Written question WQ86262

“Connected Communities”, our strategy for tackling loneliness and social isolation, was an important step in building stronger, social connections in Wales. Published in February 2020, it recognises the detrimental impact these feelings can have on our physical and mental wellbeing and sets out our four key priorities to prevent them from becoming entrenched:

• increasing and promoting opportunities for people to connect

• a community infrastructure that supports connected communities

• cohesive and supportive communities

• building awareness and promoting positive attitudes.

Anyone, at any age can experience feelings of loneliness or social isolation. However, the strategy recognises certain groups are more vulnerable, such as those with disabilities and certain life events can trigger these feelings, such as a bereavement.

We continue to make good progress in implementing the strategy and have worked with external stakeholders such as Public Health Wales, Campaign to End Loneliness and Samaritans Cymru through our Loneliness and Social Isolation Advisory Group to quality assure implementation of the strategy’s 80-plus commitments and to consider what more can be done.

A key commitment in the strategy is the three-year “Connected Communities Loneliness and Social Isolation Fund”. Launched in September 2021, this £1.5 million fund is supporting front-line, local, grass-roots organisations, which bring people of all ages together, helping them to build social connections in and across communities.

We allocated the fund equally across Wales to local authorities and county voluntary councils working in partnership to build the capability and sustainability of these front-line, grassroots, voluntary and community organisations. This approach reflected:

• the excellent partnership working which took place between public and third sector organisations during the pandemic to support and protect citizens and communities

• the belief that community groups are best placed to understand what their communities need and what support is required to help people re-engage and re-build social connections.

We also granted yearly funding to the National Autism Service; recognising pre-pandemic, an estimated 1 in 3 autistic people and their carers reported being socially isolated and (anecdotally) the pandemic had made their situation worse.

Feedback from the partnerships at the end of year 1 has been overwhelmingly positive with many referring to it as a “lifeline”. Many highlighted how the necessary measures put in place to reduce the spread of Covid-19, had had a profound impact on how we engage with one another as staying at home became the norm. The fund has helped to re-start activities after the pandemic and support those who remain anxious about re-engaging.

The fund has provided inclusive and supportive activities across urban and rural communities and has benefitted a wide range of groups including those for: older people; children and young people; young carers; disabilities (physical and learning); autism or neurodevelopmental issues; mental health issues; dementia and/or their carers; parents; and intergenerational activity.

We will be reporting on progress of the strategy and how the Loneliness and Social Isolation Fund has benefited communities later this year.