Connect and Support Hub

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 16 to 24-year olds feel lonely more often than any other age group. 

• 65% of young people believe loneliness is a problem for people their age
• Less than one in five (19%) feel youth loneliness is taken seriously as a social issue
• 81% cite fear of people’s reactions as a barrier to speaking about loneliness

Read more about Youth Loneliness from Co-op Foundation at https://www.coopfoundation.org.uk/

Although there is growing recognition that people experience loneliness at different stages of life, there have been limited efforts to understand in depth how it affects young people.

Feeling lonely can be an intensely personal experience. But we need to break the silence. The more young people are confident to talk about loneliness, the more they can support each other and shape the solutions we must develop as a society.

Over the last 3 months, 32 young people took part in putting their views across in designing a new community space at OSCAR to help tackle loneliness. Thanks to support from Building Connections Fund, our Youth Voice Team have created a Connect & Support Hub.

The Hub will help bring young people and other groups together in a safe space to help reduce loneliness and access to advice & information on matters that affect them. 

This will include:

· Mentoring Support

· Co-designing activities

· Explore barriers to Employment 

· Drop in

· Youth Voice 

‘Being part of this project has helped me build confidence and social skills. I am proud to be have been involved in this journey’. 

‘I am excited to see what’s to come in the future’.

‘This space will give opportunity to connect and give hope of making a change in young people who feel lonely’.