Pilgrim's Progress column with Philip Hobday: Loneliness
Seven per cent of us, according to a 2024 UK Government survey, report that we are lonely all or some of the time. Only one in five of us say we never feel lonely.
Loneliness is in many ways the unspoken epidemic of our times. Most of us can connect with anyone around the world in an instant from our desk or kitchen table or armchair; but this hasn’t really made us feel closer to our fellow-humans. Too much staring at screens, not enough face-to-face conversation and contact.
At the Cathedral, we’ve recently reopened our café in Treacy Hall thanks to a great partnership with AgeUK. People of all ages can come in for a reasonably-priced drink or snack and there’s lots of signposting to other events, activities, and services. Your local church or community centre or charity or faith group will have something on offer too, a place where anyone can just drop in. Whatever your age or circumstances or interests there is more around than we sometimes realise.
Right at the beginning of the biblical Genesis, which is the first book of both the Jewish and Christian scriptures, God says, ‘It’s not good for people to be alone.’ Both these religious traditions, but also our experience and common sense, remind us how important company and conversation are to help us flourish.
Do you need someone to talk to? There is help out there. And could you be the person who helped someone else feel less lonely?
Philip Hobday, Wakefield Cathedral