Charities
By Charities Correspondent For the past year, volunteers from The Salvation Army have been spending Friday afternoons inside a Liskeard Wetherspoon offering something simple — a chance for people to talk. The group’s “Listening Post” runs each week at The King Doniert, where volunteers provide free coffee, biscuits and conversation
Community
By Community Correspondent A community scheme helping tackle loneliness through conversation, tea and laughter is proving a big hit in Weston-super-Mare. The Chatter and Natter group at Café@The Campus in Locking Castle behind Morrisons is welcoming people of all ages every Friday, offering a friendly space where residents can
Mental Health
By Mental Health Correspondent A new study led by researchers at the University of British Columbia suggests that messaging a real person—even a stranger—can ease loneliness more effectively than interacting with an AI chatbot. The study followed 296 first-year university students who were randomly assigned to one of
Charities
By Charities Correspondent A heartwarming pen pal scheme is changing lives across the UK — with more than 15,000 letters exchanged to help combat loneliness. Shropshire-based charity Omega has reached the major milestone through its “Letterbox” programme, which connects volunteers with people who are elderly, vulnerable or socially isolated. Each
People
By Community Correspondent A Scarborough Salvation Army project teaching cooking and budgeting skills has transformed lives, with 150 people completing the free six-week Victory Programme. Led by Lindsey Barker, the courses—one on batch cooking and one on baking—are inspired by Second World War resourcefulness and show participants how
People
By Jill Dando News Age Concern Hampshire is continuing its mission to support older people throughout the county with the launch of a brand-new Lunch Club, alongside its ongoing services at local Care and Wellbeing Centres. The charity’s Care and Wellbeing Centres provide older people with essential support, offering
Charity
By Jill Dando News 89% of Brits think that helping others and volunteering is the key to happiness Brits feel down an average of nine days a month with money worries (55%), the weather (42%) and getting old (36%) the main pressure points 87% say they feel lifted when they