Heritage and Loneliness
Author(s): Jessie Clark
Current research argues that loneliness should be considered one of the most critical health concerns of our society. It is linked to shorter life spans in the same categories as obesity and smoking. Whilst loneliness is often considered in light of the ageing population, young people between 16-24 have reported being the loneliest in society. The loneliness crisis, therefore, covers the entire population age range. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) set up a loneliness strategy in 2018. The arts and cultural sector have been instrumental in creating schemes within this to alleviate and prevent loneliness. Levels of loneliness have further increased since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. As the need for support increases, multi-agency work across the sector will be needed to meet this demand. The value of the heritage sector in preventing loneliness has not always been showcased to its full extent due to a lack of robust, demonstrable evidence. Taking on board lessons from across the cultural and heritage sectors, and outside organisations, could assist in promoting the valuable role the historic environment and wider heritage sector has in this area.
- Report Number:
- 84/2024
- Series:
- Research Report
- Pages:
- 42
- Keywords:
- Heritage Health Evaluation Social Isolation Connectedness
