Loneliness helplines
11:43 - 26 AUG 2019
If you'd like advice and support for overcoming loneliness, see our helplines
Mind
MindInfoline: 0300 123 3393
How to cope with loneliness
The MindinfoLine offers thousands of callers confidential help on a range of mental health issues. Mind helps people take control of their mental health. We do this by providing high-quality information and advice, and campaigning to promote and protect good mental health for everyone. They also provide a special legal service to the public, lawyers and mental health workers.
Campaign to End Loneliness
campaigntoendloneliness.org.uk
Feeling Lonely?
We help people to maintain and create personal connections in their later life. We draw on research and inspiration from across the country to offer information and ideas to both individuals and those working with older people. We deliver projects and campaigns with a range of other organisations. Together, we aim to end loneliness in older age.
British Red Cross – Connecting Communities
Feeling lonely? Contact us on 0344 871 11 11 (Mon to Fri, 9.30-5)
Get help with loneliness
Our connecting communities service offers up to three months of support to suit you. We help people feel better connected and enjoy the benefits of being more involved in their local community. You’ll be paired up with one of our local team members. Together you will rediscover your interests, rebuild your independence and find new friends. Our services are delivered by our skilled and dedicated volunteers and staff. They can draw on decades of experience in helping people to live independently and confidently in their communities. Our support is also tailored. Everything we offer allows people to realise the things they want to achieve.
Next Door
Nextdoor is the private social network for you, your neighbours and your community. It's the easiest way for you and your neighbours to talk online and make all of your lives better in the real world. And it's free. Nextdoor’s mission is to provide a trusted platform where neighbours work together to build stronger, safer, happier communities, all over the world.
Meet Up
Meetup is the world's largest network of local groups. Meetup makes it easy for anyone to organize a local group or find one of the thousands already meeting up face-to-face. More than 9,000 groups get together in local communities each day, each one with the goal of improving themselves or their communities. Where lonely people make friends. Be lonely no more.
Girlfriend Social - Where Women Make Friends
Girlfriend Social is website that connects women with new female friendships. This website is for Ladies only, who just like you, are looking to make platonic women friendships. Inside women can make new friends with fabulous ladies in a safe and friendly environment. It doesn't matter if you're single or married, 20 or 60. All women who are looking for friendships are welcome here. Girlfriend Social is totally free! No fees, no costs, EVER! Just sign up, find female friends and be a part of the Girlfriend club that everyone is talking about
Do-it
Find out how to volunteer in your local community and give your time to help others. Our mission is to bring people together to help solve society’s problems through voluntary and civic action. Whether it’s through volunteering or choosing a career for community benefit, we want to make it easy for people to connect, share, learn and grow and in doing so provide a world class service that is able to extend the capacity of civil society.
U3A (University of the Third Age)
Find your local U3A
U3A is a UK-wide movement which brings together people in their ‘third age’ to develop their interests and continue their learning in a friendly and informal environment. The third age is a time after you have finished working full-time or raising your family and have time to pursue your interests or try something new. Our members draw upon their knowledge and experience to teach and learn from each other but there are no qualifications to pass – it is just for pleasure. It's all voluntary; a typical U3A will be home to many activity groups covering hundreds of different subjects - from art to zoology and everything in between.
My Lovely Parent
Helping older single mums & dads meet new people online.
ChildLine
Helpline: 0800 11 11
Loneliness and Isolation
ChildLine is a counselling service for children and young people. You can contact ChildLine in these ways: You can phone on 0800 1111, send us an email, have a 1-2-1 chat with us, send a message to Ask Sam and you can post messages to the ChildLine message boards. You can contact ChildLine about anything - no problem is too big or too small. If you are feeling scared or out of control or just want to talk to someone you can contact ChildLine.
The Mix
Helpline: 0808 808 4994
Loneliness
Life’s tough, we know that. It can throw a lot your way and make it hard to know what the hell to do with it all. So, welcome to The Mix. Whether you’re 13, 25, or any age in between, we’re here to take on the embarrassing problems, weird questions, and please-don’t-make-me-say-it-out-loud thoughts you have. We give you the information and support you need to deal with it all. Because you can. Because you’re awesome. We’ll connect you to experts and your peers who’ll give you the support and tools you need to take on any challenge you’re facing – for everything from homelessness to finding a job, from money to mental health, from break-ups to drugs. We’re a free and confidential multi-channel service. That means that you choose how you access our support, without the worry of anyone else finding out. Whether it be through our articles and video content online or our phone, email, peer to peer and counselling services – we put the control in your hands. You can even volunteer with us too.
MumsMeetUp
MumsMeetUp connects mums locally and across the UK. It provides a quick and simple solution for mums to find others in their area, in the same boat, and to go on the journey of being a mum together - creating proper real life friendships for them and their children. Within just a few clicks mums are able to search their county and locality to find mums similar by age, age of child and circumstances (such as mums to be, working mums, single parent mums & more). Additionally, mums of children with disabilities are able to search by similar conditions, as well as location. It is a web based app which works just as well on mobiles as on all screen sizes.
Netmums
A unique local network for Mums (or Dads), offering a wealth of information on both a national and local level. Once registered, you can access details for all kinds of local resources, from child-friendly cafes to childminders, places to go etc.
National Women’s Register
We’re here to connect women who are interested in everything and talk about anything. If you would like to meet other women to share and explore thoughts, ideas and experiences, then NWR is for you. Enjoy lively, stimulating conversation and broadened horizons whilst having fun and meeting people.
The Way Foundation
WAY is the only national charity in the UK for men and women aged 50 or under when their partner died. It’s a peer-to-peer support group run by a network of volunteers who have been bereaved at a young age themselves, so they understand exactly what other members are going through. WAY aims to provide peer-to-peer emotional and practical support to young widowed men and women – married or not, with or without children, whatever their sexual orientation – as they adjust to life after the death of their partner.
National Council for the Divorced and Separated (Phoenix)
NCDS Phoenix provide a safe environment for you to go out and socialise with others in a similar position as yourself and help you to make new friends. We know how difficult it is to go out and meet new people; it is not easy starting again after a divorce, a split or your partner passing away. It may have been years since you went out alone and you are not looking for a relationship, but may look like you are and you don't know anyone else who is single. It can be just as difficult to go out and meet new people for men as well as women and we understand this. If you would like to come to one of our branches but do not want to attend alone, bring a friend or contact us and we can arrange for one of our committee members from the branch to meet you outside the venue.
The Silver Line
Helpline: 0800 4 70 80 90
The Silver Line is the confidential, free helpline for older people across the UK open every day and night of the year. Our specially trained helpline staff offer information, friendship and advice, link callers to local groups and services, offer regular befriending calls and protect and support those who are suffering abuse and neglect. If callers would like to be put in touch with Silver Line Friends, they can receive a regular weekly friendship call or email. Or they may like to join a Silver Circle and take part in a regular group call on subjects that interest them.
Age UK
Helpline: 0800 169 6565
How to overcome loneliness
We believe that age needs respect. It needs kindness. Sometimes it needs help. Because there is strength in numbers, Age Concern and Help the Aged have joined forces to become Age UK – so that we can be here for everyone in later life. Age UK aims to improve later life for everyone through our information and advice, services, campaigns, products, training and research.
Independent Age (Advice and Support for Older Age)
Advice line: 0800 319 6789
Founded 150 years ago, we are an established voice for older people, providing the ‘ABC’ of advice, befriending and campaigning. Our free advice service offers unrivalled expertise on social care and welfare benefits, and particularly on complex issues such as social care funding. Our range of detailed and in depth guides and factsheets provide information on the most common issues faced by older people, their families and carers. Our Wise Guides provide practical, accessible advice and information for the over-65s on finances, staying independent and getting the most out of later life and our befriending and practical support services provide crucial companionship, comfort and security for as long as it's needed - if necessary, for life.
RVS (Royal Voluntary Service)
Call: 0845 608 0122
Feeling well & overcoming Loneliness
Royal Voluntary Service is a volunteer organisation that enriches the lives of older people and their families across Britain. We support older people by giving time and practical help to help them get the best from life. Our volunteers – ordinary men and women of all ages and ethnicities – love spending time with the older people. Through them, we want to help create a society where everyone feels valued and involved whatever their age. We believe old age should be celebrated, and so we should: we’re 75 years old this year and still going strong. So, find out today what we can do for you or an older person in your family.
Re-engage
Call Freephone: 0800 716543
We exist to bring older people together into social groups at a time in their lives when their social circles are diminishing. All too often, loneliness is the reality for older people and nearly half of older people say the TV is their main source of company. Social isolation and loneliness are more than an emotional experience, they have huge mental and physical health implications. As the ageing population continues to grow, so does the epidemic of loneliness among older people. We’re the only charity solely committed to tackling this problem by helping older people to re-engage with their communities through regular face to face contact, giving them a lifeline of friendship and, vitally, something to look forward to.
The Samaritans
Tel: 116 123
Whatever you're going through, we're here to help 24 hours a day. We won't judge you and we won't share what you tell us with anyone else. Get in touch by telephone, email, letter and face to face in the UK andIreland. Visit befrienders.org if you live outside the UK or Ireland.
Thank you for posting this and raising awareness. There a lot of lonely people out there and these contacts are great support 
This is really interesting I didn’t know half of these support existed. I actually vlogged about loneliness. I’ll check some of thee out thanks
I think at this time of year its very important to get the awareness out there am sure there are people in this page who suffer with it i would like to get this post to top page so when people sign in or come on website that it's there for them to see #nooneneedstobeloney
Thanks for sharing this . I'm sure theres alot of people who could benefit from these groups didn't realise there was that many. I always make 20 christmas boxes up and hand them out around our town to the homeless and every time me and my daughters buy a new coat we hand our old ones out . Every little helps
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