliness.

Q: What did you do to help you cope with the feelings of loneliness you were experiencing?

A: When I first started feeling lonely, and because the feelings were quite intense, my Mum came down to stay with us for a few days which helped massively. We then decided to buy a second car so I could get out with the kids, which helped a lot too. I knew I was feeling lonely because of the current situation we were in, and I knew that once we got into the routine of school, nursery and work that things would get better.

Q: On a scale of 1-10, where would you rate loneliness as an emotion (1 being a pleasant emotion and 10 being a very unpleasant emotion)?

A: For me, it’s a big fat ten! I find it such an uncomfortable feeling and I feel sad knowing some people feel this way daily.

Q: Do you find it easy to talk to people about feeling lonely, and who do you turn to when you feel this way?

A: I do find it easy reaching out to my family and friends and telling them that I’m feeling lonely. I’m glad I shared it with them because they checked in on me more regularly and that definitely helped.

Q: What advice would you give to someone else who is experiencing loneliness?

A: Don’t suffer in silence. Talk to someone you feel comfortable sharing your feelings with and try to look for ways to change your situation, so you feel less lonely. You might not be able to completely change your situation, but there are probably things you can do to make it more tolerable.

Q: Is there anything positive about loneliness?

A: When I feel lonely, I seem to worry more about my friends and family who might be feeling lonely too. I become more empathetic to other people’s situations. Although it doesn’t make me feel better, it does make me want to do more to help ease their loneliness. I think it makes me more aware and that’s a positive thing because I then start to message or write to people more often or invite them to come and visit, knowing how much those things help me when I feel lonely. Another positive thing about loneliness is that it can be here one minute and gone the next. A small change (partner coming home from work, a catch up with a friend, a trip out somewhere) can make the feeling disappear in an instant. I like that it can be interrupted, unlike most other negative emotions that take a while to recede.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact across the world. In the UK, the past 17 months have been transformational and many people did not fully anticipate the range of impacts that this virus could cause. WaveLength’s services have never been more in demand, helping the lonely and isolated. In March 2020, WaveLength launched a radio distribution scheme for the over 70s who were vulnerable and self-isolating. The purpose of the scheme was to relieve loneliness and isolation during the first lockdown and to help the over-70s feel more connected to the outside world.

Juliet, 70, who benefited from the scheme said: “The radio has helped with my mental health. It has helped through distraction and refocusing, as I am often at crisis point. The radio has been really positive for me, it really has saved me.”

It is a common misconception that every home has a radio. However, within the first few hours of the launch of our scheme, it became evident that this is not the case. The day after the launch, WaveLength had over 90,000 people visit the website and, by day two, we had received over 9,000 applications. This was an overwhelming response which highlighted the need for support. WaveLength’s staff worked tirelessly to support those most in need, prioritising those who did not have a radio or broadband access, and those who were living alone. Over-70s who were caring for others were also placed in the high-need category.

The scheme, which ended in April 2020, showed an outpouring of concern and thoughtfulness from people who were nominating their grandparents, friends and neighbours to receive a vital radio set. WaveLength was able to help over 5,000 people through the Radio Scheme. We know from our work that a radio set brings comfort and is a helpful tool in relieving loneliness.

Football lovers, Guru Sobers and David Carty are taking on a chilly challenge to raise vital funds for WaveLength charity.

Guru Sobers who is an elite sports performance coach and David Carty who is a professional footballer will be swimming in open water for 30 days! This will involve swimming 25 metre laps every day which will total to 15,000 metres once the challenge has ended. The lads will be open water swimming in lakes, ponds and water lidos.

Both are passionate about mental and physical health and want to encourage people to be brave and jump out of their comfort zones.  They will both be facing their own fears and challenges by taking on the cold waters each day to inspire those around them to raise money for WaveLength.

“One of the feelings millions of us experienced during the lockdown was loneliness. Our usual ways of seeing family, friends and familiar faces had been put on pause. We were fortunate enough to use technology, TV, and social media platforms to keep in touch with our friends and loved ones. However, not everyone can afford or access technology and WaveLength does a great job to connect lonely and isolated people with technology they so desperately need.”

WaveLength have been fighting loneliness for 81 years through the provision of technology. We donate radios, tablets and TVs to those who are lonely because of age, poor physical or mental health, who are isolated or by circumstances which make it hard for them to leave their home. We also support local organisations such as Women’s Aid Refuges, Care Homes, homeless shelters, hospices and more. This technology can help to maintain and increase the number of meaningful connections people have in their lives and act as a window to the world. The gift of technology helps bring people together, keep them informed, and breaks the silence which many lonely people live with on a daily basis. 

The guys will be updating their progress on their social media accounts so follow them on Instagram at @guru_sobers and @carty.

To donate and support their effort please visit their Go fund me page.

Ananda 9 is a non-profit voluntary organisation providing day to day opportunities for people with enduring mental health difficulties. They generally support individuals   from the Asian community. The activities are designed to promote well-being, self-inclusion, confidence and independence.

WaveLength awarded 4 tablets for the group in September 2019 to prevent loneliness and isolation. The client group ranges from 30-70 years old and they all have serious mental health issues. Many people in the group had little to no experience in using a tablet before. The tablets have been extremely beneficial to Ananda 9’s members as they have learnt how to switch the tablets on and off and have used them to take part in weekly zoom activities.

The group leader working for Ananda 9 said: “We do zoom activities now, 3 days a week and it’s going brilliant. We do yoga, gentle exercise, arts and crafts. And we do quizzes and singing. Oh, they love singing! Before they were shy to sing in front of everybody and they weren’t confident, now because they are at home and alone, it’s kept them occupied. They are writing it down and singing full songs it’s like a competition, including myself I’ve been doing it too! It’s amazing!

Some people join for one day, some come all three days. At least 15-20 people each time we have attending. They really appreciate the tablets. They are also watching cartoons and playing games. Technology has been really great. So, they have really learnt a lot, I never thought they could do that.” Not only has the equipment helped them to continue running activities during the lockdown, it has also helped their members to socialise with others and maintain meaningful connections. One young lady from the group that wouldn’t normally interact with the other members has become a lot more talkative as Ananda 9’s group leader tells me that whenever an activity on zoom begins, she is always eager to speak first and ask the group “how are you, what are we doing today…”.  

We all want to improve our mental health and fight our way through the problems we’re experiencing. For so many of us, loneliness is an issue that seems unsolvable. But, with the right guidance and a will to reduce this feeling, everyone can come on the other side as a winner. That is why we’re suggesting writing as a remedy for loneliness.

Yes, it may sound silly or impossible to use writing as a remedy for loneliness, but we’re here to tell you how it works. If you want to give it a try but aren’t sure it’s going to work, just keep reading. We’ll break it down together and tell you how writing can be a loneliness remedy for people of all ages.

Let’s take a closer look.

1.     Stop Suppressing Emotions

Suppressing how we feel instead of processing it is one of the most common emotion regulation strategies that people tend to use.

This strategy leads to a lot of negativity that is piled up inside us and causes us to feel lonely and lost.

Writing is a great way for us to face our emotions and stop using suppression as a defense mechanism. Through writing, you can:

• face your emotions
• get them out of your system
• lose all the burden you’ve been carrying

When we face and process our emotions, we immediately feel relieved and less stressed out. This creates additional space for us to embrace the positive things around us and feel less lonely.

2.     Express Your Creativity

Some of us feel lonely because we feel like we haven’t found our purpose in life. We feel confused without a clear path to walk on or directions that would help us find it.

Writing can help, and here’s how.

Creativity is one of the strongest and most motivating feelings in the world. When you’re feeling creative, you’re feeling energized and ready to take action.

This type of positive energy can guide you towards new goals and help you feel better. Use writing to:

• explore your creative ideas
• express your wildest thoughts
• experiment with words, structures, and inspiration
• take action

Boosting your creativity can seriously help you reduce loneliness. You can even write something worth sharing with others.

If you ever consider publishing anything you write, you can check out TopEssayWriting or TrustMyPaper for help with writing.

Explore your creative side through writing, and you’ll reach a point of happiness, belonging, and desire to make each day better.

3.     Connect With Others

Loneliness can easily be classified as the modern world’s pandemic. There are millions of people struggling with loneliness all over the world.

If you’re one of them, you can find your connection with the world by connecting to those people.

Writing gives you a chance to:

• write how you feel
• express your emotions
• dig deep into the problem of loneliness

You can choose to keep your writings just to yourself. You’ll still be making progress. Just by writing about the issue that so many people are experiencing, you’ll be deepening that sense of belonging.

On the other hand, you can choose to share your writing. You can share your writing in the form of:

• a blog post
• a social media post
• an article

Use research paper writing help to make sure your thoughts are polished for publishing. Who knows, maybe there’s someone out there who’d use a hand and find it helpful to read your perspective on the whole thing.

Final Thoughts

Loneliness is a serious matter that deserves your full attention. Don’t push anything under the rug and deal with it instead.

Use the tips we’ve provided above to create your own writing strategy for reducing loneliness. Make it a regular habit and dedicate a small portion of every day to using it as a remedy for loneliness.

Author: Erica Sunarjo.

The social distancing measures that have been introduced due to the global Covid-19 pandemic is causing millions of people to experience feelings of loneliness. A UK mental health survey revealed that 24% of people had feelings of loneliness during just the first two weeks of lockdown alone. In a matter of weeks, social distancing left millions of people in the UK feeling isolated.

Feeling lonely can be a very distressing experience. And it can be especially so when the global situation is so uncertain and everchanging. So while social distancing is a vital step towards preventing the spread of the Coronavirus, it is crucial that we take steps to lessen the negative effects of loneliness and social isolation during the national lockdown. This article will look at six ways to combat feelings of loneliness:

1. Volunteer

Helping others can take your mind off of loneliness and shift your focus toward the greater good. And there are many ways you can pay it forward without leaving the house. One of the easiest ways is to regularly check-in with any vulnerable people in your life, such as the elderly. If you are not sure how to be a support, Helping Hands has a great article on how to support the elderly throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. So whether it is official volunteering, or just assisting a neighbour, going out of your way to help can make both you and the person you’re helping feel worthwhile and connected.

2. Find New Ways To Stay In Contact

Social distancing has us all staying at home far more than usual and keeping two metres away from each other. This means we need to find new ways to connect with people and to stay in touch during this time to buffer against poor mental health. Continuously reaching out to friends and family is key during this challenging time.  Whether it’s texting, phoning, or video calling, knowing that the people you care about are still a part of your life now even though you can’t see them is crucial.

3. Take Time For Yourself

Adjusting your mindset is one of the most powerful ways someone can combat feelings of loneliness. So rather than view this time as enforced separation from the world, shift your perspective so that it can become an opportunity for self-reflection, growth, and learning. The time could be spent investing in yourself. See this wealth of time as a period to tackle something that takes solitude and time. Remembering that this is temporary, that it will pass, is also a key part of adjusting your mindset.

4. Keep Active

The most effective way to protect yourself and prevent the spread of coronavirus is to stay at home. This may cause you to have to pause your normal form of exercise but it doesn’t mean you can’t stay active. Exercise is a great way to lift your mood, reduce stress, and encourages the release of endorphins, the body’s feel-good chemical. There are many home exercises you can do which focus on flexibility, strength, and balance, at varying degrees of intensity.

5. Contact Your Neighbours

Getting to know the people who live around you has perhaps never been more important. It can be really reassuring and provide a feeling of safety knowing that there is someone close by who can help you if you need support. Ensure you have the correct and most up to date contact details for your closest neighbours and share yours with them too. It might be worth putting a note with your latest contact details through their letterbox.

6. Reach Out For Support

Whatever your circumstances are during lockdown, if you’re feeling isolated, know that you are not alone in your experience. If you find that it’s getting too much to cope with, don’t suffer in silence – reach out to a friend, a family member, a charity, or a mental health worker. Therapy can be a great tool for improving your mental health. A professional therapist can equip you with ways to cope more effectively with loneliness. And although in-person therapy isn’t available right now, there are other online options. The experience might be different but online therapy can be just as effective as in-person therapy. So if you experience struggles with loneliness, take advantage of the resources out there – you don’t have to go at it alone.

Author: Evelyn James.

WaveLength is the UK’s oldest Charity fighting loneliness with technology. We give radios, televisions, and tablets to people living in poverty to overcome loneliness. We support people who are lonely because of age, illness, impairment, or by circumstances which make it hard for them to leave the house or meet new people.

Technology is proven to help banish loneliness and improve people’s mental health. It can bring people together, help people stay connected and feel part of their community. Our recent research shows that 4% of vulnerable people have no access to internet at home and over 1/3 of people don’t have a radio and are living alone.

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Since the Coronavirus outbreak, loneliness and anxiety has been heightened for millions of people in the UK and as the lockdown eases we may begin to see many vulnerable people fall into a category of high level loneliness. This means that they could become chronically lonely which is extremely problematic for their mental and physical health. 

During this pandemic, we run an initiative to provide the over 70s with DAB radios in England. The DAB radios include FM and a wider choice of stations, allowing you to switch over to any digital radio station you desire. In one day we received over 9,000 applications but we were only able to meet the demands of 3,000 people.

The scheme has now come to an end, we are extremely thankful to everyone that helped us to make this happen, including the BBC and we are hopeful they will help us again to raise more funds in the near future.

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We have been limited by Government support as unfortunately we haven’t qualified for a number of their new Charity funding schemes. Your kind donations mean a lot to us, with additional funds we can continue to help people across the UK that will benefit the most from the gift of technology.

To make a donation or to find out more about what we do, visit: www.wavelength.org.uk. 

As the Lockdown eases in the UK, there is a risk of a loneliness epidemic. The crisis has made it increasingly difficult for people to maintain social connections especially the older adults and those with underlining health conditions as the Government has told them to ‘self-isolate’ from the outside world.

What to do if you are feeling lonely during the pandemic:

Online 

If you have access to internet at home and/or forms of technology, going online is a great way to maintain social interactions with people. Consider doing zoom meetings with friends for supper, pub evenings, virtual sports etc. This can ease any heightened stress or anxiety you may be feeling during this crisis. Or you can visit meetup.com to help you to find people in your area who share mutual interests. 

• 

Another useful way to reduce loneliness is through social media platforms:

• ‘Next-door’ is a street WhatsApp group which allows you to meet people within your neighbourhood.
• The ‘Peanut’ app is a great way of helping to maintain conversations, it connects women in motherhood and fertility.
• Mindfulness interventions also reduces loneliness, fostering compassion and improves communication. Mindfulness Apps are easily accessible and inexpensive, the programs are designed to monitor body experiences online and have many acceptance techniques to learn to accept and welcome even uncomfortable thoughts and feelings.
• There is also a number of online quizzes you can join on Facebook. Playing games with other people is one of the most common ways to take your mind off things that may be bothering you and helps you to feel less lonely. 

• 

If you don’t feel comfortable interacting online with other people you may want to consider joining a yoga class.There are lots of easily accessible videos to watch on Youtube and/or classes available to join online. Taking up a Yoga class can greatly improve your mental and physical state.

Or if you can’t get outdoors and/or don’t yet feel safe to do so during Covid-19, why not try online countryside browsing. It’s easy to forget what the outdoors look like, when the population has only been going outside of their homes for essential food, medicine and exercise. However, countryside browsing is a useful way to distract your mind from the current situation and instead reminisce places that you enjoy or find aesthetically pleasing.

Nature

Nature is always your friend. Having some natural objects at home to hold and look at such as shells, stones, leafs, seedpods can be hugely beneficial to an individual’s mental health. It helps to keep your mind focused on something and it may also be a good relaxing technique. Short walks in outdoor spaces such as the park can immensely improve your mood. You could this with either a friend, a family member or on your own.

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While you are outside, there are lots of creative activities you may also want to consider, for example writing your names on leaves and making footpaths out of them to let people know that you were there. This may give a sense of belonging and content. 

Hobbies around the house 

Doing things that you have a passion for is one of the simplest ways to alter your feelings and emotions from negative to positive. Consider writing, focus on good events, try and write out how you feel and how you would like things to change. Or you may want to talk about it instead, with friends or family you trust either in person or over the phone.

If you enjoy baking or painting this will keep you busy, making you feel less lonely and is very therapeutic. It is also a good source of stress relief. More than ever, in the current situation we need to feel like we haven’t been forgotten, if you own a TV or radio at home it can help you to improve connections within your community and make you feel a part of the outside world.

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Most importantly, we must remember to look out for one another, for example offering to go food shopping for a neighbour is a great way to help others out and can be really rewarding!

This is a challenging time but it will pass. Eventually we will all be in each other’s company again, sharing stories, laughter and hugs. For now, we must look after each other and support others who have been experiencing loneliness during lockdown. 

Help us fight the coronavirus and the loneliness and isolation it is bring

Donate to wavelength

Following the Covid-19 developments, WaveLength will only accept online applications until further notice.

Continue reading Update on WaveLength applications

Give someone that warm, fuzzy feeling this Random Acts of Kindness Day. Need some inspiration? Then carry on reading.

Over 9 million adults in the UK are often and always lonely. Small acts kindness can make the world of difference. Here’s a few suggestions from us here at WaveLength.

Continue reading Random acts of kindness

“It opens up conversations to people, they feel emotionally more attached to the world, they know what’s going on more, and it certainly does help their mental well-being because they’re not in an empty, lonely house.”

Continue reading 6 reasons why radios fight loneliness

To mark Internet Safety Day, we share some links to resources to help the whole family learn about digital safety. Have any to add to the list? Drop us an e-mail to [email protected]. 

Continue reading Family Digital Safety Resources

Last week, the BBC announced the suspension of its plan to close the Red Button Service. The BBC Red Button offers text-based news, sport results, alongside additional television programming. For people who live alone and without Internet connection, this 24 hour 7 day a week service, can be a valuable lifeline. 

Continue reading WaveLength welcomes suspension of Red Button Closure

In late January, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) released the outcomes of its survey: 50% of UK adults feel lonely. The reasons cited; people are short of time and too shy. The report highlights youth loneliness, with 68 per cent of 18-24 year olds coming out lonelier than 41 per cent of over 55s, chiming with the results of an earlier YouGov survey.

Continue reading Response to new RHS loneliness stats

As we move closer to Christmas, we’d like to thank all of our supporters this year and reflect on our work fighting loneliness in our 80th year.

Continue reading Winter wishes from WaveLength

In the run up to the election, we’ll be updating this page with what the main political parties are saying about loneliness.

Continue reading Election 2019: Loneliness Manifesto Watch

Avid readers of the government’s loneliness strategy ‘A Connected Society’, will know that the government committed to a loneliness policy test. One of the main strengths of the test, in theory at least, is that it will be used across all government departments to assess policy changes. In this post, we look at why it is important for the next government to maintain momentum with the development of this test.

Continue reading Election 2019:‌ A loneliness policy test

Earlier this week, the Digital Equality Group co-ordinated by WaveLength, released a report looking at the experiences of benefit claimants using online government services. In this report, we highlighted how government’s Digital by Default strategy is continuing to exclude people. We recommended that as more government services are put online, then government should provide universal means-tested broadband for those who need it most. 

Continue reading WaveLength’s response: free superfast broadband for all

We could start this post by citing the millions of people who are lonely in the UK. Or we could give you a definition of loneliness or state the percentage of people who are scared to admit they’re lonely. But many of you will already be familiar with these facts. You’ll appreciate how deeply loneliness can be felt by a range of people. In fact, many of you will know first-hand what it feels like to be lonely.

Continue reading Why loneliness needs to be an election priority

Over the summer, the Digital Equality Group, a policy group co-ordinated by WaveLength, invited benefit claimants and support workers to fill in a questionnaire. This report shows that services are not always straightforward or convenient and those who can’t use digital services continue to be, or are increasingly excluded by the Digital By Default principle. We share these responses in a short paper, which we release today.

Continue reading ‘Go home and do everything online’: Benefit claimants and online government services

In the run up to the election, we’re calling for the next Government to continue fighting loneliness and supporting those who are vulnerable and lonely.

Continue reading Election 2019: Fighting loneliness

Through our group application process, we give technology to a range of charities who support people who are lonely for a variety of reasons. Those suffering from early onset dementia are particularly vulnerable, as they begin to lose their memories, as well as their independence. Tablet computers can help support staff to understand their patients and to help them through this worrying, and often isolating experience.

Continue reading Tablet computers supporting people with early onset dementia

The 700 Club in Darlington provides temporary accommodation and support services to people who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless, and suffering hardship and distress. Since 2015, WaveLength has given technology to support the club’s work.

Continue reading “For people who have nothing, it is literally a lifeline.”

Every year we give out hundreds of pieces of technology through our individual application process. The people we help feel lonely for a range of reasons. Many have poor physical or mental health, which makes leaving their homes difficult. In this post, we share the story of one of our beneficiaries, who received a tablet computer from us in September.

Continue reading “I can’t tell you how pleased she was. She was so excited to get up today.”

Last year, we gave a set of tablet computers to Canterbury Umbrella Centre. In this blog post, we show how the tablet computers have supported people’s well-being.

Continue reading Creating relationships with Canterbury Umbrella Centre

Here at WaveLength, we’ve created a list of some of our favourite apps which you can download to your Amazon Fire tablet. This list is especially useful for people who are new to tablet computers.

If there are any Apps you think we should add to our list, then leave us a comment below. We’d love to hear what you think. If you’d like to print out a copy of this list, then please click here.

Continue reading Amazon Fire App Recommendations

Isolation is a tactic many abusers use to control their victims. The perpetrator controls the victim by removing external support systems, so that they become increasingly dependent on the abuser. This makes it difficult for the victim to leave. It is in the abuser’s interest to restrict victims’ access to the Internet, so they can isolate the victim.

Continue reading Loneliness in refuge

Loneliness and social isolation are the biggest challenges faced by refugees arriving in London. They have been forced to leave their home country, their community and often their family as they flee war and persecution. New refugees are keen to make friends and contribute to society, but they face language and cultural barriers that can make this difficult. These barriers can separate refugees from the people around them, and make building a new life very lonely work.

Continue reading Loneliness and refugees

Many homeless people don’t want to admit their situation to friends and family, colleagues or school friends, and can feel that their secret isolates them from those around them. Not having a home makes it impossible to invite someone over for coffee and a chat, and having no disposable income means that going to the cinema or a restaurant with friends is out of bounds. When having the freedom to spend time with friends and family becomes unaffordable, people can quickly become lonely.

Continue reading Loneliness and homelessness

This week, the Department of Health and Social Care announced how the NHS is working with Amazon to use Alexa to deliver health advice.

Continue reading WaveLength CEO responds to NHS Alexa Announcement

Today we share our latest report, ‘Everyday technology fighting loneliness‘ which shows that people felt less lonely after receiving a radio, television, or tablet. Using survey data collected from over 180 people over 2 years, the research undertaken by the University of York shows that individuals rated their own health more positively after receiving and using their new piece of technology. Study participants were on average 44 years old. Over 50% had been homeless and experienced poor mental health.

Continue reading Everyday technology fighting loneliness report

Today we share our latest report, ‘Everyday technology fighting loneliness‘ which shows that people felt less lonely after receiving a radio, television, or tablet. Using survey data collected from over 180 people over 2 years, the research undertaken by the University of York shows that individuals rated their own health more positively after receiving and using their new piece of technology. Study participants were on average 44 years old. Over 50% had been homeless and experienced poor mental health.

Continue reading NEW: Everyday technology fighting loneliness report

Watch the interviews below to find out how a television, tablet, or radio can help people of all ages fight loneliness. If you’d like to help bring sound into the life of a person who is lonely, then please support our work.

Continue reading Videos: Fighting loneliness with technology

To mark Dementia Action Week, we interviewed Mark Hinson from Essex Dementia Care. In this interview, he talks about how activity centre visitors are enjoying new tablet computers given by WaveLength.

Continue reading “It’s a familiar item, it’s like using a fork.”

Clare, who lives in Kilburn, received a TV from WaveLength. Clare suffers from health problems which can often leave her bed bound. She describes the TV as a ‘friend’ to her when in her flat. The TV allowed Clare to re-connect with what’s going on and watch TV shows which feature her passion for painting. Clare writes about the impact of receiving a television from WaveLength below.

Continue reading “The TV has made such a positive difference.”

Clare, who lives in Kilburn, received a TV from WaveLength. Clare suffers from health problems which can often leave her bed bound. She describes the TV as a ‘friend’ to her when in her flat. The TV allowed Clare to re-connect with what’s going on and watch TV shows which feature her passion for painting. Clare writes about the impact of receiving a television from WaveLength below.

Continue reading “The TV has made such a positive difference to my life.”

For our first blog post of 2019, we hand over to personal trainer Tim Nokes. Tim kindly ran 15 miles for WaveLength on Christmas Day in London. In this post, he talks about why he ran for WaveLength and what it was like.

Continue reading Personal trainer raises over £300 for WaveLength on Christmas Day

It’s that time of year again where we’re all getting ready for Christmas. It’s an appropriate time to thank all of our supporters for their help in fighting loneliness 2018.

Continue reading Merry Christmas and a Happy 2019

Earlier this year, WaveLength went to visit Gatehouse Caring in Bury St Edmunds after we gave them some tablets. We met with Amanda, Gatehouse’s CEO, who showed us around the centre and told us all about their work.

Continue reading “If you don’t have a computer, you are isolated”: supporting Gatehouse Caring

Earlier this year, WaveLength gave Kent-based Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support Services 10 tablets and a Smart TV.

Continue reading Helping Alzheimer’s & Dementia Support Services

This Thursday, Kathryn Perera (NHS Horizons) is giving the Jo Cox Memorial lecture at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge on the gender politics of loneliness. This post explores some of WaveLength’s work fighting loneliness in Cambridge.

Continue reading Fighting loneliness with Cambridge Women’s Aid

In this week’s blog post, we look at Rate it!. Rate it! is a product review website written by and for disabled people, making it easier for people to contribute their own reviews.

Continue reading Rate it! product review website

Scams affect the lives of millions of people across the UK. The National Trading Standards (NTS) Scams Team estimates that UK consumers lose between £5 and £10 billion a year, as a result of scams. This post looks at the great work being done by Friends Against Scams to help tackle scams – and loneliness.

Continue reading Friends Against Scams

Earlier in July, WaveLength gave Kingston Eco-op 8 tablets. They’ve been used in art and technology classes – and for much more!

Continue reading Helping Kingston Eco-op