Loneliness support

Our libraries made a real difference to people feeling down and isolated; our calls helped people through and kept them going.

Head of Service

[During lockdown] people who had left the area rejoined reading groups as they were now online and they could meet with old friends.

Head of Service

I don’t feel alone any longer. It’s so good to chat to someone and good to have a laugh.

Reading Friends member

130,000

plus calls made by libraries to local shielding or vulnerable people during lockdown

81%

of those experiencing loneliness say the library helps combat these feelings

60%

of library services offered additional loneliness support during lockdown

A woman sits in a chair reading a book to someone out of shot

50%

of disabled people say they were spending too much time alone during lockdown

40%

of respondents aged 16-24 reported feeling lonely often or very often even before the pandemic hit

200,000

older people pre-lockdown reported not having spoken with a friend or member of their family for more than a month

23%

of people in urban areas report feeling always or often lonely

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