Helpful links
Independent age, providing befriending services: 0800 319 6789
Royal Voluntary Service for help, advice and support: 0845 608 0122
Call The Silver Line for information, advice or just for a chat, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week 0800 470 80 90
Visit Friends of the Elderly for year round support or call 0330 332 1110.
Community Network, telephone befriending service: 0207 9235250
Age UK, support and advice for older people, advice line: 0800 169 6565
Re-Engage, tackling loneliness and social isolation among older people: 0800 716543
Sense, for advice and support on deafblindness 0300 330 9256 or 020 7520 0972. Textphone: 0300 330 9256 or 020 7520 0972
For further information and support you could also visit Mind’s How to Cope with Loneliness page or call 0300 123 3393
If you are younger and feeling lonely, you can call SupportLine on 01708 765 200, or the Calm Zone, which is a helpline offering support to men in the UK, of any age, who are down or in crisis, 0800 585858.
If you are under 25, you can also call Get Connected on 0808 808 4994
When life is difficult, Samaritans are here – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them free on 116 123 or email them at jo@samaritans.org
Some useful resources:
Order a free guide:
Independent Age have produced a Wise Guide called Healthy, happy, connected – support and advice for older people living alone. This will help you to find free groups and classes in your local area, discover volunteering opportunities and suggest ways of getting the most out of life.
You can also now download their latest guide, If you’re feeling lonely – how to stay connected in older age
Or order your free copy by calling 020 7605 4225 or email comms@independentage.org.
If you think your parent might be lonely, take a look at When They Get Older Loneliness Guide.
You can also call The Silver Line helpline on (freephone) 0800 4 70 80 90 for information, advice or just for a chat, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Speak to a health worker if you feel very lonely – long term loneliness could contribute to later depression and other health problems. Your GP should be able to direct you to local services.
