'People don't see you': Britain's loneliness epidemic highlighted in poignant short film
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Your support makes all the difference.A charity has called attention to the epidemic of loneliness in the UK with a new film that features the voices of three older people who live solitary lives.
The film, made by Contact the Elderly, comes after Theresa May appointed a minister to specifically tackle the issue of loneliness, one of the key recommendations of a recent report by the Jo Cox Commission.
An estimated 1.1 million Britons are estimated to be lonely, which makes a person 50 per cent more likely to die prematurely than people with a healthy social network, according to the Royal College of General Practitioners.
Tracey Crouch, the minister for sport and civil society, will lead a government group with responsibility for tackling loneliness, Downing Street announced on Tuesday.
The film features Chitra, aged 76, Harry, aged 93, and June, aged 76, who describe the challenges of living an isolated life.
“Life’s changed, it’s much faster today,” says Harry. “Nobody would bother to say good morning to you. But years ago, there’d be time to talk to you.”
“I go into a café, but people don’t always speak to you, people don’t see you because your old,” says Chitra.
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