It took an artist creating a paper model of Balsall Heath Park, a world-renown Imam explaining Ramadan to non-Muslims and the gifting of trees in an inner-city neighbourhood, for me to understand why I no longer write books.
Continue reading “Why I stopped writing books”Cruising for introverts
Casinos, karaoke, making the deck of the ship throb with the lights and sounds of Ibiza…this was some of the “fun” promised to guests setting out on a Caribbean cruise by Carnival Cruise Director Felipe Curato this week. If I hadn’t known any better, I would have disembarked straightaway. Continue reading “Cruising for introverts”
Loneliness: Accident or Injustice?
I am delighted to announce the publication of Loneliness: Accident or Injustice?
Loneliness: Accident or Injustice was commissioned by the Diocese of Oxford (Board of Mission) and the Archway Foundation in response to research by the Church of England and Church Urban Fund which found social isolation was the most wide-spread social concern of our time. Continue reading “Loneliness: Accident or Injustice?”
Loneliness and rural communities
Living in the countryside brings its own risks of isolation. The perception that close-knit rural communities provide a buffer against loneliness might be the reality in some areas but it’s by no means true for all. Continue reading “Loneliness and rural communities”
Loneliness and new communities
When post offices in rural communities were shut down[1], it was not just the inconvenience that residents complained about. People who lived in the affected villages regularly reported that the “heart had been ripped out of their community.”[2] Continue reading “Loneliness and new communities”
Loneliness and younger people
It’s a little known fact that the younger adults are, the more likely they are to feel lonely. Those in the 18 to 24-year-old age group are more vulnerable to loneliness than those in any other age bracket. (48% feel lonely often compared with 25% aged over 65.)[1] Continue reading “Loneliness and younger people”
Loneliness and older people
Loneliness is not an inevitable part of old age, but older people are at particular risk of becoming lonely due to the increased likelihood they will experience bereavement and ill health. What’s more, the risks of being lonely are increasing due to changes in our social structure, including: Continue reading “Loneliness and older people”
Loneliness and mental health
Loneliness can be both a cause and a result of mental illness. We know that when people are lonely, they’re more vulnerable to common mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, paranoia or panic attacks. These conditions can then cause people to become even more isolated and lonely, leading to a downward spiral of unhappiness and despair. Continue reading “Loneliness and mental health”
What does loneliness look like?
Most of us can say, from our experience, however small, what loneliness feels like, but what does it look like? That question was more than hypothetical when trying to imagine how my most recent publication Loneliness: Accident or Injustice? would be illustrated. Continue reading “What does loneliness look like?”
Talking on sexuality at Exeter Cathedral
This weekend – Sunday, 9 June 2013 – I will be talking about sexuality at Holy Ground at Exeter Cathedral.
In preparing my talk, I’ve noticed that I have felt in a very quiet place around sexuality issues in recent years and found it almost unbearable listening to debates about the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill currently going through Parliament. Continue reading “Talking on sexuality at Exeter Cathedral”