CONNECTIONS MATTER AT RSL's

We are all diminished by high levels of loneliness

Q: Tell us about Groundswell Foundation and what prompted you to start the Foundation?

A:

Such is the prevalence of loneliness that its economic, social, community, family and individual effects touch most of us. And for those of us touched by these effects, the impact can be profound, even life changing. It’s my own experience of the effects of loneliness on my mother in the UK during the pandemic that set me on a journey of discovery about the scale of the problem and the initiatives in place to address it. This, in turn, led to the establishment of Groundswell Foundation and the formation of the Groundswell Foundation Research and Reference Committee, a group of like-

Such is the prevalence of loneliness that its economic, social, community, family and individual effects touch most of us. And for those of us touched by these effects, the impact can be profound, even life changing. It’s my own experience of the effects of loneliness on my mother in the UK during the pandemic that set me on a journey of discovery about the scale of the problem and the initiatives in place to address it. This, in turn, led to the establishment of Groundswell Foundation and the formation of the Groundswell Foundation Research and Reference Committee, a group of like-minded and influential Australians who have been touched by the effects of loneliness and who want to bring about positive change in the community.

The Groundswell Foundation is focused on three pillars of activity:

1 Knowledge: Building the data and evidence-based case for loneliness so it is properly considered in the context of health and wellbeing in Australia.

2 Awareness: Identifying the best channels through which to broadcast messages about how to deal with loneliness and its impacts — and executing those messages so as to raise awareness.

3 Impact: Activities and/or sponsorship that will have the greatest impact on addressing loneliness in Australia.

The Connections Matter Report into the impacts of loneliness in Australia was researched in collaboration with KPMG, and offers a body of evidence that highlights the prevalence of loneliness and the harmful effects.

The research entitled Connection Matters reports some startling statistics – 25% of Australians are lonely, more for young people at 37%, plus loneliness costs the Australian economy $2.7B per YEAR. How did we get here, do you think?

Loneliness — in a world of always-on social media and digital connectedness, it seems almost inconceivable that loneliness could become a health crisis affecting up to one in four Australians. It’s a health priority that has been almost entirely overlooked by health regulators and providers in Australia. And it’s one that has been exacerbated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Loneliness impacts over five million Australians and is a significant risk factor for poor physical health, mental health problems and decreased quality of life.

Loneliness is a subjective, negative feeling associated with a perceived gap between a person’s current social relationships and their desired social relationships. This is usually related to a belief that the quality of social relationships is poor. As such, an individual may be lonely even though they interact frequently with others. Loneliness can be a short-term, transient experience with feelings coming and going, or may persist in the long-term to become a chronic experience.

There are two types of loneliness: social and emotional. Social loneliness is described as the perceived absence of a broader social network and quality friendships, as well as the lack of the feeling to belong. Emotional loneliness is described as the perceived absence of a close attachment figure, such as a romantic partner. Both types of loneliness involve a mismatch between desired and actual social relationships and hence both dimensions of loneliness can be aggregated into ‘loneliness.

Loneliness is often confused with social isolation. Although loneliness and social isolation are closely related, they are distinct phenomena. Social isolation is an objective lack of social interaction with family members, friends or the wider community. While social isolation is quantifiable, loneliness is more difficult to quantify as it is a subjective evaluation and can occur regardless of geography or proximity to others. The extent to which an individual feels lonely depends on the quality of a person’s relationships, rather than the quantity, as defined by social isolation.

Loneliness is a complex issue caused by a variety of socioenvironmental factors. Social media use and a lack of green space in urban environments can impact social connection and therefore contribute to loneliness.

Loneliness has risen to public attention in recent years, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic when worldwide lockdown and isolation measures were introduced. There is mounting evidence that loneliness may become the Western world’s next health crisis, with a growing body of research demonstrating significant health and economic impacts. Internationally, loneliness has become a prominent focus as many countries develop national approaches to tackle the problem.

You’re meeting with the Minister for Loneliness in the UK and they have a department dedicated to loneliness and have been working on tackling this for some time. What have they seen that works?

The UK has published the world’s first government loneliness strategy in 2018: A connected society — UK National strategy to reduce loneliness.

The strategy addresses key issues and interventions for loneliness, including stigma, digital apps and green space, and provides an example of how policy is important in framing loneliness as a standalone issue. Implementation of the strategy is ongoing and therefore the effects on reducing loneliness continue to be evaluated. However, annual reports relay progress related to the strategy’s aims, which include:

• initiatives to enable everyday services to connect with people at risk of loneliness, such as social prescribing (using ‘link workers’)

• strengthening local infrastructure, developing community spaces and ensuring loneliness is considered in the housing and planning system

• supporting community groups and digital inclusion (i.e. having the skills to use digital devices, connectivity and appropriate assistive technology)

• reducing stigma and raising awareness of the importance of social connections.

In conjunction with the strategy the UK Government has launched the first government fund dedicated to reducing loneliness worth £20 million to support organisations tackling loneliness.

The UK created the world’s first Minister for Loneliness in 2018. This was prompted by the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness, which investigated ways to reduce loneliness in the UK. The Commission published a report in December 2017 that catalysed policy responses from the UK Government to address loneliness. Japan followed the UK’s example and appointed a Minister for Loneliness in February 2021.

Let’s Talk Loneliness public awareness campaign was established by the UK Government in June 2019 to help raise awareness of loneliness and tackle the stigma associated with it.

The bottom line is that our health will be effected by loneliness, are there particular ‘at risk’ demographics that we need to keep a particular eye on, and potentially develop programs for, as a priority?

Loneliness can affect anyone. However, there are some groups that are more susceptible than others. Young adults are at particularly high risk, with 37–50% of people aged 18–24 reported to be lonely. Parents, particularly single parents, older people and people who live alone are also more impacted. It is also an issue among minority groups. First Nations people, those who identify as LGBTQIA+ and migrants experience higher levels of loneliness compared to national averages.

Loneliness is a public health issue that many Australians identify with. However, it’s at risk of being trivialised because its impacts remain widely unrecognised. There is robust evidence to suggest that loneliness is detrimental to physical and mental health and can have profound socio-economic impacts.

Loneliness also has a negative impact in the workplace, affecting both employees and employers. Workplace loneliness is related to lower job and team performance, reduced productivity, increased workplace errors, reduced organisational commitment and poorer staff retention. Lonely employees also take more sick leave, creating downstream impacts to the Australian economy.

Although most Australians will experience loneliness in their lifetime, it remains a widely misunderstood, under-recognised and poorly addressed issue in Australia. It is more important than ever that we address loneliness as society progresses beyond COVID-19 lockdowns and isolation restrictions.

As we progress beyond the Covid-19 Pandemic, lockdowns and isolation restrictions and face into an unprecedented period of global economic uncertainty, it is now more important than ever for all levels of government to address this critical social and health issue.

What are some simple ways the club industry can help?

(patrons, staff, veterans and their families, and more)

Leaders can take several practical actions to alleviate the influence of loneliness on individuals and their organisations.

Firstly, we need to talk about it and get the issue out in the open so that people feel more comfortable talking about the topic. We need to incrementally start to adjust the norms that prevent us from being more closely connected with, and supportive of, others at work and at RSL’s.

Personal stories are best. Stories about how loneliness and social isolation have impacted a leader personally or other people in their lives illustrate not only that it is safe to share experiences but also to show loneliness does not have to be a permanent state. Veterans will no doubt have some rich stories and personal insights to share.

Next, Leaders need to reimage the design of connections in in RSL’s. We need to find new ways to create an environment which strengthens connections and provides more opportunities for people to belong to groups in their communities.

In developing an approach to loneliness, there is an opportunity to open RSLs up to fresh ideas, and it is important to understand that diverse ideas should be sought out.

When reimaging the future and encouraging meaningful connections in RSL’s, it is important to encourage diverse ideas to be expressed and leaders must acknowledge that they do not have all the answers. Networks do not solely involve those at senior levels. Instead, RSL’s should design the future with associates, trainees and others who might become leaders in the future. This co-creation helps RSL’s become appealing workplaces and meeting places in the future.

Finally, consider loneliness in a broader context. See it as a challenge that stands in the way of developing a vibrant, highperforming organisational culture.

In short, connections matter and they can make a real difference at RSLs.

Given your work with senior leaders and your business and community insights, what do you think the industry needs to consider over the next few years to remain competitive?

With Gaming Reform proposed in NSW, RSL’s need to be agile to respond, building a transition plan to cashless gaming and alternative sources of revenue.

“Step away ….. from instinct to new angles”

“New latitudes, new attitudes”

Look for opportunities when your business is threatened rather than being defensive

“In tough times don’t tighten up, loosen up”

Transition to cashless gaming will need to involve carefully considered diversification into alternate income streams such as live music, food, aged care, etc.