July 28, 2021, 12:07 am
More than a third of respondents reported that they have not been hugged for at least half a year (Anna Gowthorpe/PA)
One in four adults have not been hugged for more than a year, according to research that suggests people are less likely to build new relationships than they were during the first coronavirus lockdown.
A third (32%) of adults feel there are fewer opportunities to make new connections now than there were when the nation first locked down, the think tank Demos found.
Its polling of 1,000 UK adults in May found that 23% said they believed there are currently more opportunities, as society opens up from Covid-19 restrictions.
Tuesday, July 27, 2021
In early 2021, the Local Connections Fund was launched with £2m from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) which was awarded to more than 850 community groups with a focus on keeping people connected when lockdown restrictions were in place.
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Talking about loneliness can be a “healing act”, the Government’s minister for loneliness has said as she urged people not to forget that others may be struggling as society rebuilds from the pandemic.
Baroness Diana Barran said loneliness “is unquestionably a major public health challenge” and that the lockdowns have shown people “how important our connections are to us”.
The UK is at a “critical stage” in tackling loneliness, she said, adding that it is important people do not make assumptions as there are a “whole lot of people who we might not expect to be struggling”.
As part of its #LetsTalkLoneliness campaign, the Government is urging everyone to check in with friends, family and neighbours, asking how they feel about getting out and about again.