Horsham Matters launches its ‘Helping Hands’ campaign to put a spotlight on isolation

To tackle this the charity has launched the Helping Hands campaign to encourage the community to ‘lend a helping hand’ to their neighbours, friends, and even strangers, to break down barriers to combat isolation, reduce stigma and to encourage people to reach out and talk to someone about how they are feeling.

Amalia Lovett, Network and Campaigns Lead for Horsham Matters, said: “Our Hidden Poverty Survey highlighted the fact that too many residents are still struggling with isolation, not only the elderly, but across all demographics. We spoke to many young mums and professionals that also felt that they had little social connections. Our campaign aims to bring the community together and look after their ‘neighbour’ as they did during the pandemic.”

Studies show that social isolation significantly increases a person’s risk of premature death from all causes, a risk that may rival those of smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity.

The Helping Hands campaign will feature tips on how people can support those most vulnerable in their community. The charity wants to encourage residents to share their campaign and to promote initiatives that support activity in community spaces to promote social connection such as community cafes, coffee mornings and village lunches.

Amalia points out that Helping Hands is about small steps we can all take. “It can be small and easy gestures like saying hello, asking someone how their day is going… small steps that can help people feel less isolated. It’s also important to encourage people to develop new relationships by volunteering with a local charity, or joining a local interest group.”

Follow Horsham Matters on Facebook for updates on the campaign.