Volunteering can help support vulnerable people and be of great personal benefit to the volunteers. Like Lilian, Theresa and Hayden have found volunteering – particularly during lockdown - a huge boost to their own mental health. Theresa’s third year at university came to an abrupt halt last March and she found herself back home, with a ‘suffocating lack of purpose’. “I had no exams, six months before I could continue my course and no idea of what to do until then,” she says. “It raised a whole host of negative thoughts.” Theresa started volunteering for Afreshe, a charity which works with children, young people and adults of African backgrounds, helping them to build self-esteem and engage with local communities.
Laura Alcock-Ferguson, of the Borders, has been named in the New Year Honours List. Photo: Laura Alcock-Ferguson/Twitter A BORDERS woman has been named in the New Year Honours List. Laura Alcock-Ferguson, the founding director of the Campaign to End Loneliness, will receive an MBE for services to people experiencing loneliness in later life . Ms Alcock-Ferguson is now the chief executive officer of the Ancient Tree Forum. The UK Government lists her residence as “Galashiels, Scottish Borders”. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “In a year when so many have made sacrifices to protect our NHS and save people’s lives, the outstanding efforts of those receiving honours today are a welcome reminder of the strength of human spirit, and of what can be achieved through courage and compassion.
The end-of-year holiday season is always a difficult time for people left isolated as families and friends gather to celebrate.
But this was the year of the coronavirus and loneliness has been a feature of life for months.
One report published in the summer found nearly three times as many people reported feelings of loneliness compared to 2019.
Experts across Europe say the necessary focus on maintaining our physical health has come at the expense of mental health.
“We always talk about the transmission of the virus, but loneliness is also a public health problem,” Pedro Gullón, an epidemiologist, told the Spanish news website el Diaro.