MORE THAN two million people in England aged over 75 live alone and more than one million older people say they go for longer than a month without speaking to a friend, neighbour or family member, according to Age UK.

The charity estimates there are 35,000 lonely people in Worcestershire and last year it launched a new unique service called Reconnections to help tackle loneliness among the county’s older people.

In fact this state is recognised by the NHS to have a serious effect on the health of some people – leading to depression and a serious decline in physical health and wellbeing.

The issue has been recognised nationally for a number of years and in 2011 an initiative called Campaign to End Loneliness was launched in the UK. It is a network of national, regional and local organisations and people working together through community action, good practice, research and policy to ensure that loneliness is acted upon as a public health priority at national and local levels.

A new initiative to try and help people in Worcester and the surrounding area aged over 55 who are assessed as lonely is being launched this year by the University of Worcester and Vestia Community Trust – part of the Community Housing Group based in Kidderminster.

Called Inter Generations Worcester, it is also supported by Worcestershire County Council and aims to help students looking for accommodation and lonely older people with a spare room.

The trust is already working in the city to deliver the county council’s Stronger Families service which aims to help improve the lives of struggling families.

Steve Jones, Inter Generations Worcester manager, said, although a number of organisations are running similar projects in other parts of the country, he believes this is the first in the UK where a university is involved in a countering loneliness directly through its student accommodation needs.

He said the scheme aims to carefully pair up university students requiring accommodation with people aged 55 or older who have a spare room.

“This is suitable for an older person living in Worcester, located on or near to a bus or cycle route with a spare room available. We would also look at people living in places like Malvern where there is a good rail connection or only a short distance away for a student with a car,” said Steve.

He pointed out the scheme was particularly aimed at householders living on their own who would benefit from companionship as well as peace of mind having someone in the house and help with some household jobs like cooking, shopping or gardening.

It would also give families of the older person peace of mind, knowing their relative is not on their own, and an opportunity for the householder to learn new skills if they want like using a computer and the internet.

Steve said the student would not have to pay rent but there would be a one-off arrangement fee of £500 to pay and they would have to contribute towards household bills – probably 20 to 25 per cent of those bills. If the householder receives a council tax discount for living on their own, this is not affected.

“This cuts out the expensive accommodation rental costs and for students. For those who are studying health and social care-related courses, it will greatly enhance their CV - providing excellent experience. “

He said this would not involve 18-year-old first year students – and is most likely to appeal to more mature students. A student is considered mature if they are 21 or over and 64 per cent of the University of Worcester students are mature.

Anyone interested in using this scheme, which official starts in September, is interviewed and assessed by Steve. “The interesting thing I have found is that some of the students are lonely as well. It is a bit like running a dating website,” he joked. He has already interviewed nine or 10 students interested in the scheme.

All the students are DBS checked and have to provide two referees, while the householders and homes are also checked for their suitability. The homes must have internet access/Wi-Fi and have gas and electricity checks.

He said some householders might prefer a male or someone who likes dogs or someone who likes gardening. The aim is to match them with a suitable student who will fit in with the older person and their home.

Steve explained that there would be a safety net in place in case the arrangement was terminated at short notice. We have an arrangement with local landlords who will take students at short notice if needed.

Anyone interested in finding out more about Inter Generations Worcester can call Steve on 01562 733136, e-mail IGW@vestia.org.uk or visit https://www.vestia.org.uk/intergen/video.php and watch the videos about the scheme.

Loneliness and social isolation in the UK fact file

• 17 per cent of older people are in contact with family, friends and neighbours less than once a week and 11 per cent are in contact less than once a month

• Over half of all people aged 75 and over live alone

• Two fifths all older people (about 3.9 million) say the television is their main company

• 63 per cent of adults aged 52 or over who have been widowed, and 51 per cent of the same group who are separated or divorced report, feeling lonely some of the time or often

• 59 per cent of adults aged over 52 who report poor health say they feel lonely some of the time or often, compared to 21 per cent who say they are in excellent health

• A higher percentage of women than men report feeling lonely some of the time or often