Connected by Cause: Reflections on Loneliness Awareness Week and Beyond
By Aba Amihyia
At the Tackling Loneliness Hub and Neighbourly Lab, we often talk about the importance of social connection – not just for the communities we serve, but for the people doing the work too. Over the past few weeks, that message has come through loud and clear! From the three events we hosted for Loneliness Awareness Week 2025, to the conversations at SXSW London events I attended, where themes of community, creativity, identity, and innovation were front and centre.
During Loneliness Awareness Week, we brought together housing providers, local authorities, researchers, and community leaders to explore what’s working on the ground — and what more can be done.
We began with London Local Authorities & Connected Communities, an in-person event in collaboration with Hub Ambassador Helayna Jenkins, where we heard from, Agnes Gautier, Dr James Bevan, Tara Fisher, David Gradon, Dr. Helen MacIntyre and Natasha Ereira-Guyer about how councils are embedding social connection into local strategies, with Prof. Manuela Barreto adding academic perspectives on marginalised groups and the Loneliness Equality evidence review. It was a strong start to the week and a reminder that local government is uniquely placed to lead on creating more connected communities.
Our second event (online), Evaluating Tackling Loneliness Interventions, with Neighbourly Lab’s Dr. Helen MacIntyre and Ingrid Abreu Scherer, explored the opportunities and challenges around measuring impact in this complex space. From practical frameworks to thought-provoking questions, the session highlighted the importance of building evidence without losing sight of people’s lived experience.
Throughout the week, we were also pleased to be able to spotlight a blog from the Minister for Loneliness, Stephanie Peacock, reaffirming national commitment to this agenda, and an article from Hub Ambassador Sarah Mitton in Inside Housing Management, making the case for a housing-led approach to tackling loneliness, how to spot the signs and support residents in need.
We closed Loneliness Awareness Week with our ‘Housing Associations & Connected Communities’ event at the Neighbourly Lab HQ, co-hosted with hub advisor Sarah Mitton (SNG), a vibrant, in-person event with Maff Potts from ‘Camerardos’ ‘Living Room’ as our backdrop!
Speakers included Ceri Gibbins, Adam Hall, Suzanne Moore (Clarion Housing Group), Amy Perrin OBE (Marmalade Trust), Andrew Cooper (SNG), Ben Firth (Centre for Young Lives), Hannah Kayi-Mason (In Common), Alana Warner (Intergenerational England), Carly Dickson (ARUP), Siobhan Cunningham (Foyer Federation) and Josh Wreford (Neya) who showcased the vital role housing providers & those connected to housing can play in tackling loneliness and building social connection.
Beyond our own events, I had the chance to attend SXSW London, which, while typically focused on creativity and culture, had a strong thread of community and connection this year. To call it fantastic would be an understatement!
It was so exciting to see these themes in the spotlight and similar conversations play out. Having previously worked in the creative industries – attending SXSW felt like being at the ‘sweet spot’ of where creativity, innovation and social impact collide. Among the many sessions I attended, one that stood out was ‘Comedy on Prescription’ featuring hub member Louisa Jackson (Craic Health) alongside Dr Simon Opher MBE MP, Tom Walker (aka Jonathan Pie) and Jack Gamble from Campaign for the Arts, who all made a compelling case for comedy as a tool to support mental health & tackle loneliness. The perfect reminder that the arts – and laughter – can be powerful forms of connection too.
There were a number of other connection related themes that I was struck by throughout the sessions:
1) How people are using tech and creativity in innovative ways: Budding entrepreneur Adebayo Owosina, founder of Goalr, shared his fitness app designed to help individuals build their own mini communities around shared health goals. I had an out-of-this-world experience trying out Shaun Ames’ Xtra Reality headset which combines immersive tech with live performance storytelling, that can bring the theatre to people who may not be able to attend in person.
2) Inclusion: was the theme at Idris Elba’s talk where he introduced assistive tech ‘Talking Scripts’ for those living with dyslexia (and working within TV, Film or Theatre) – a script-reading app that aims to improve accessibility in the entertainment industry. And at our housing event, attendees tried out Derek Cockerton’s EllieQ device (pictured below, left) an AI-powered companion supporting older adults with connection, reminders, and wellbeing – a real glimpse into how assistive tech can support healthier ageing and tackle social isolation.
3)Volunteering: In the midst of navigating SXSW and planning for Loneliness Awareness Week, I met with Thrusie Maurseth-Cahill from Oxfam who shared insights from their latest research on Gen Z and loneliness. Volunteering, it turns out, is becoming a key way young people seek connection and community – a reminder that our need for social connection & belonging remains a constant, even as the ways we do it evolve.
4) Big brands playing their part: I was also pleasantly surprised to see major brands and platforms recognising their role in building communities and supporting digital and offline connection – Hinge the dating app were part of a talk on loneliness and I had the pleasure of meeting Sebastian Arisizabel-Oviedo & Ebele Onyema (Head of Social Impact at Hinge), who shared their latest UK-based initiative to address Gen Z loneliness — the One More Hour campaign. Learn more here.
5) How services shape our communities: Other highlights included talks with Tony Blair and Peter Kyle on AI and digitalising public services.
All in all, it’s been an inspiring, (slightly chaotic!) & motivating couple of weeks! When I reflect on the incredible individuals and organisations I’ve met recently, two things stand out:
The first being that none of us are tackling loneliness alone. Across sectors, from housing to comedy, public policy to immersive tech, it’s clear that connection & inclusion is something many of us are working toward, in different but complementary ways.
And the other? Possibly the most important – whether you’re working within housing, health, culture, or policy, the more we work together, the stronger and more connected our communities will become. Whilst loneliness is a local, personal experience, the work to address it is collective – because connection, at every level is something we can build on together.