We invite you to join us to develop practical and imaginative strategies for reducing youth loneliness at the Youth Loneliness Summit: research-informed, arts-inspired, youth-led social action to reduce youth loneliness.

Youth loneliness is increasingly recognised as a significant social issue, with claims of a 'silent epidemic' of loneliness affecting as many as one in three young people in the UK.

This event is part of the 'Loneliness Connects Us' project, a youth co-research project exploring youth loneliness from the perspective of young people developed by 42nd Street and Manchester Metropolitan University. The aim of the research was to provide young people and those working with them new knowledge and strategies to reduce loneliness and increase belonging and solidarity. The research explored the diverse perceptions and experiences of youth loneliness in relation to social conditions such as poverty, transitions in life, and relationships of support and connection. A key finding was that although loneliness is an important part of life, we must take practical and political action to come together to reduce youth loneliness.

The aim of the Youth Loneliness Summit is to build on the research by working with young people from the Greater Manchester Housing Providers' Youth Forum to support them in developing creative social action projects to reduce loneliness in their communities.

We invite people young and old to join us in imagining new ways of being friends with one another, supporting young people that don’t seem to fit in, and create common spaces and communities so everyone feels they belong somewhere.

The day will begin with a short performance on loneliness from the excellent Clean Break Theatre, then presentations from a range of youth projects before the focus shifts to developing the ideas and strategies that will be brought to life by the young people in the Greater Manchester Housing Providers' Youth Forum.

Come along and help us re-imagine more convivial and caring communities across Greater Manchester and the UK.

If you would like more information please email James Duggan (Research Fellow, MMU) on J.Duggan [at] mmu.ac.uk or follow us on Twitter @YouthLoneliness

We're also running a project celebration event, following this event at 5pm-6.30pm. For more information and register, please follow this link.

The Loneliness Connects Us is a youth co-research project, young people exploring the lived experience of loneliness across the UK. The project was developed by ‪@ESRI_mmu and ‪@42ndStreetmcr.

This research and event is funded by the Co-op Foundation through its Belong programme, a national network of projects tackling loneliness among disadvantaged young people.