The Campaign to End Loneliness Roadshow

On the 18th June 2026 Sumaiyah Chowdhury & Raihana Azad (Youth Co- researchers) attended The Campaign to End Loneliness Roadshow at The Salvation Army Blackpool. The event was ran by the UK National Working Group for the Campaign to End Loneliness, which is run by the Centre for Loneliness Studies at Sheffield Hallam University https://www.campaigntoendloneliness.org/. The event held an afternoon panel which highlighted that Sports and The Creative Arts can be a powerful tool to tackle loneliness, there were also activites such as making soup by Grandmas Soup.

chopped up vegetables for the homemade soup

Raihana (Youth co-researcher) cutting up onions for the soup

Sumaiyah and Raihana reflected on the day:

“We listened to different people’s lived experience of loneliness. We were able to understand how people experience and cope with loneliness in different ways. It was very eye opening and allowed us to understand the struggles people live with everyday silently. We enjoyed the interactive nature of the event (grandma’s soup and The Music Man Project). We learnt how to speak up, ask for help and understand that feeling lonely is okay. Also, the importance of creating safe spaces for people.

Key takeway:

Advancements in technology while remaining a simple interface can be very beneficial in tackling loneliness especially in older individuals. It can create a community through virtual tours and bingo etc.

Interacting with people and accommodating needs through making the soup it provides human connection and creates a sense of community – essential in tackling loneliness.”

Leaflets on a table