Norfolk charity urges community to help tackle summer loneliness among older people

As summer begins, Age UK Norfolk is urging residents to play a part in tackling loneliness among older individuals.

The charity highlights the significance of maintaining connections, as feelings of isolation can intensify when regular visits are paused and loved ones travel away during the season.

Age UK Norfolk is encouraging more people to volunteer or reach out to someone who might be feeling alone.

Michelle Diston-Jay, head of fundraising and communications at Age UK Norfolk, said:

"In our experience, from a lot of the older people that we speak to on a daily basis, summer can be a really challenging time for some older people,

Regular routines change, family and friends may be away on holiday, and sometimes various clubs, groups and activities could pause, these changes can increase feelings of loneliness and isolation."

Michelle explained that people can make a huge difference, in very minor ways:

" It could be picking up the phone, knocking on a neighbour's door, inviting someone in for a cup of tea, maybe checking in on a relative that you haven't spoken to for a while."

She encourages the public that they dont have to be 'befrienders' with them to reach out to someone.

Last year alone Age UK Norfolk delivered more than 7,000 telephone befriending calls and over 450 face-to-face visits. They hope to do even more this year.

Loneliness can look different for everybody, which is why charities like Age UK, find it so important to raise awareness and responses towards loneliness.

"It's A deeply personal experience, someone could be surrounded by people and still feel lonely. There's no real typical lonely person," Michelle said.

In January 2026, the Office for National Statistics reported that nearly a quarter of adults in Great Britain experienced feelings of loneliness.

According to the findings, 23% of adults stated they felt lonely often, always, or some of the time.

Michelle hopes this campaign proves beneficial to both the befriender and the befriended. She told us that many volunteers have been surprised how much better they've felt for reaching out.

"one of our members of the befriending service said, 'this has really changed my life'" she said.

Those over 18 who are able to dedicate 30 minutes per week are encouraged to consider volunteering for the Telephone Friendship Service at Age UK Norfolk, which connects older individuals with volunteers for regular phone conversations.

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