Struggling with loneliness and isolation - Foysol Choudhury

Foysol Choudhury MSP

Edinburgh’s residents are no strangers to loneliness, having experienced solitude during the pandemic. Loneliness remains a public health crisis, despite moving out of focus as we’ve come away from the pandemic. Now is the time to encourage each other to make time for loved ones, to have a chat with neighbours, and to check in on older friends and relatives.

As a co-convenor of the Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group on Volunteering, we are trying to prioritise efforts to combat threats like loneliness. For example, local charity groups like Vintage Vibes are working to fight the impact of isolation through initiatives like their Christmas Card Campaign, where they spread festive cheer by sending Christmas cards to isolated people over 60.

The impact of loneliness is widespread, with Vintage Vibes alone having over 2000 older people waiting for friendship support services across the city, with the group having already reached a staggering 30,000 hours of friendship support in Edinburgh.

Foysol Choudhury meets Vintage Vibes experts

We have also seen other groups, like Age Scotland and Carrickvale Connections, engage in this endeavour through initiatives like friendship phone lines and events to connect isolated adults.

Other organisations, like Volunteer Edinburgh, are working to pair volunteers to individuals, offering care services and peer support throughout the holiday season.

These services are furthered by NKS and Milan SWO’s care services as well as the work done by the Youth Citadel Centre, working to bring youth together and build intergenerational connections.

While these initiatives are great for tackling the challenges posed by winter and the holiday season, these groups continue their hard work all year round by hosting events and pairing volunteers with isolated individuals.

Yes, as a country, the pandemic saw us come together with upticks in volunteering, but as we move away from the impacts of Covid, we need to prioritise checking in on our neighbours, our loved ones, and those isolated.

Let us not forget that it is not only older people suffering from loneliness and isolation. It impacts us all, at any time of the year. Our younger population also suffers from loneliness, needing compassion and comfort, especially during this holiday season when students or those in the workforce may be separated from their loved ones.

If you are feeling lonely this holiday season, or anytime, there are resources available to help; you are not alone.

MSP for Lothian, Shadow Minister for Culture