Social connections & community assets

The following selected resources can be used to support development of age-friendly communities and improve opportunities for social connections and contributions. Includes sections: 'Data sources' (covering a range of relevant topics); 'Communities'; 'Addressing loneliness'; 'Creative, cultural and sport activities'; 'Volunteering'; 'Adult education'; and 'Links to other relevant sections'.

Data sources 

• The Wider Impacts of COVID-19 on Health (WICH) monitoring tool includes latest data at regional and/or national level published by Public Health England. The 'Social determinants of health' domain and loneliness measures in the 'Mental health and wellbeing' domain are particularly relevant.
• The Productive Healthy Ageing Profile includes relevant indicators at local, regional and/or national level in the 'Improve Wellbeing and Wider Determinants of Health' domain
• Coronavirus and the social impacts on Great Britain data - regular data updates & linked publications e.g. Coronavirus and the social impacts on older people in Great Britain: 3 April to 10 May 2020 based on the Opinions and Lifestyle survey published by the Office of National Statistics
  
• COVID-19 Social Study - regularly updated reports including trend graphs by age group and commentary published by University College London (UCL)
• Community Life Survey - collection of reports, fact sheets and data reference tables published by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
• Community Life Survey - data extract facility provided by the UK Data Service
• English Longitudinal Survey of Ageing (ELSA) - data extract facility and access to research findings - a multi-organisation collaboration
• English Longitudinal Survey of Ageing (ELSA) COVID-19 Substudy - rapid reports on the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on older people
• Understanding Society - UK Household Longitudinal Study - data extract facility and access to research findings
• Taking Part Survey statistical releases published by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
• Active Lives surveys - includes local authority level data - and regular COVID-19 impact on physical activity surveys published by Sport England
• Measuring national wellbeing: domains and measures - national level data published by the Office for National Statistics
• Subnational aging tool includes variation in single households aged 65 and over and 85 and over at local, region and national level published by the Office for National Statistics

Communities

General resources:

• Connected communities - Programmes & Latest research published by the Centre for Ageing Better, including the strategy: Transforming later lives: Taking a localities approach
• Stronger Together: a Co-Production Toolkit published by the Centre for Ageing Better
• UK Network of Age-friendly Communities published by the Centre for Ageing Better
• Global Age-Friendly Cities Project published by the World Health Organisation
• Age-friendly places published by Age UK
• Community-centred practice: applying All Our Health published by Public Health England
• Community-centred and asset-based approaches published by Public Health England
• Communities published by the Local Government Association
• From Generation 2 Generation - "Innovative local solutions for both young and old - Bringing them together to support and inspire each other"
• Community Safety published by the Local Government Association

Publications by year:

• Chief Medical Officer annual report 2021 highlighting the higher health burden and recommending a national strategy to improve health in coastal communities
• Ageing in coastal and rural communities - Exploring the factors underlying health inequalities for older men, older people from ethnic minorities, and older LGBTQ+ people (2021) published by Public Health England and Age UK
• Ageing in a rural place (2021) published by the Centre for Ageing Better
• Improving access to greenspace - A new review for 2020 published by Public Health England
• Guidance: Health matters: community-centred health and wellbeing approaches (2018) published by Public Health England
• 25 Year Environment Plan (2018) - including the target "high quality, accessible, natural spaces close to where people live and work" published by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Spatial Planning for Health - An evidence resource for planning and designing healthier places (2017) published by Public Health England
• Health and wellbeing in rural areas (2017) published bt the Local Government Association and Public Health England

Addressing Loneliness

• Case studies on how local authorities are addressing loneliness (2021) collated by the Local Government Association
• Mapping loneliness during the coronavirus pandemic (2021) published by the Office for National Statistics
• Loneliness Annual Report January 2021 published by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
• Rapid reports from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) COVID-19 substudy (2020) - a multi-organisation collaboration indicating higher levels of loneliness in older people than reported eleswhere, and particularly in those shielding 
• Government launches plan to tackle loneliness during coronavirus lockdown (2020) - a cross-government news story
• Reducing loneliness among migrant and ethnic minority people: a participatory evidence synthesis (2020) - research led by the University of Sheffield
  
• A connected society: a strategy for tackling loneliness (2018) - a cross-government initiative
• Loneliness - What characteristics and circumstances are associated with feeling lonely? (2018) published by the Office for National Statistics
• Local action on health inequalities: reducing social isolation (2015) - guidance published by Public Health England and UCL Institute of Health Equity
• Loneliness published by Age UK
• Campaign to End Loneliness
• Action on Loneliness published by the British Red Cross
• Let's Talk Loneliness Campaign
• The Silverline
• UK Men's Sheds Association
• The Chatty Café Scheme
• The UK Network for Shared Lives and Homeshare - promoting and supporting 'Shared Lives carers' and 'Homeshare UK'
• The Loneliness Lab - an 18-month project to accelerate action towards making London a less lonely city to live in 

Creative, cultural and sports activities

• Cultural, Health & Wellbeing Alliance - a sector support organisation for the cultural sector funded by Arts Council England
• Active Ageing published by Sport England
• CultureCase - a collation of research to support the case for culture and to support planning published by King's College London
• Making music - includes a search facility for leisure music groups and resources to support the case for leisure-time music
• WHO Health Evidence Network synthesis report 67: What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being? A scoping review (2019) published by the World Health Organisation
• Changing Lives: the social impact of participation in culture and sports (2019) published by House of Commons - Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee
• Creative and Cultural Activities and Wellbeing in Later Life (2018) published by Age UK
• Older People - Culture and Sport Outcome Framework (2012) published by the Local Government Association

Volunteering

• Age-friendly and inclusive volunteering published by the Centre for Ageing Better
• Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Health and Wellbeing Alliance - "a partnership between voluntary sectors and the health and care system to provide a voice and improve the health and wellbeing for all communities" (may need to right-click, copy & paste link in an alternative browser)
• Primary research into community contributions in later life (2018) published by the Centre for Ageing Better
• Age-friendly and inclusive volunteering: Review of community contributions in later life (2018) published by the Centre for Ageing Better
• Volunteering is associated with increased survival in able-bodied participants of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (Rogers, N.T. et al, 2016) published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health
• Do-IT (migrating to Do-IT.Life platform) - connects volunteers and voluntary organisations 
• The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)
• Royal Voluntary Service

Adult education

• Classes and courses published by Age UK
• National Adult Education Stakeholder Groups
• University of the Third Age

Links to other relevant sections

• Local examples of age-friendly initiatives
• Employment resources
• Technology resources
• Transport resources
• Physical health conditions - see sections on communication-related conditions: Sight loss, Hearing loss, Oral & dental health and Speech difficulties