Camden is intensifying its efforts to combat loneliness and foster community connections through a range of initiatives, as discussed at the Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee meeting on 1 December 2025.

The committee received an update on the implementation of the community connectedness and friendships short-term priority within the Camden Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2022-30. The report outlined progress against three key activity areas of the Community Connectedness and Friendships Working Group (CCFWG):

  • Improving identification and engagement of chronically lonely and isolated individuals.
  • Exploring service area-specific opportunities to reduce social isolation and loneliness.
  • Undertaking a borough-wide communications campaign to increase awareness and reduce stigma.

To improve the identification of lonely individuals, the CCFWG developed a social isolation and loneliness webinar, using the work of Aging Better Camden. The webinar equips frontline staff with the knowledge to better understand and identify loneliness, engage with residents in a non-stigmatising manner, and to feel confident in providing basic signposting and support. The training is available to all staff working with Camden residents.

Partnership workshops also bring together the CCFWG and a range of partners to engage in collaborative discussions on key issues around loneliness, social isolation and connectedness. These sessions provide a platform to explore challenges, identify opportunities, share best practice, and highlight current work across organisations to support residents to connect. In March 2025, a workshop was held on accompaniment services, examining how individuals can be supported to take their first steps in accessing services. The next workshop is scheduled for January 2026 and will focus on supporting young people experiencing social isolation. The session aims to facilitate sharing of best practice on engaging youth in group activities, consider social prescribing as a tool to build long-term resilience, and highlight how voluntary and community-led approaches can complement clinical services to create holistic, accessible support systems.

The Camden, together campaign is a key part of the communications strategy, aiming to reduce the stigma around loneliness and improve community connectedness. The campaign, developed with Voluntary Action Camden, includes two strands: reducing stigma and promoting ways to connect with others through activities, volunteering, and befriending.

The campaign has seen success, with visits to the campaign webpages exceeding the initial target of 1,000 visits, reaching closer to 3,000 visits since the campaign began. Insights from the initial phase are informing the development of the second all-resident communications campaign, running from December 2025 to February 2026, which will include refreshed assets and resident stories.

A complementary sub-campaign is running from September to December 2025, developed in partnership with the University of London to support students who are at higher risk of loneliness and isolation. Adapted materials from the all-resident campaign are being used, alongside a creative, in person wellbeing session to challenge stigma, foster connection and encourage peer support. Following this targeted activity, the campaign will expand to reach non-University of London students and other young people across the borough.

The committee also discussed other initiatives aimed at reducing social isolation, including Adult Social Care Workshops, Camden Carers Action Plan, Community Champions, Camden Libraries Reading Together Strategy 2025-2030, Camden Cultural Strategy 2025-2030, Kentish Town Connects, and We Make Camden Estates and Neighbourhoods Mission.