Late last week, the police made a welfare check and found the bodies of two deceased men in a Cleveland Street terrace. The men had been dead in the home for over a month. A woman in her sixties, known to the local community services system, also lived at the house. Whilst there are no suspicious circumstances relating to the death of the men, why did it take that long to raise the alarm, and what does it say about the way our communities connect or stay in touch?
Unfortunately, this is a city story we have heard before. People who are disconnected are far more at risk of dying alone without being noticed than those who are connected with others. A daily “hello”, a cup of coffee, a wave over the fence, a visit to the shops, a pop in from a friend or a family member. All these activities that most of us take for granted are not the norm for some in our crowded and ever-growing city.
We have to do better by those people who are disconnected, mostly not by choice, but by circumstance. And whilst there is no one solution, the work we do as a sector must focus on linking people and strengthening their personal and informal connections. We need to equip neighbours and friends with tools and resources to check in on someone or know what to do when they are concerned about someone. We need to let people know that it is okay to not mind your own business when it comes to the health and safety of someone else in your neighbourhood.
Our work on tackling social isolation and loneliness across our City is multidimensional, but at its core is the notion of strengthening communities through raising awareness, improving safety, enhancing services, and developing opportunities for people to connect.
We are interested in your work to tackle social isolation and loneliness so please email me at eo@innersydneyvoice.org.au to set up a time for us to connect.
I hope you find this edition of Hello Sector! informative.
Don’t forget to say hello!
Marika