Written by Marika Kontellis, EO, Inner Sydney Voice for the Hello Sector! newsletter.
The findings of the Senate Inquiry are now available and have really helped to confirm what we already know about loneliness and social isolation. In reading the 146 submissions, there is something that seems to escape the recommendations but is intrinsic in the stories and evidence collected by the Inquiry.
Much of the evidence takes on an individual focus, outlining the “type” of person most likely to experience loneliness and the impact of that loneliness on them. For me, however, the underlying theme of all the stories and evidence is that lonely communities actually enable lonely people, and vice versa.
It is a bit like the chicken-and-egg argument – is it lonely people who make communities feel lonely, or is it the other way around? The answer has to be both, but without a doubt, the risk of loneliness is best mitigated by communities that enable connections for everyone, everywhere, and at any time.
The Report contains eight key findings and 20 recommendations. I can’t argue with them (except that older people have not been specifically targeted as an at-risk group), but there is no strategy aligned to those findings or recommendations. And that’s why we need to get active.
We should not let government or the formal health or community services systems hijack community spirit and willingness to combat their own social issues. We should, in every case, start by asking “…what can my service do to facilitate community-led action…?’
Don’t underestimate the power of bringing people together for a afternoon tea, knocking on their door to sign a petition, popping an invite to a meeting in their letterbox, reaching out on socials or even asking for them to get involved in solving some of our local challenges. People want meaningful connection, so open your doors, set up a coffee and tea stand and invite people in.
Connected individuals are people who feel like they know others, have meaningful relationships with them, and understand how they can play a role in supporting others when and if they need it. Social infrastructure is often invisible but it is the social glue that connects people. It is often linked to “social capital”. Community strengths and assets refer to people, services, and facilities that help people connect. Local coffee shops and shopkeepers who know people by name, parks, libraries, schools, and community leaders. Connected communities are places where you feel like you belong.
On Saturday, 23rd August, a group of Green Square locals is getting organised and planning how they want to build social connections in their neighbourhood. At the very least, people will meet others and have a coffee. At the very best, people will plan their next steps, which will enhance their social infrastructure (relationships, resourcing, information) and ultimately play a role in creating less lonely communities and more connected people.
Read the rest of the newsletter here.