DETAILS of a new initiative to tackle social isolation among older members of community have been revealed.

The project, led by voluntary organisation Synergy VCS Consortium, is building on the work Stockton’s Over 50’s Assembly completed last year to understand how and why people become lonely.

Views of older people will be sought on their concerns about social isolation and how this can be tackled in the Stockton area.

Stockton Borough Council’s older people’s champion, Councillor David Coleman, said: “Feeling lonely can have a big impact on people’s health and well-being and sadly we know social isolation is an issue which impacts on some of our older residents.”

Trevor Redfern, who has been appointed as ageing better project coordinator by Synergy, will be organising focus groups and consultation sessions to build on the existing information gathered about the impact of social isolation.

Jon Goodwin, Synergy’s executive director, said: “Trevor will be with us until early May and will use his extensive knowledge of and links with Stockton’s older people, and the organisations that support them, to produce a robust and ambitious strategy for how we can work together to beat loneliness.”

Synergy are supported in the development of this work by a steering group including organisations such as Stockton Borough Council, Catalyst and other organisations including Stockton Over-50s Assembly, Tees Valley Rural Community Council, Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees, North-East Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Small Businesses.

To find out more information email trevor.redfern@synergy-vcs.org.uk or call 01642-688862.