Agenda item

Proposed by:             Councillor Bablin Molik 

Seconded by:            Councillor Joe Carter

This Council notes that:

·         The ‘Trapped in a Bubble’ report estimates that 18% of people feel lonely ‘always’ or ‘often’. This would equate to 62,000 people in Cardiff;

·         loneliness can be experienced by people of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, abilities and sexual identities;

·         whilst individual factors play a key role, community and societal factors can contribute to loneliness;

·         research has found that lacking social connections can be as damaging to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day

·         research commissioned by the Eden Project estimates the cost of social isolation and disconnected communities in Wales as £2.6 billion per annum;

·         the third sector has a pivotal role in providing support services which help to address loneliness and isolation;

·         investing in services to prevent loneliness will improve health and well-being and in the long term save money in health and social care budgets and society in general.

This Council calls on the Cabinet to:

Develop a strategy for tackling loneliness in Cardiff, with consideration given to:

·         Close partnership with third sector organisations;

·         a range of interventions currently being used elsewhere such as inter-generational living models, befriending services, social clubs and volunteering opportunities;

·         using the council’s corporate landlord role to allow greater use of local authority facilities by groups that combat loneliness;

·         encouraging schools, colleges and universities to create a culture of volunteering among their students so as to address the generational gap and encourage engagement and participation.