One in five older people in the UK admits to feelings of loneliness – and this only intensifies at Christmas. What is causing this crisis and how can we combat the sense of isolation?

THAT FEELING OF BEING ON THE OUTSIDE, EVEN WHEN YOU’RE WITH EVERYONE? YOU’RE NOT IMAGINING IT – AND IT CAN CHANGE. HERE’S HOW TO GET THE FEELING OF CONNECTION BACK

LET COUNSELLOR KEREN LIGHTEN YOUR LOAD

Q‘I’m 61 and have just moved from London to Scotland to start a new life. The scenery is breathtaking but my social life… less so. I’ve always been “the nice one” – helpful, upbeat, unfailingly polite

→ Feeling lonely? Ironically, you’re not alone. Around 10% of adults often feel lonely, while more than half report experiencing loneliness at least some of the time. This epidemic of isolation takes

We can’t predict exactly how you’ll be feeling as the year comes to a close, but our best guess is that you’ll be in need of a breather. Because for many of us, 2025 has not been painless. Political t