LEARNINGs and Resources
This section highlights our learnings from previous projects, and some useful resources.
The Loneliness project
The Loneliness Project, supported by the South West Academic Health Science Network (SWAHSN), was a research project which sought to identify and understand the scale of the loneliness problem in North East Dartmoor in order to begin creating and implementing solutions.
The project was piloted in February and March 2018 through a series of 'Listenings' - informal meetings with existing groups in and around Moretonhampstead.
Listenings are based on a series of questions designed to bring out the issues most relevant to those being consulted. Always conducted at a pace to suit the audience, the atmosphere of a Listening is essentially that of a discussion, not a research interview!
Our findings are shown below in the project report. They are an important foundation for our current work, and informed our decision to make social prescribing a key part of Wellmoor through the employment of Wellbeing Co-Ordinator Becky Beesley.
This report describes the process of The Loneliness Project, summarises the findings and points towards priorities and opportunities for further research. It also, importantly, suggests some solutions.