The following case study has been kindly provided by MHA Winchester, a key partner in our Communities Tackling Loneliness with Transport project, with the user’s name having been changed and no identifying characteristics are included.
Louise has various mental health difficulties that mean getting out of the house is very challenging. We have been working with her over the last few years to establish the best form of support for her but had been unable to engage her in any group activities. In February she decided she was ready to try attending a group activity with us. We ensured she had time to discuss her needs with the staff team, giving her space to voice her concerns and make a plan, if needed, for her to exit the situation with the least amount of disturbance to others and without causing her additional stress. We were able to provide transport and emotional support to take her to a pub lunch group and to engage with other members. This was the longest that she had been out of the house for quite some time and she really enjoyed the experience.
Communities Tackling Loneliness with Transport is a £566,000 pilot project funded by the Department for Transport (DfT). It is a collaborative project which involves Action Hampshire supporting 3 local charity partners to deliver pilot transport projects to help reduce loneliness in older people within Hampshire. The University of Winchester are evaluating the project in terms of loneliness and wellbeing outcomes for participants. The 3 delivery partners are – Age Concern Hampshire (Electric minibus), MHA (4 leased electric cars) and Good Neighbours network (Diocese of Portsmouth) -(E-Cargo bikes, Tri-Shaw and electric van).
The pilot initially ran for a year until May 2023 but has been extended to July 2023 due to delayed starts in projects nationwide. Action Hampshire’s work will continue post July in terms of sharing learnings that have emerged from the projects and sharing the findings from the University of Winchester’s evaluation.
Our project has supported many people like Louise in getting out of the house again, and helping them feel connected with the local community. You can read more about our work via this link.
