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#HaltOnLoneliness Campaign Toolkit

Loneliness can be harmful to us all….let’s take action !!!

Thank you for joining our pledge to end loneliness in Halton!

There are 9 million lonely people in the UK. The figure in Halton is unknown. The good news is that people can recover from loneliness and this

toolkit is designed to give a few ideas of how individuals, communities and employers in Halton can help reduce the stigma of loneliness and

help those who are lonely.

What can you do ?

We are calling all communities, organisations, and local businesses to support us in our Campaign to End Loneliness and put a

#HaltOnLoneliness.

You could be as creative as you like, take time to get to know your neighbour, get involved in a local group, phone a friend or family member

or even write them a letter, just to let them know you are thinking about them.

Look at how the 5 Ways to Wellbeing can help you or others alleviate those feelings of loneliness.

NHS, Local Government, Voluntary Sector

Follow @haltonbc on Twitter and Facebook and share our posts around loneliness.

Use the #HaltOnLoneliness and help us increase visibility and get it trending!

Display posters and leaflets in your buildings, in public areas and staff areas

Organise an event

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A local business

Promote the campaign to your staff

Encourage staff to get involved

Organise an event for staff

Organise or support a local community event

Share our posts on your social media accounts

Tag in other organisations you follow on social media and spread the word

A community

Organise a street party for Loneliness Awareness Week or the Great Get Together

Promote existing events in your community

Get community groups involved – e.g. scouts, guides, running clubs, schools, etc.

Organise activities or events based around the 5 Ways to Wellbeing

An individual

Are you or any of your relatives, friends or neighbours alone?

Volunteer for a local community group

Call Sure Start to Later Life if you or someone you know is affected by loneliness

Band together with friends and neighbours to organise a community event

Call or visit someone you think might be lonely – or invite them for a cuppa and a chat

Do one of the 5 Ways to Wellbeing every month

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The Five Ways to Wellbeing

BE ACTIVE CONNECT GIVE KEEP LEARNING TAKE NOTICE

Check out some of the Active Halton classes taking place around Runcorn and Widnes

Phone a friend

Pop round for a cuppa

Help others

Volunteer

Check on a neighbour

Try something new

Join a club

Start a book club with friends or neighbours

Go for a walk in your local park

Visit a local attraction

Evidence suggests there are 5 steps we can all take to improve our mental wellbeing. If you give them a try, you may feel happier, more

positive and able to get the most from life.

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Be Active – you don't have to go to the gym. Take a walk, go cycling or play a game of football. Find an activity that you enjoy and make it a

part of your life.

For physical activity, check out Active Halton. They offer a wide range of activities for all ages and abilities across Runcorn and Widnes. You

don’t have to be an aspiring athlete to get involved – there are lots of classes including walking football and netball for the over 55s, pilates,

yoga, table tennis, gentle exercise for anyone who has had a fall or is unsteady on their feet as well as walking groups, cycling, kick boxing,

karate.

https://activehalton.co.uk/

Connect – connect with the people around you: your family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Spend time developing these relationships.

Give to others – even the smallest act can count, whether it's a smile, a thank you or a kind word. Larger acts, such as volunteering at your

local community centre, can improve your mental wellbeing and help you build new social networks.

Volunteering is a great way to give something back to your community and broaden your skills and meet other people. Sure Start to Later Life

run a team of volunteers who support older people in their own homes – befriending, or helping a person get out and about. There are also

volunteer roles to help people access information technology from first steps to IT, to introducing people to the Internet, to supporting the

person to an IT course etc. Find out more by calling 01928 569498.

Halton Volunteer Centre can also offer more information on local opportunities and how to get the best from volunteering.

https://www.haltonsthelensvca.org.uk/volunteer-centre

Keep learning – learning new skills can give you a sense of achievement and a new confidence. So why not sign up for that cooking course,

start learning to play a musical instrument, or figure out how to fix your bike?

Local libraries run sessions on IT skills where you can brush up on how to use the Internet and get the best from your mobile devices.

Halton’s Adult Learning Service runs a wide range of courses in IT, Maths and English, Childcare as well as arts and crafts such as sewing and

art.

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https://www3.halton.gov.uk/Pages/EducationandFamilies/AdultLearning/AdultLearning.aspx

Take Notice - Be mindful – be more aware of the present moment, including your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you.

Some people call this awareness "mindfulness". It can positively change the way you feel about life and how you approach challenges.

In Halton, there are many activities, groups, places to go to help you achieve these.

Just taking a walk around some of the award winning beautiful parks and green spaces in Halton can be beneficial to your mental health.

There are lots of apps to help you with mindfulness as well as local classes and groups.

https://www.wellbeingenterprises.org.uk/

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Age UK Mid Mersey Respect Campaign - #DoYouSeeMe?

The #DoYouSeeMe? Campaign is a collaborative project, initiated by Halton Borough Council, between Age UK Mid Mersey and students

studying graphic design and photography at Cronton Sixth Form College, Widnes. The campaign sets out to highlight experiences of ageing,

and to address the issue of people becoming ‘invisible’ as they grow older. In order to develop this campaign the learners met with a range of

people who have experienced such attitudes (Carol, Colin, Doris, Ray and Steve), which resulted in a series of photo shoots, a poster campaign

and photo book.

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For more information about the campaign contact Age UK Mid Mersey at doyouseeme@aukmm.org.uk A campaign summary with full

background information as well as template press release, key messages, social media contact and media images is also available.

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Resources

We have lots of resources to support you.

Some of these can be downloaded from our website: https://www4.halton.gov.uk/Pages/health/hit/Campaigns.aspx

Free posters and leaflets to hand out to the public, employees, etc.

Suggested posts and images for Facebook and Twitter

Content to use in your newsletters or on websites

Join our Partners in Prevention Facebook Forum to share what is going on locally (facebook.com/HaltonPIP/)

Email Footer

HaltOnLoneliness Pledge Template (A4)

Campaign to End loneliness ‘Be More Us’ video to share on social media or show on TV screens:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm12mTIUJss OR

Loneliness Challenge : What do older people say

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UieLVtt0S3Q&feature=player_detailpage

Blank Loneliness Pledge template

Free Apps (download from Google Play or The App Store):

o Mindfulness Apps: Smiling Mind and Stop Breathe Think - These apps provide mindfulness programs to assist children and

young people and adults in dealing with the pressure, stress and challenges of daily life.

o Stay Alive – anyone can use the app if they are having suicidal thoughts or if they are concerned about someone else who may be

considering suicide. The app is not a substitute for professional services but provides individuals with a tool to be able to support

themselves.

o Happy Place - Discover and share places in your community that help you to feel good with this free app.

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Mental Health Hub. The Mental Health Hub takes place monthly in both Runcorn and Widnes. In Runcorn it takes place at the Shopping

City the first Thursday of the month, in Widnes, at Green Oaks Shopping Centre the third Wednesday of the month. Both run from

9.00am to 2.00pm and are staffed by members of the Health Improvement Team and partners who can signpost to services.

Examples of media available:

Email Footer:

Social Media images:

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Poster / Leaflet: Pledge Card:

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Other ways to get involved

Staff Training

The Sure Start to Later Life team offers Loneliness Awareness Training for anyone who may come into contact with a person who could be

socially isolated or lonely. The training ensures that people are aware of the difference between loneliness and social isolation, the causes of

loneliness and tips on how we can tackle this issue within Halton. To book your place contact the team on 01928 569498.

Halton Health Improvement Team offers Age Well Training and Mental Health Training including:

Age Well Training – a one day course design to improve knowledge and understanding of the three main health issues amongst older

people in Halton; Loneliness, Dementia and Falls, and how to identify those at risk.

Mental Health Awareness Training - provides adults with knowledge and skills to have wellbeing conversations with friends/family/

colleagues/staff and to know where they can appropriately sign post people in need of support for their mental health. There is also a

course designed specifically for managers to help them support staff with mental health issues.

Suicide Prevention Training - provides learners with additional skills to progress wellbeing conversations onto asking about suicidal

thoughts. The training offers practical advice and guidance around asking about suicide and the language to use.

Call Halton Health Improvement on 0300 029 0029 for dates and details of how to book your place.

Outreach

The Sure Start to Later Life team offers Outreach visits to any group in the community across Halton to raise the awareness of loneliness and

help people who could be suffering with Loneliness to seek support. They also provide a individual resource pack for both professionals and

individuals living in the community. For more information call

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Become a Volunteer

With busy lives, it can be hard to find time to volunteer. However, the benefits of volunteering can be enormous. Volunteering offers vital help

to people in need, worthwhile causes, and the community, but the benefits can be even greater for you, the volunteer. Giving to others can

also help protect your mental and physical health. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer contact Start to Later Lifer or Halton VCA.

Support our Annual Campaigns

Loneliness Awareness Week (June)

Marmalade Trust started Loneliness Awareness Week (LAW) in 2017. It was really apparent to the charity that raising awareness is an

important part of changing the way we think and acknowledge loneliness. We need to talk about it and reduce the stigma of loneliness.

Great Get Together (June – follows Loneliness Awareness Week)

The Great Get Together is inspired by Jo Cox who, before her tragic death, began the campaign to end loneliness. Now an annual event across

England, following Loneliness Awareness Week, the Great Get Together is a weekend of community events organised by local people, for local

people to celebrate that we have more in common than we might think.

Healthy and Active Ageing Week – September (24-29 September 2019)

Taking place every September in Halton, and lead by the Health Improvement Team and Sure Start to Later Life, Healthy and Active Ageing

Week showcases the benefits of keeping active as we get older and the range of activities on offer in Runcorn and Widnes for people over 55.

Older People Day – 1 October

This event takes place annually on 1 October to celebrate the contribution older people make to society. In Halton we focus on the services

available for local people and our regular monthly Get Together events in Runcorn and Widnes are free to attend.

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Silver Sunday – October (Sunday 6 October 2019)

Silver Sunday is a special day in the national calendar when everyone can come together to celebrate older people: a day in the nation’s hearts

where older people feel valued and are given new opportunities to get out of the house, keep their minds and bodies active, learn new skills,

make new friends and connect with the communities and generations around them.

https://silversunday.org.uk/

Promoting your event or activity

Some hints and tips

Remember to take lots of photos and videos (with people’s consent) and share on social media using the campaign hashtag

#HaltOnLoneliness

Invite local media along to your event. Even if they don’t attend, send details and you may be featured in the latest edition.

Local councillors can also help promote your event more widely.

Your events don’t have to coincide with any of these campaigns, these are simply suggestions and you may benefit from additional

publicity locally and nationally if there is a high profile campaign happening. But you can choose to put on an event at any time of the

year or a date that means something to you or your community.

Evaluating the Campaign

Collect feedback! Let us know if your event made a difference, even to just one person. Take stock of your event, what worked well

(and what didn’t of course) for next time.

Let us know what you did and how it went. You can use our online evaluation form:

https://webapp.halton.gov.uk/survey_snap/hitfeedback.htm

If for any reason you cannot access the online form please email HIT@halton.gov.uk with the following information:

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How many and what type of events you organised.

How many people attended.

o A breakdown of attendees in terms of gender, age range, etc.

Number of social media posts shared

o Total Reach of posts

o Number of social media engagements (clicks, shares, likes, re-tweets etc.)

Other information, e.g. did you display posters, did staff take part in any training, etc.

Whether you would like to take part again in any future campaigns.

About Halton Health Improvement Team

The Halton Health Improvement Team is part of Halton Borough Council and offers a wide range of local, tailored services and initiatives

designed to improve the health and wellbeing of local people in Widnes and Runcorn. We work with individuals and the community as a whole

to understand what services are needed and how best to deliver them – be it in a community venue or through one-to-one visits. We also

work with local businesses and organisations to provide education and training services to help local people make healthy choices.

Check out our website for further information about our services www.haltonhealthimprovement.co.uk

Alternatively call 0300 029 0029 or email HIT@halton.gov.uk

About Sure Start to Later Life

The service provides a range of tailor-made services across Halton to improve the physical, social and mental health of residents over 55 years

of age. All our programmes are based around the needs of local people. We aim to work with the community for long-term health

improvement, not short-term fixes. It’s a free, personal and confidential information service to help people to live a happy and independent

life. We can offer information and a range of activities available in the local community that enable older people to take an active part in their

community. Call 01928 569 498 for more details.