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Scottish Charity Register No. SC043760

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Lonely together

August 01 2025

Report on the increasing isolation and loneliness felt by young people in the UK. By Meera Mohanraj

In March 2020 the Covid-19 pandemic forced much of the UK’s population into isolation. Now, five years later, there is an enduring epidemic increasingly plaguing the generation who came of age during this period. The issue of loneliness continues to affect people from various demographics to differing degrees, but the indicators of this problem can be traced to long before the pandemic.

Sociologist Ray Oldenburg popularised the concept of the ‘third space’ as somewhere to socialise outside of the domains of the home and workplace. One such place proven to be a fruitful environment for fostering community are youth clubs. Characterised as a free locale for young people to meet, engage in activities and safely spend time together outside of school, these precious pillars of working class social life are necessary for keeping adolescents securely occupied. Naturally, the Covid-19 outbreak temporarily eradicated the ‘third space’ for most, although such community hubs took a more irrevocable hit: as the Local Government Association observes, 17% of youth clubs in England and Wales closed as a direct result of the pandemic.

However, these closures didn’t represent a sharp turn away from the norm, as the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) records that around 30% of youth clubs in London had to be shut down between 2010 and 2019 because of cuts to local authority funding.
Young people are also increasingly vulnerable to experiencing homelessness. According to Centrepoint, 118,134 young people were homeless or at risk of homelessness in the UK last year. The youth charity Action for Children further notes that young people experiencing homelessness are often “left without the support young people need to guide and mentor them through life. Instead, they’re forced to become an ‘adult’, alone, overnight.”

With a decrease in third spaces for young people and the prolonged period of social isolation caused by Covid-19, it is no surprise that there has been a subsequent increase in loneliness. According to the UK government’s Tackling Loneliness strategy review, reports of loneliness are higher for people aged 16-24. Youth clubs specifically target these groups to create a shared togetherness, particularly in areas where the social climate can be conducive to dangerous or incriminating activity. Whether coming from a broken home or a family struggling to make ends meet, the third space created by government-funded initiatives is a source of comforting leisure for much of the UK’s youth. In 2018, The Office for National Statistics found that “children in relative poverty had almost twice the odds of reporting feeling lonely”, yet it is these children whose spaces for interacting with one another in person are being erased.

This collaborative effort has brought together local budding creatives and given their work a platform. Ministry of Stories nurtures these underrepresented artistic voices and encourages their writers to indulge in their eccentric ideas and unlock fantastical worlds. Exploring the artist within themselves can function as an escape for the children, but above all, the supportive atmosphere is a place they feel seen and appreciated for their individuality.

With youth clubs being underfunded, the work of charities engaging with young people is even more imperative. I volunteer with Ministry of Stories, an organisation which specifically helps children within a 500m radius of their base in Hoxton. Its current project, DreamState, will illuminate eight rooms at The Ditch in Shoreditch Town Hall with the work of over 100 young people between the ages of six and 16 to create an interactive experience for families.

Whilst not directly concerned with the ongoing loneliness crisis, charities and non-profit organisations like Ministry of Stories provide children with a sanctuary of unadulterated fun for no expense. In my experience, keeping young people safely stimulated and pushing them to develop their interests can give them a spirited sense of purpose that flourishes outside of the workshops. Making them aware of the power in their art sparks inspiration which can hopefully continue into adulthood, for they are never lonely in the company of their imagination.


Young and homeless?

There are numerous charities and organisations dedicated to supporting young people experiencing homelessness. 
These include:

  • Centrepoint is the largest youth homelessness charity operating in the UK: centrepoint.org.uk
  • Depaul UK operates UK-wide, supporting young people at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness: depaul.org.uk
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