Driving Connection Across the Life Course: The APPG on Tackling Loneliness and Connected Communities

By Charlotte Miller and Emily Abbott

Secretariat, APPG on Tackling Loneliness and Connected Communities Intergenerational England

A National Inquiry to Tackle Loneliness Through Connection

On 22 October 2025, parliamentarians, civil society leaders, researchers and community practitioners came together for the launch of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Tackling Loneliness and Connected Communities.  This session marked the formal start of a two-year national inquiry exploring “Intergenerational Connection as a Pathway to Tackle Loneliness Across Society.” Co-chaired by Paul Davies MP and Lord Shaun Bailey, and supported by the Campaign to End Loneliness, the APPG is committed to understanding how loneliness affects people across the life course and how connection, empathy, and community can serve as practical and systemic solutions.

As Co-Chair Paul Davies reminded us:

“Loneliness isn’t just a social issue; it’s a public health and economic issue that touches every aspect of life, from health and housing to the workplace and beyond.”

The Inquiry: A Collaborative, Evidence-Led Approach.  The inquiry will run from 2025 to 2027 and will examine loneliness through an intergenerational lens, understanding how connection across ages can strengthen communities, support wellbeing, and shape better policy.

Inquiry structure:

• Call for Evidence (Feb–June 2026) — Gathering insights, research, and lived experience.

• Sector Sub-Groups — Thematic working groups on Health, Housing, Workforce, Culture, and Youth.

• Parliamentary Roundtables — Closed, in-depth sessions with MPs and expert organisations to shape recommendations.

• Community Connection Marketplaces — Regional and parliamentary pop-ups celebrating grassroots innovation and lived experience.

• Final Report Launch (Jan 2027) — A cross-sector policy blueprint for tackling loneliness across the life course.

The aim is to build a practical evidence base, elevate lived experience and develop long-term recommendations that embed social connection across systems and sectors.

Loneliness Across the Life Course.  The first APPG session framed loneliness as a life-course issue. We were also joined by Richard Gettings, Embedded Researcher at the Campaign to End Loneliness and Sheffield Hallam University, who provided a powerful overview of the latest data on loneliness across the life course — reminding us that loneliness is not a passing emotion, but a critical public health challenge demanding systemic solutions.  From childhood to later life, transitions, whether leaving home, job loss, caring responsibilities, or bereavement can trigger isolation.  Loneliness is linked to increased risk of mental illness, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and early mortality. Economically, it costs UK employers an estimated £2.5 billion annually. By approaching loneliness as a systemic challenge rather than an individual failing, the inquiry seeks to identify shared risk factors and design responses that connect generations, communities, and services.  The inquiry’s focus on intergenerational connection is intentional. Our homes, schools, workplaces, and communities have become increasingly age-segregated, weakening everyday interaction and empathy.  Intergenerational approaches bridge these divides. They bring people together across life stages to share skills, stories, and purpose, building stronger, more inclusive communities.

“By framing loneliness through an intergenerational lens, we can move beyond short-term interventions towards systemic change designing policy and practice that naturally enable connection.”  This approach aligns with the World Health Organization’s call for social connection as a global public health priority.  Our thanks also go to Victoria MacCallum, Deputy Director at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), who offered a government perspective on tackling loneliness, emphasising the importance of embedding social connection across departments and recognising the vital role of civil society in building resilient, connected communities

The Next Phase: Sub-Groups and Marketplace Events

Following the success of the launch, we’re now moving into the engagement and evidence-gathering phase.

Over the coming months, we’ll be launching dedicated APPG Sub-Groups covering:

• Health & Social Care

• Housing & Place

• Workforce & Employment

• Youth & Education

• Culture & Faith

• Community, Sport, Music & Creativity

  
  

Each sub-group will meet in two formats:  Closed, themed roundtables in Parliament, enabling focused discussion with MPs and invited experts.  Wider online meetings, open to the broader network to share intelligence and align priorities.

If you’ve expressed interest in joining a sub-group, your details have now been added to the relevant list, and we’ll be in touch soon with the first meeting dates.

Save the Date: APPG Marketplace Event – Monday 24 November 2025.  Join us in Parliament for the APPG Marketplace Event, a vibrant space for collaboration, storytelling, and lived experience.  MPs and policymakers are eager to hear directly from those working on the frontline. This is your opportunity to showcase your work, connect with peers, and help shape the inquiry.

To host a stall or presentation, please contact Alicia at alicia@intergenerationalengland.org

As Secretariat, Intergenerational England is proud to steward this inquiry on behalf of Parliament, ensuring that every voice from policy to practice, from the classroom to the care home shapes a more connected, compassionate and intergenerational United Kingdom.

“Connection is not a luxury it’s the foundation of a healthy, resilient society. Together, we can make it a national priority.”

For more information or to join one of the APPG sub-groups, please contact: alicia@intergenerationalengland.org