Loneliness

'The loneliness of village life made me a recluse'

Liliyana Goodier says she felt cut off due to poor transport links and a lack of people her own age.

The local community hub focuses on helping people combat loneliness.

Michael Helps, who set up a letter writing service, wants strangers to feel they're not alone.

A cafe owner in Douglas opens his doors for evening sessions that aim to encourage people to talk.

The chatty cafe scheme in Brackley says the number of people joining its meet-ups has tripled.

A mum from Oldham set up Chatty Cafes after herself feeling lonely while on maternity leave in 2016.

The pilot project is even giving staff free money to help pay to do activities with their friends.

Hikes are held in Northumberland and the Lake District to bring people who might be alone together.

A charity says queer people are at a "higher risk of social isolation" at this time of year.

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