• Poll of 10,000 Brits examines social isolation and how to help build belonging in the UK 
• One in four of those aged 65 and over reported low satisfaction with their life (25%) and one in five reported low satisfaction with friendships (21%)  
• One in three adults (35%) aged 65 and over reported they don’t belong to their local neighbourhood or street
• The Belonging Forum is calling on partners and the public to inform practical initiatives to end social isolation and build belonging

An alarming number of older people in the UK report a critical lack of social support, a poll of more than 10,000 Brits by the Belonging Forum has revealed.  

One in three (33%) older people reported that they don’t feel they belong strongly to their neighbourhood, according to the new research by the Belonging Forum. One in ten (11%) reported having no close friends, compared with 4% for people aged 18-24.  

This is of particular concern following research from Age UK which showed that older people report often feeling lonely, and is associated with a range of poor health outcomes such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and cognitive decline which has a substantial impact on health and care in the UK.

Within the data, older people felt more marginalised in some areas than other age groups. Only 6% of those aged 65 or over feel the government considers their needs and wants, compared to 26% of 18 to 24-year-olds or 22% of those aged 25-34.

Differences across genders also raised concern in certain areas – 85% of men aged 65+ felt safe walking alone at night compared to only 59% of women the same age. Women in that cohort were also more likely overall to report feeling lonely often or some of the time than their male peers (19% vs 13%).

Almost a quarter (24%) of women aged over 65 reported feeling noticeably anxious yesterday, compared to 19% of men the same age.  

Rates of loneliness and isolation are prevalent across all ages and stages of life in the UK, with those aged 65+ being the age group least likely to report regularly feeling lonely. People aged 18-24 are more than double more likely to report feeling lonely often or some of the time than people aged 65+ (43% and 16% respectively).  

The research aims to examine social isolation and people’s sense of belonging in modern Britain, as well as form the basis of a call-to-action to the public to inform policies and initiatives that the Belonging Forum will campaign for, known as the Charter for Belonging.

Some solutions to building social connection and belonging in older adults could include intergenerational social contact events, to provide spaces for different age groups to meet, mix, overcome shared challenges and form lasting connections.   

Kim Samuel, Founder of the Belonging Forum and author of On Belonging: Finding Connection in an Age of Isolation, said:  

“Our robust survey—the first of its kind in the UK—identified acute issues drawn along lines including age, disability status and home ownership.

“This landmark survey tells us that we need to support people to come together to encourage social relationships, connect with their local surroundings, have their voices heard in decision-making and find meaning in their daily lives.

“Gender disparities remain an issue into older age. We must also consider ways in which older people can feel better included in the work of government. This is why we are encouraging people to share their input and ideas.

“We call on everyone from service providers to the public to help us create a Charter for Belonging that spells out practical solutions to connect older people to others and their community.”

ENDS

About the Belonging Forum   

• The Belonging Forum was created by the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness, a global organisation that has been working with partners around the world to understand and address social isolation and belonging since 2017.  
• The Belonging Forum is focused on convening partners and the public to generate simple, practical solutions that have cross-party support in the UK.  
• It argues that if belonging is enshrined in policy and decision-making, social problems associated with isolation—such as poor mental health, apathy, and poorly integrated communities – will be reduced.
• It seeks to persuade policy makers and regulators to act and convene charities, not replicate their work, and inspire grassroots action.  
• The aim is to use this landmark research to provide the basis for a Charter for Belonging which will outline simple, proven initiatives communities can implement to address social isolation and build belonging in key groups, including students, younger women, renters, older people and people with disabilities.  
• The polling can be found in a report — The Belonging Barometer— here.

Notes to editors: 

• The research was carried out by Opinium on behalf of the Belonging Forum and surveyed a nationally representative sample of 10,002 UK adults The survey was conducted between 24 November and 13 December 2023. 
• The research also included multi-level regression and post-stratification (MRP) analysis of several questions, giving insights into them at a parliamentary constituency level across the UK. 
• The Belonging Forum is appealing for input from policymakers, the public and partner organisations on what effective policies to include in a Charter for Belonging that will address the pressing problems identified by the research. Contributions are welcome at belonging@pagefield.com.