Just a few reasons to take time out to get to know your neighbours…

• Fewer than a quarter of people in the UK feel a sense of belonging in the community
• One in 10 have no interaction with neighbours
• 65 per cent of Britons believe their neighbourhoods would be stronger if people were encouraged to get to know each other better
• BBC Sussex recently did a survey of 400 local people from a range of age groups, 70% said they’d experienced loneliness in the last 12 months.
• Good neighbours can play a vital role in emotional security and support. A move to a new area or housing situation means many do not know their neighbours.
• The effect of loneliness and isolation on mortality exceeds the impact of well-known risk factors such as obesity, and has a similar influence as cigarette smoking.

• Changes in modern society can exacerbate social isolation. There are increasingly dispersed family networks and a greater reliance on the internet for social connections
• Loneliness is proven to cause early loss of life
• Loneliness has a significant impact on an individual’s physical, emotional and mental well-being
• Census statistics show that the over 65s comprise 13% of the city’s population of Brighton and Hove equating to 35,692 people, of which 11,556 are aged 80+. Most notably, 14,468 (41%) of over 65s are living in single person households which is a higher proportion than for the population of England and Wales as a whole (31%)