# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This report is powered by InstantAtlas™ Data Visualization & Presentation Software

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.ourwatch.org.uk/crime-prevention/reducing-risk-toolkits/loneliness-and-vulnerability

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Loneliness

Loneliness is an emotional response to isolation or lack of meaningful companionship. It is widespread; the latest research from the Community Life Survey 2016/17 shows that one in 20 adults always or often feel lonely, and 2.4 million suffer from chronic loneliness. A survey by the Mental Health Foundation for their report The Lonely Society, found that only 22% of people never feel lonely. Age UK estimates that at least a million older people are lonely.

Loneliness affects people of all ages, but is often triggered by certain life events such as bereavement, divorce, retirement or declining health. Three in ten people over the age of 80 in the UK report feelings of loneliness. The Community Life Survey suggests that around 200,000 older people in England have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month.

Being lonely can be as harmful to older people's health as a chronic long-term condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Experts say it is as damaging as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and more dangerous than obesity. People who are very lonely are at much greater risk of dying younger.

Loneliness can also increase older people's risk to falling victim to scams, as the prospect of making conversation with another person can make older people more willing to open the door to a stranger, or engage in a phone conversation with an unknown caller, or respond to emails or letters. Professional scammers are skilled at developing relationships with their targets, and before long the lonely householder begins to feel that a genuine relationship is building. This can make it very hard to convince the person that they are being scammed. Lonely people also have fewer opportunities to meet with others and discuss finances and to explore with someone they trust whether an offer or relationship is genuine.

However, loneliness is not confined to older people. Psychologists say that teenagers can be especially vulnerable to loneliness because their brains are still developing, and they might misread social cues or people's reactions. ChildLine counsels around 10,000 children per year about loneliness; the most common reasons given are family problems, issues at school, and bullying.

Middle age can also bring risks of loneliness, as children leave home, people retire from work, or face divorce or bereavement.

Why do we feel lonely?

Professor John Cacioppo, a social neuroscientist, says that because human beings are inherently social creatures, feelings of loneliness arise in order to prompt us to attend to our social relationships. Just as hunger is a biological signal telling us to nourish and protect our body, so loneliness is a signal that reminds us to fulfill our social connectness. Attending to loneliness is important for our long-term survival.

Future trends

It is predicted that between 2008 and 2033 there will be a 44 per cent increase in the number of 65 to 74-year-olds living alone, a 38 per cent increase in those aged 75-85 and a 145 per cent increase in those aged 85+. So, while the the proportion of people feeling lonely has remained fairly constant in the past, these figures may indicate that there might be an increase in the future.

Jo Cox, the former MP for Batley and Spen, West Yorkshire, had taken the first steps toward setting up a cross-party Commission on Loneliness before she was murdered in June 2017. Campaigners and politicians took forward the work after her death and named it the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness in her honour.

Vulnerability

Social isolation and loneliness can be a key factor in making older people more vulnerable to a range of problems, from health issues to becoming a victim of crime, abuse or exploitation. This is one of the key drivers behind the Government's decision to create the post of Minister for Loneliness at the urging of the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness in 2017, and the announcement in June 2018 of a £20m investment in programmes that aim to bring people together, including an £11m Building Connections Fund from the Government.

Of course, not all older people are lonely, or vulnerable, and it is important not to assume that just because an individual is in their twilight years, that they have diminished mental capacity or can't make decisions for themselves. But because chronic loneliness has such a severe impact on an older person's health and wellbeing, if they can be 'cured' of their loneliness, that can have far-reaching positive implications in other areas of their lives too.

Age UK's work on loneliness and vulnerability among older people focuses on two main themes: helping them to avoid falling victim to scams, and preventing financial abuse by family members. They have identified loneliness and isolation as being a contributing vulnerability that puts people at risk of these crimes; the other major one is mental capacity, as there is some evidence that fraudsters deliberately target people who are living with dementia or have limited mental capacity.

Neighbourhood Watch has a comprehensive online information pack on Older People & Scams, with advice on how to raise awareness of these types of frauds among your older neighbours. The pack provides details about several types of scams - doorstep traders, telephone scams, mass marketing postal scams, investment and pension scams, email and online scams, and romance scams - and contains resources to help you to run campaigns in your local communities. Find it here.

Financial abuse is a particular type of elder abuse. Read more about what it is and who is most at risk from it here.

Recognising the signs of loneliness

The first challenge in tackling loneliness and vulnerability is getting to those older people who need support.

It's not always easy to spot if someone is lonely, as not everybody who is alone feels lonely, and equally people can still feel lonely even if they appear to have lots of people in their lives.

People who are socially isolated are, by definition, hard to reach and identify. Another problem is that loneliness is largely stigmatised, so people are less willing to self-identify as being lonely.

One way to see whether your neighbourhood has a prevalence of lonely people is to plug in to the loneliness heat-mapping tool developed by Age UK and the Office for National Statistics. This clever tool uses risk factors from the English Longitudinal Survey on Ageing, specifically age, marital status, living alone, and being in poor health. All you need to do is type in your postcode and the tool will tell you how many lonely older people are estimated to be living in your borough. Access the tool here.

Of course, while the tool is a useful indicator, we must not forget that there may still be very lonely older people in low-risk areas.

Another way is to identify people in your neighbourhood with the risk factors for loneliness, such as those who have recently experienced bereavement, or who have limiting health problems.

Click here to read more about the characteristics and circumstances of lonely people, and how feelings of loneliness might be triggered.

What can you do to help lonely neighbours?

If you think there may be lonely people among your neighbours, there are many things you can do to help them to combat their loneliness.

In fact, as a Neighbourhood Watch coordinator you could be ideally placed to play a key role in combatting loneliness in your locality.

A recent programme run by the Joseph Rowntree charities, looking at how community activities could contribute to the wellbeing of people at risk of or experiencing loneliness, found that having a key individual to motivate, train, and encourage individuals within a community to interact and get others engaged, can be very important.

Having 'insider' knowledge of the community and especially of the culture and any cultural or religious barriers to engagement, and speaking the language of people living there, also helps encourage engagement.

Click here for some ideas about how to tackle loneliness.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Loneliness Loneliness is an emotional response to isolation or lack of meaningful companionship. It is widespread; the latest research from the Community Life Survey 2016/17 shows that one in 20 adults always or often feel lonely, and 2.4 million suffer from chronic loneliness.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.healthysuffolk.org.uk/covidhub

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Emotional Wellbeing, Mental Health and Learning DisabilitiesCOVID-19 Information Hub

Looking after your emotional wellbeing, mental and physical health is incredibly important, and never more so than during the current coronavirus COVID-19 situation.

Having good mental health helps us build resilience to be able to face life's challenges. It can also help us feel healthier and happier and there are often simple ways to achieve this.

Need help now?

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis and need to talk to someone

For immediate emergency assistance Emergency Services Call or Text: 999

For urgent, non-emergency medical advice

This page offers advice and links if you are worried about the safety, independence and wellbeing of a child or adult.

This page contains information and resources for professionals to support health and wellbeing of the public and other professionals

This page contains links to resources and support for your health and wellbeing including information in another language

This page will give advice on your health and wellbeing

During the current coronavirus pandemic, many people are experiencing tragic loss of life under difficult circumstances. It is important to know what support is available in Suffolk and this page brings together resources and information in one place.

This page contains information and advice for people living with dementia and those supporting someone with dementia

This page links to a variety of resources to provide support for your wellbeing or your workforce's wellbeing

This page contains links to resources and support for your health and wellbeing

For simple steps to look after your mental and physical health, why not try our Wellbeing Planner?
Wellbeing Planner Find more information about looking after your mental and physical health while at home

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Looking after your emotional wellbeing, mental and physical health is incredibly important, and never more so than during the current coronavirus COVID-19 situation. Having good mental health helps us build resilience to be able to face life's challenges. It can also help us feel healthier and happier and there are often simple ways to achieve this.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.healthysuffolk.org.uk/jsna/state-of-suffolk-report

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The State of Suffolk is a key document of the Suffolk Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA). It is intended to provide an overview of the strategic health and wellbeing related needs in Suffolk, including the wider issues that affect local people, such as housing, employment, education and the environment.

State of Suffolk tiles- now updated for 2021!

We have created a graphic that shows just some of the links between all of the key facts and stats within the State of Suffolk! Take a look:

Index

The Joint Strategic Needs Assessment index alphabetically lists all the documents that support the JSNA and the State of Suffolk, and also groups them by publication year.

1. Who we are

2. Where we live

3. How we develop

4. How we work

5. How we travel

6. How we communicate

7. Suffolk communities

8. How we stay safe

9. Lifestyle

10. When we get ill

11. How we sustain Suffolk

2019 reports and information:

Other resources

All JSNA resources ( index here), including this 2019 State of Suffolk report, have been used to inform the 2019-22 refresh of the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy. This is the final refresh of a ten-year strategy 2012 - 2022.

For more information, please contact the Knowledge and Intelligence Team, Suffolk Public Health.

Site and content © Suffolk County Council 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The State of Suffolk is a key document of the Suffolk Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA). It is intended to provide an overview of the strategic health and wellbeing related needs in Suffolk, including the wider issues that affect local people, such as housing, employment, education and the environment.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.healthysuffolk.org.uk/jsna/state-of-suffolk-report/sos19-how-we-communicate

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Page last updated: 2019 - due to be refreshed in 2022.

1. The Better Broadband 4 Suffolk (BB4S) programme receives public funding to make fibre broadband available in areas that are not expected to be covered by commercial upgrades. In January 2019, 93% of Suffolk premises had access to fibre broadband coverage. (3.1 Access to broadband)

2. BB4S has a contract in place for Openreach to extend fibre broadband coverage to 98% of all Suffolk premises by 2020. (3.1 Access to broadband)

3. In Suffolk, 9 in 10 adults had used the internet within the previous 3 months in 2018, compared to 8 in 10 in 2012. (3.2 Internet use)

4. Nationally, 4 in 5 adults used mobile phones or smartphones to access the internet in 2018. (3.2 Internet use)

5. It is estimated that nearly 130,000 Suffolk residents sometimes, often or always feel lonely. Both prevalence and absolute numbers are highest among residents aged under 35. (3.4 Loneliness)

Communication can take many forms, such as face to face, over the phone, by letter or social media. Effective communication enables individuals to build interpersonal relationships and develop a rapport with one another. While sharing information is important in helping communities and organisations to work effectively together, it is the interpersonal element that helps to build cohesive communities and teams.

The ways that people communicate have changed dramatically in the last 25 years. Since launching in 1994, the World Wide Web has transformed the way that people communicate, first through email and then through social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. In 2018, nearly nine in ten UK adults were online, and this was almost universal among those under 55. Smartphones are now more popular than a computer for going online and an increasing number of people use smartphones to keep in touch with work and clients. Twenty years ago, being without the internet may have been thought of as an inconvenience. Among the modern workforce, it could now be considered a threat to livelihood for people whose careers are closely linked to internet activity.

The impact of online communication and social media on health and wellbeing are the subject of debate, with research being split between the benefits and drawbacks. Among younger people, possible benefits include perceived social support, increased social capital and increased opportunity for self-disclosure. Conversely, the harmful effects include increased exposure to unsuitable content, social isolation, depression and cyber-bullying. The impact on self-esteem is complex - whereas some benefits may increase self-esteem, the drawbacks may have the opposite effect. The ability to communicate with people via social media platforms may actually make people feel more socially isolated. One study reported that among young people, the most regular users of social media were more likely to experience higher levels of perceived social isolation. A meta-analysis of studies reported either mixed or no effect(s) of online social technologies on adolescent wellbeing.

There is a distinction between loneliness and isolation. Age UK defines 'isolation' as separation from social or familial contact, community involvement, or access to services, while 'loneliness' can be understood as an individual's personal, subjective sense of lacking these things. It is therefore possible to be isolated without being lonely, and to be lonely without being isolated. There are many contributing factors to social isolation. Many things can prevent people from leaving the house and having contact with other members of society, such as long-term illness, disabilities, transport issues, unemployment and economic struggles, or domestic violence.

Loneliness and social isolation are harmful to health, with research showing that lacking social connections may be as damaging to health as some well-established unhealthy behaviours. Social networks and friendships not only have an impact on reducing the risk of mortality or developing certain diseases, but they also help individuals to recover when they do fall ill. Loneliness can be felt by people of all ages but as people get older, the risk factors that might lead to loneliness begin to increase. These may include poor health, loss of senses and mobility, retirement and bereavement. Although technological changes can enable people to communicate with a wide range of people, the pace of technological change may be too fast for some older people.

The Better Broadband for Suffolk (BB4S) programme started in 2010. At that time, services were generally constrained to Suffolk's urban areas and there wasn't a commercial business case for upgrades for around a half of Suffolk. The BB4S programme receives public funding to make fibre broadband available in areas that are not expected to be covered by commercial upgrades. In January 2019, 93% of Suffolk premises had access to fibre broadband coverage. Under the Government's "Superfast Extension Programme", BB4S has a contract in place for Openreach to extend fibre broadband coverage to 98% of all Suffolk premises by 2020.

In Suffolk, 9 in 10 adults had used the internet within the previous 3 months in 2018, compared to 8 in 10 in 2012. More detailed figures about internet usage are available from national level surveys; although not specific to Suffolk, these can be used as an indication of the Suffolk picture.

In 2018, among all adults, 4 in 5 (78%) used mobile phones or smartphones to access the internet. These were the most popular devices across most age groups, apart from those aged 65 years and over, who reported a tablet computer as the most popular device used to access the internet (42%). The most popular internet activities in 2018 were sending or receiving emails (84% of adults carrying out this activity), finding information about goods or services (77%) and internet banking (69%).

The Taking Part survey reported that, in 2014/15, 7 in 10 (70.4%) adults had used social media in the past year.The most commonly used social media platforms were the social networking platform Facebook (used by 57.5% of adults), followed by YouTube (50.6%) and Twitter (21.5%). Among adults who use social media, more than 2 in 3 (68.8%) do so at least once a day, with over half of those accessing social media several times a day. Across all social media platforms, younger people were overrepresented among users and older people were underrepresented.

Analysis has been undertaken to better understand which areas in Suffolk are prone to social isolation. The analysis considered a range of factors that could influence the likelihood of becoming socially isolated. The most highly weighted factors in the analysis included being:

The results of the analysis indicate that areas with a higher social isolation score tend to be along the East coast and on the outskirts of towns such as Lowestoft, Woodbridge, Stowmarket, Felixstowe, Sudbury and Leiston ( Figure 1).
Note: isolation risk scores are relative to the area with the highest score in Suffolk; they cannot be used to compare risk against the rest of the country or national averages. Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) are geographical groupings of postcode areas containing an average of 1,500 people. Source: Suffolk County Council. Analysis of social isolation risk scores in Suffolk. (2016).
Traditionally, research about loneliness has tended to focus on older people. However, more recent studies have concluded that people aged below 65 are more likely to report feeling lonely. Analysis of characteristics and circumstances associated with loneliness in England using the Community Life Survey suggest that younger adults aged 16-24 years reported feeling lonely more often than those in older age groups. Applying these national prevalence estimates to population estimates for Suffolk would indicate that there are nearly 130,000 Suffolk residents who sometimes, often or always feel lonely.Both prevalence and absolute numbers are highest among residents aged under 35 ( Table 1). Feelings of loneliness are higher amongst females than males, regardless of age. Loneliness mapping of people aged 65 and over in Suffolk showed there is a higher risk of loneliness in more urban areas.

Table 1: Reported prevalence and number of people who sometimes, often or always feel lonely by age group, Suffolk, 2016/17

Age group

Estimated population in Suffolk

Prevalence of People who sometimes, often or always feel lonely

Estimated number of People who sometimes, often or always feel lonely

Age group

Estimated population in Suffolk

Prevalence of People who sometimes, often or always feel lonely

Estimated number of People who sometimes, often or always feel lonely

Sources: Office for National Statistics. Loneliness - What characteristics and circumstances are associated with feeling lonely? (2018). Office for National Statistics. Population estimates for UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland: mid-2017. (2018) Note: potential responses to the question "How often do you feel lonely?" were: "often/always", "sometimes", "occasionally", "hardly ever" and "never". Prevalence is the sum of those who responded "often/always" or "sometimes".
Age UK has published heat maps of loneliness for all local authorities in England: www.ageuk.org.uk/our-impact/policy-research/loneliness-research-and-resources/loneliness-maps/

The Better Broadband for Suffolk Programme aims to provide superfast fibre broadband coverage across the County. The Better Broadband for Suffolk Programme continues to work with the Government to develop a policy which completes the rollout to these 'hardest to reach' communities, which are predominately in rural areas.

Loneliness was highlighted by the Prime Minister in January 2018, who announced that a national strategy to help tackle loneliness would be developed, and which was published in October 2018. Alongside this, measures of loneliness would be developed, and data collected and published to help inform and focus future work on loneliness, both at a local level and nationally, and providing a focus to support strategic leadership, policy decisions and service planning: www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-connected-society-a-strategy-for-tackling-loneliness

[ 1] Ofcom, "Adults' Media Use and Attitudes Report," 2018. Available at: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/113222/Adults-Media-Use-and-Attitudes-Report-2018.pdf

[ 2] B. A. Primack et al., "Social Media Use and Perceived Social Isolation Among Young Adults in the U.S.," Am. J. Prev. Med., vol. 53, no. 1, pp. 1-8, Jul. 2017.

[ 3] P. Best, R. Manktelow, and B. Taylor, "Online communication, social media and adolescent wellbeing: A systematic narrative review," Child. Youth Serv. Rev., vol. 41, pp. 27-36, Jun. 2014.

[ 4] Public Health England, "Loneliness and isolation: Social relationships are key to good health," 2015. [Online]. Available: https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2015/12/08/loneliness-and-isolation-social-relationships-are-key-to-good-health/

[ 5] No Isolation, "What is social isolation?," 2018. [Online]. Available: https://www.noisolation.com/global/research/what-is-social-isolation/

[ 6] J. Holt-Lunstad, T. B. Smith, M. Baker, T. Harris, and D. Stephenson, "Loneliness and Social Isolation as Risk Factors for Mortality: A Meta-Analytic Review," Perspect. Psychol. Sci., vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 227-237, 2015.

[ 7] M. Marmot, "Fair Society, Healthy Lives: Strategic Review of Health Inequalities in England post-2010," 2010. Available at: www.instituteofhealthequity.org/resources-reports/fair-society-healthy-lives-the-marmot-review/fair-society-healthy-lives-full-report-pdf.pdf

[ 8] Campaign to End Loneliness, "About loneliness." [Online]. Available: https://www.campaigntoendloneliness.org/about-loneliness/

[ 9] Better Broadband for Suffolk, "Our journey." Available: https://betterbroadbandsuffolk.com/

[ 10] Department for Digital Culture Media & Sport, "Broadband Delivery UK," 2019. /available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/broadband-delivery-uk

[ 11] Office for National Statistics, "Internet access - households and individuals, Great Britain," 2018. [Online]. Available: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/householdcharacteristics/homeinternetandsocialmediausage/bulletins/internetaccesshouseholdsandindividuals/2018

[ 12] Department of Digital Culture Media and Sport, "Taking Part focus on: social media," 2016.Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/519678/Social_media_-_FINAL.pdf

[13] Suffolk County Council, "Analysis of social isolation risk scores in Suffolk," 2016.

[ 14] ONS, "Loneliness - What characteristics and circumstances are associated with feeling lonely?," Apr. 2018. [Online]. Available: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/articles/lonelinesswhatcharacteristicsandcircumstancesareassociatedwithfeelinglonely/2018-04-10

[ 15] Office for National Statistics, "Population estimates for UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland: mid-2017 - Office for National Statistics," 2018. Available: https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/populationestimatesforukenglandandwalesscotlandandnorthernirelandmid2017

[ 16] Age UK, "Age UK loneliness heat map," 2018. [Online]. Available: www.ageuk.org.uk/our-impact/policy-research/loneliness-research-and-resources/loneliness-maps/#

[ 17] HM Government, "A connected society: A strategy for tackling loneliness - laying the foundations for change," 2018.Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-connected-society-a-strategy-for-tackling-loneliness

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Page last updated: 2019 - due to be refreshed in 2022. The Better Broadband 4 Suffolk (BB4S) programme receives public funding to make fibre broadband available in areas that are not expected to be covered by commercial upgrades. In January 2019, 93% of Suffolk premises had access to fibre broadband coverage.

# data[].attributes.body
TO DO'S (31st January)
Rosa - Mental health and loneliness
Rachel - GP's and health centres
Haley - Physical health and loneliness
Annabelle - Day centres, infrastructure and care homes
Caitlin and Freya - Solutions to loneliness
Jess - Drug and alcohol misuse and loneliness
Holly - Crime and safety for lonely people

# data[].attributes.body
Reconnecting older residents in East Suffolk » East Suffolk Council

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Posted by on 6 August 2021 | Comments

East Suffolk Council is continuing to trial a scheme which helps reconnect older residents who may need support due to social isolation.

The East Suffolk Grandpad Loan Scheme is aimed at tackling social isolation amongst older residents or those who struggle to use technology, particularly those who have little or no contact with loved ones or the outside world due to a lack of Wi-Fi, equipment and/or skills.

Initially launched in July 2020, the Council has now been able to extend the scheme for another 12 months thanks to funding from 11 East Suffolk Councillor's Enabling Communities Budgets, Councillor Steve Whiles' Suffolk County Council Locality Budget, Government Covid funding, East Suffolk Council's Covid Community Recovery Fund, the Ipswich and East Suffolk CCG Prevention Fund and the East Suffolk Community Partnership Board.

Grandpads have been specifically designed around the need of older adults, and the large buttons and intuitive operating system make it easy for older people to use the device to connect with loved ones and the outside world without the complicated features of other tablets.

A total of 175 Grandpads are now available and will be lent (free of charge) to older residents across the district who have been identified as being socially isolated. The devices include unlimited 4G internet, 24/7 personalised support and unlimited minutes, so users can easily make phone calls at no extra costs.

Once the extended trial period ends, East Suffolk Council will evaluate it fully to determine its success and whether residents will benefit from the scheme being rolled out across the district if additional funding can be secured.
Cllr Letitia Smith, East Suffolk's Cabinet Member for Communities, Leisure and Tourism, said:
"Following the success of the initial trial, we're really pleased to be able to extend the Grandpad scheme to even more residents across East Suffolk. Many older people have little or no experience with technology, but this shouldn't mean that they are excluded from the many benefits it can offer, such as keeping connected with loved ones, accessing health services and online shopping."
Cllr Stephen Burroughes, East Suffolk's Cabinet Member for Customer Services, ICT and Commercial Partnerships, said:
"As the lead for the Council's Digital programmes, I am really pleased that we're now able to offer even more people access to a Grandpad, which opens up a whole new world of opportunities for them. The scheme enables users to access a whole range of things online safe in the knowledge that the device can be trusted and that only trusted contacts can communicate with them."
Louise Hardwick, Ipswich and East Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Group, Head of Partnerships and Alliance Delivery, said:
"There is strong evidence that loneliness and social isolation can have an adverse impact on people's physical and mental wellbeing, with an increased risk of dementia, heart disease and stroke, as well as heightened rates of depression and anxiety. It's important we do all we can to support people in living a happy and fulfilled life. The Grandpads initiative is an excellent example of partnership working, with local organisations coming together to enhance the later life living experience of people in East Suffolk."

Do you know someone who would benefit from a Grandpad? If you would like to nominate someone or would like more information, please email communities@eastsuffolk.gov.uk or call 01502 523119.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Posted by on 6 August 2021 | Comments East Suffolk Council is continuing to trial a scheme which helps reconnect older residents who may need support due to social isolation.

# data[].attributes.body
Happy to chat benches to combat loneliness in Martlesham | Ipswich Star

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Published: 4:25 PM April 1, 2021

A number of 'Happy to Chat' benches have been designated in parks across Suffolk to help prevent social isolation, which has become even more prominent during coronavirus.

The 'Happy to Chat' initiative encourages people to chat together, even if it is just to say a quick socially distant hello.

It runs alongside East Suffolk Council's new Talking Bench scheme, which hopes to encourage residents to speak to each other in an effort to tackle social isolation and loneliness.

The Talking Benches have been funded by the Kesgrave, Rushmere St Andrew, Martlesham, Carlford and Fynn Valley Community Partnership to help break down the barriers of starting a new conversation.

The benches, which will be identifiable with 'Happy to Chat' plaques donated by Healthwatch Suffolk.

It is hoped that it will help create community connections and strengthen support systems.

Seven benches have now been installed in Martlesham Heath, Grundisburgh, Swilland/Witnesham, Great Bealings, Charsfield and Rushmere St Andrew.

Nicole Rickard, head of communities at East Suffolk Council, said: "We're really pleased to be introducing this new scheme as we know the simple act of talking to somebody can have a very positive impact on the wellbeing of someone who is struggling with social isolation and/or loneliness.

"Simply stopping to say hello to someone at a 'Happy to Chat' bench could make a huge difference to the vulnerable people in our communities and help to make life a little better for them."

Simon King, the Suffolk Voluntary and Statutory Partnership (VASP) co-ordinator for mental health, said the simple message creates an opportunity for people to come together.

"People need to know it is safe to say hello," said Mr King.

"There is lots of kindness in the community, but some people may need that little bit of extra human contact."

He said the idea is that someone who is feeling lonely may sit on the bench, but equally it may also be a coincidence.

With the support of Woodbridge Town Council, the 'Happy to Chat' signs have also been placed on seven benches in the market town.

Mr King said it is important that we do not assume there is a particular profile of someone who is feeling isolated.

"It could be anyone at all," he said.

"Someone in their 20s with a large group of family and friends around them may be feeling isolated in their own mind."

Mr King said people need to know it is safe to say hello, and although he praised the use of social media to keep us connected throughout coronavirus, he feels "it is not the same as seeing someone and chatting face to face".

"Life is like snakes and ladders - sometimes everything is going up like the ladders, but you never know when you might hit a snake and go down," he added.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why these 'Happy to Chat' benches are popping up across Suffolk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Published: 4:25 PM April 1, 2021 A number of 'Happy to Chat' benches have been designated in parks across Suffolk to help prevent social isolation, which has become even more prominent during coronavirus. The 'Happy to Chat' initiative encourages people to chat together, even if it is just to say a quick socially distant hello.

# data[].attributes.headline
This book may be worth a look, very close to home 

# data[].attributes.subject
This book may be worth a look, very close to home 

# data[].attributes.body
Deputy Dean of Suffolk Business School highlights local charity in new book | University of Suffolk (uos.ac.uk)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Deputy Dean of Suffolk Business School highlights local charity in new book

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The work of a Suffolk charity which tackles rural isolation and loneliness is the subject of a chapter in a new book looking at charity marketing.

# data[].attributes.body
Buddy Up - Community Action Suffolk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Buddy Up is an initiative funded by Suffolk County Council which aims to address the problems caused by Covid related isolation in our communities, including reducing the spread of infection. The project harnesses the skills and local knowledge of grassroots community groups, ensuring that Buddy Up is sustainable within the communities it serves.

Suffolk County Council COMF and East Suffolk Partenrship funded, Buddy Up offers volunteering opportunities throughout Suffolk. The project supports grass-roots community groups to recruit and train Buddy Up volunteers. All those involved will have access to CAS accredited volunteer training.

Buddies will work alongside the isolated in their community to identify small changes they can make to improve their lives. This might be helping them to join a local group relating to their hobby or maybe supporting them to attend a social activity or educational course. This is intended to be low level intervention using resources already available in local communities - the key being that the isolated are often unable to access these without 1:1 support.

The local, grassroots aspect of Buddy Up will ensure its longevity as local groups take ownership of Buddy Up within their own community.

We would be delighted to hear from community groups who would like include a Buddy Up volunteer. We have a range of resources to support you as well as a Buddy Up support network.

We would also like to hear from individuals interested in becoming a Buddy Up volunteer or would like a buddy themselves.

Contact volunteering@communityactionsuffolk.org.uk or 01473 345400

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Buddy Up is an initiative funded by Suffolk County Council which aims to address the problems caused by Covid related isolation in our communities, including reducing the spread of infection. The project harnesses the skills and local knowledge of grassroots community groups, ensuring that Buddy Up is sustainable within the communities it serves.

# data[].attributes.body
https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/static-reports/health-profiles/2019/e10000029.html?area-name=suffolk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This profile gives a picture of people’s health in Suffolk. It is designed to act as a ‘conversation starter’, to help local government and health services understand their community’s needs, so that they can work together to improve people’s health and reduce health inequalities.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/localarea?compare=E05007125

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.ipswich.gov.uk/sites/www.ipswich.gov.uk/files/PCD05.pdf

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.ilivehere.co.uk/check-my-postcode/IP4+2AT

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
iLiveHere - Britain's worst places to live

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If you are thinking of moving to St Margaret's Street or anywhere in the IP4 2AT postcode, you'll want to know what the area is really like, not estate agents telling you what you want to hear. On this page we give you the information no one else publishes. You are not going to find out who the local councillor is here, but you will find out if the area is a street crime hotspot or a ghetto of unemployment or if living in IP4 2AT postcode is likely to send you on a downward spiral of ill health. The information everyone wants to know before moving home. It might save you staking the place out of night to see if St Margaret's Street kicks off after dark with anti-social behaviour and your down time is constantly interrupted by the sound of Police sirens as they race to the 10th reported crime in the street that day.

Where possible, why try and present statistics down to the Local Super Output Area (LSOA) level or local district council level if not possible. This is the smallest area for which the government publishes statistics. It is roughly equivalent to around 1500 people or a few roads. We use the 'best fit' LSOA that includes the IP4 2AT postcode and the roads surrounding St Margaret's Street. Let's get down to the nitty-gritty and see just how bad IP4 2AT really is!

Nothing provides an snapshop of the St Margaret's Street area quite like the English Indices of Multiple Deprivation. These government statistics published every two years give home buyers and movers an insight into what the area is really like from the quality of the environment to the likelihood of being a victim of crime. We have taken the raw data for the LSOA that includes IP4 2AT and applied the traffic light colour code system , providing you with a quick at-a-glance overview of the vicinity.

Source: English Indices of Multiple Deprivation (2019)

We taken the 100 nearest incidents from the centre of the IP4 2AT post code from the Police database and plotted them on a map, so you can see if there are any crime hotspots in or around St Margaret's Street. The data provided by the Police does not have the exact address of the incident to protect people's privacy. Therefore the clusters on the map in or around St Margaret's Street can be for one or multiple addresses in that road.

Crime Incidents around IP4 2AT in the last quarter

We have taken all the crime incidents within a mile of IP4 2AT in the last quarter so you can see if crime in on the increase or decrease. Apart from the number of incidents in total, we have also shown the incidents or anti-social behaviour and violent crime separately. This is because anti-social behaviour is usually the most prevalent but minor and violent crime covers so many offences from common assault to murder and therefore, is one of the most prevalent categories.

Likelihood of being a victim of crime in IP4 2AT

The English Indices of Deprivation statistics has a crime category. This category measures the risk of personal and material victimisation at the LSOA level. So being assaulted, mugged or burgled in layman's terms in your own neighbourhood. We have taken the 'best fit' LSOA for IP4 2AT and the St Margaret's Street area and compared this location with the rest of Stoke. This is helpful if you want to move to Stoke but want to avoid the more crime blighted roads. The ranks are out of 32,844 LSOA areas in England.

Ipswich 007F

Albion Quay, Cardinal Street, College Street, Commercial Road, Coprolite Street, Cutler Street, Fore Street, Grafton Way, Grey Friars Road, Key Street, Neptune Quay, Quadling Way, Rose Lane, Silent Street, St Clements Church Lane, St Nicholas Street, St Peter's Street, Star Lane, Turret Lane, Wherry Lane, Wherry Quay, Wolsey Street

2988

Crime in IP4 2AT compared to surrounding towns

The aim of the section is to compare IP4 2AT with Ipswich and the surrounding towns. Often comparisons between IP4 2AT and other areas of Stoke do not give a broad enough comparison to be useful, especially if St Margaret's Street is in a general high crime areas, such as town centre. Thankfully St Margaret's Street is not in the worst crime LSOA in all the surrounding towns.

Since the introduction of Universal Credit (UC) the Department for Work and Pensions no longer publishes statistics on the percentage of working age people in an area that are unemployed and seeking work. It is almost if they don't want you to know the true level of joblessness... However, the English Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2019 (IoD2019) has a measure of people 'involuntarily' out of work in the LSOA that includes St Margaret's Street. Although this statistic contains those who are jobless because of illness or disability, it is a good indicator of the general level of unemployment in an area. Here we will compare the rank for St Margaret's Street (IP4 2AT) to the average rank in the rest of Stoke, Ipswich and the surrounding towns. The rank is out of 32,844 LSOAs in England.

Universal Credit (UC) Statistics in and around IP4 2AT, Stoke

Although Universal Credit (UC) is a in and out of work benefit, it is a good indicator of the levels of unemployment and crucially as we move to a 'gig economy', under employment in St Margaret's Street. The Department for Work & Pensions typically publish UC count figures 6 months in arrears.

Source: Department for Work & Pensions August 2020

Wages Statistics: How much can you expect to earn in IP4 2AT?

Every year the Office of National Statitics (ONS) publishes its labour market survery. Amongst these statitics is how much gross weekly pay you can earn on average in any local district council area. Ipswich is ranked 243/314 local district councils in England, from the highest down to the lowest average weekly gross pay.

Source: Office for National Statitics (Nomis) April 2020

Source: Office for National Statitics (Nomis) April 2020

If you are thinking of moving to the St Margaret's Street, you'll want to know if the area is salubrius or will put you on a downward spiral of ill health.

How residents rated their own health

In every UK Census there is a question for respondents to rate their health with the options of very bad, bad, fair, good and very good. We have taken the overall number of respondents in Ipswich and converted the results into percentages.

Your health in Ipswich compared to residents in Tendring, Mid Suffolk, East Suffolk

These statistics measure the likelihood of premature death and the impairment of quality of life through poor physical or mental health, lovely!

Source: English Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2019

Check out the neighbouring postcodes to IP4 2AT

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
IP4 2AT, St Margaret's Street, Ipswich - Useful information

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you are thinking of moving to St Margaret's Street or anywhere in the IP4 2AT postcode, you'll want to know what the area is really like, not estate agents telling you what you want to hear. On this page we give you the information no one else publishes.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.postcodearea.co.uk/postaltowns/ipswich/ip42bx/demographics/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
About this data

Due to the limited amount of people who may live in IP4 2BX, we've expanded the catchment area to include the neighbourhood.

Rather than showing demographic data from just IP4 2BX, we've taken data from the LSOA (Lower Super Output Area) so we can display accurate demographic data.

Using a bigger sample of the local population gives us more insightful data than relying solely on the 70 people who live in IP4 2BX.

The postcode IP4 2BX is in the LSOA area called ' Ipswich 005D', in the St Margaret's ward.

The geographical demographic data for IP4 2BX has been extracted from the Office of National Statistics, responsible for the collection and publication of UK statistics relating to population, society and economy. (ONS)

Statistical Disclosure Control Methods

Please note that targeted record swapping and restriction of detail (particularly at low level geographies) is regularly undertaken on Census data by the ONS to protect the privacy of individuals.

Demographic statistics are derived from the 2011 Census, which was carried out to provide a detailed analysis of the population and its characteristics. Data from the Office for National Statistics is licensed under the Open Government Licence v.1.0.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Demographics and statistics for IP42BX postcode and Ipswich region.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
About this data Due to the limited amount of people who may live in IP4 2BX, we've expanded the catchment area to include the neighbourhood. Rather than showing demographic data from just IP4 2BX, we've taken data from the LSOA (Lower Super Output Area) so we can display accurate demographic data.

# data[].attributes.body
Layout 1 (ipswich.gov.uk)

# data[].attributes.body
24-St-Margarets-Westgate.pdf (suffolkobservatory.info)

# data[].attributes.body
Night Shelter (stmargaretsipswich.org.uk)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Sadly, like many larger towns, Ipswich has a number of people who are homeless for a variety of reasons. The town seeks to support these people in many ways.

The Ipswich Winter Night Shelter operates each night between December to March, when it provides hope and hospitality including a hot meal, basic accommodation and breakfast for homeless guests. It is housed in town centre churches and St Margaret's has been a host church since 2013. Members of St Margaret's church work alongside volunteers from other churches (and elsewhere) to run the shelter at St Margaret's (and other venues).

Preparing Beds

Entertainment by Diamond Choir

Please see www.iwns.org.uk for more details of the shelter, including how to volunteer.

In this section

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sadly, like many larger towns, Ipswich has a number of people who are homeless for a variety of reasons. The town seeks to support these people in many ways. The Ipswich Winter Night Shelter operates each night between December to March, when it provides hope and hospitality including a hot meal, basic accommodation and breakfast for homeless guests.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.suffolkobservatory.info/health-and-social-care/map/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Suffolk Observatory – Health & Social Care – Map

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Interactive data maps on the theme of Health, Social Care, Wellbeing in Suffolk Observatory

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.ilivehere.co.uk/statistics-rushmere-suffolk-33112.html

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.localhealth.org.uk/#bbox=613608,249660,9587,6950&c=indicator&i=t3.alc_harm&selcodgeo=E02006248&view=map7

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore and visualise in maps, graphs and interactive tables a wide range of statistical data

# data[].attributes.body
Hello All!

# data[].attributes.body
https://maps.walkingclub.org.uk/admin/suffolk/ipswich/rushmere-ward.html

# data[].attributes.body
Hello! This is a test to see how this works.