In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic and the unique collective experience of a nationwide lockdown, a spotlight has been shone on the issue of social isolation and loneliness and has highlighted some of the long term costs (mental, physical and economic) to our public services if left unaddressed or not treated as a fundamental part of our health and social care planning.

As we see the COVID-19 crisis widening inequalities between those online and not, how can we ensure we are not leaving those who need us most behind?

In response to the recent call for submissions from Danny Kruger MP on how civil society and Government can sustain the acts of generosity and neighbourliness seen during the pandemic, the Connection Coalition submitted a series of recommendations based on the experiences of our members.

Hubbub's purpose is to develop inspiring ways of living that are good for the environment. In this article, Sam Longworth, Project Coordinator at Hubbub, describes how they design positive campaigns that disrupt the status quo to create more sustainable communities.

The Campaign to End Loneliness have released their new report 'The Psychology of Loneliness'. It is the first of its kind to look at how we can use approaches from psychology to address loneliness. It looks at how loneliness affects how people think and feel and how to provide better support for people who feel lonely or are at risk of feeling lonely.

This is a guest post from, Alice Williams, Sector Development Officer at Homeshare, who members carefully match people with spare rooms with people who can give 10hr/week of help around the house. Here Alice has rounded up some of the lovely stories they have heard to show how Homesharers really have been a lifeline to each other.

The mental health charity and Connection Coalition member, Mind, has launched a new campaign which sets out the five tests they want the UK Government to take to protect the nation’s mental health.

This is a guest post from Louise, Chair of Kent Deaf Children's Society (KDCS). Here she showcases their sunflower kit, something for the children to do with their parents, to nurture and watch grow during lockdown.

Frolo (a combination of the words ‘friend’ and ‘solo’) is a first-of-its-kind app and community for single parents. Here’s how Frolo have acted to help the community during this time.

In this guest article, Martin Simon, Gloucestershire Gateway Trust Trustee, explores the concept of neighbourhood connectors, small teams that can positively re-enforce collective acts of caring wherever they are to be found.