www.jocoxfoundation.org - Government Events

www.jocoxfoundation.org

The Jo Cox Foundation, Loneliness &
the Importance of Connection

              Kim Leadbeater MBE
              Ambassador for The Jo Cox Foundation
              Chair, More in Common, Batley & Spen
              Jo’s Sister

Me (Jo’s Sister)

 Last 3 years working for Jo’s Foundation – nationally & locally
 Background in holistic Health & Wellbeing
 Degree in Physical Activity, Health & Wellbeing
 Lecturer in Health and Fitness
 New to the Voluntary Sector, Campaigning, Public Speaking
 NOT Party Political
 People Focused
   NO AGENDA

The Jo Cox Foundation
LOCALLY                    NATIONALLY                 INTERNATIONALLY
• Work to build            • Work to build a better   • Support organisations and
   compassionate, well       public life                 initiatives which
   connected communities   • Tackle abuse and            champion the
   where everyone has a      intimidation                humanitarian causes
   sense of belonging      • Encourage cross-party       Jo cared about e.g. the Jo
• Bring people together      work on important issues    Cox Memorial Grants
   through The Great Get     inc. loneliness
   Together campaign and   • Inspire the next
   national More in          generation of women and
   Common community.         young people.
                           • Keep people connected
                             through The Connection
                             Coalition

Loneliness Work

 After Jo’s murder The Jo Cox Commission on
  Loneliness saw 13 organisations come together to
  highlight the scale of loneliness throughout the
  lifecycle and across all areas of society
 Dec 2017: The Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness
  launched its report in Batley
 Jan 2018: Reception at Downing Street with PM
  Theresa May
 World’s first ever Minister for Loneliness appointed -
  Tracey Crouch MP
 Oct 2018: launch of UK wide LONELINESS STRATEGY
 2020: Covid-19 & Lockdown……. WHAT NEXT?

What next for Loneliness?

   Great work by Government and National Charities - BUT
   We’ll never tackle loneliness through national action alone….and voluntary and
    community sector organisations are working tirelessly to connect our
    communities too: “Two in three of us now believe that we can make a real
    difference in our community (a 16% increase from pre-pandemic levels)” (More
    in Common ‘Britain’s Choice’2020)
   The Red Cross (2020): ‘tackling loneliness should be built into COVID-19 recovery
    plans” and “Governments should ensure those most at risk of loneliness are able
    to access the mental health and emotional support they need to cope and
    recover from COVID-19.”
   I believe that addressing loneliness and building togetherness have to form a
    key part of the road map out of lockdown

The Connection Coalition

   The coronavirus pandemic has shone a spotlight on the importance of
    human connection
   So - we set up the Connection Coalition in March 2020: “More than ever we
    are seeing that reciprocal relationships build solidarity, belonging and prove
    that we have more in common than that which divides us”

The Connection Coalition

   Cross-sector network of organisations, charities
    (big & small), companies and groups united in
    our belief that we can build a better future for
    everyone by building strong relationships and
    connected communities
   Clear demand - over 700 members!
   Not ‘replacing’ but collaborating and amplifying
   Holistic approach: loneliness & social isolation,
    mental health & wellbeing, grief & bereavement
   Consolidating on local community action!

Connection Coalition

What impact does the Connection Coalition seek?
   The impact we seek is two-fold:
   Immediate. By bringing together and coordinating
    those who are building social connections during a time
    of physical distancing, we can catalyse collaborative
    efforts to build strong connections and meaningful
    relationships.
   Longer-term. We are going to be living in a different kind
    of country after the crisis is over. We can build a better
    future for everyone by building strong relationships and
    connected communities now.
   Currently running Focus Groups with members
   Plus - possibility of a local Connection Coalition model?

The More in Common Community

   A national grassroots movement working      Community based events including The Great
    towards building strong, compassionate       Get Together
    communities where everyone has a sense      Partnerships & Networking developing a
    of belonging and identity                    strong MIC network with relationships across all
                                                 3 sectors
   A network of More in Common groups
    (Batley & Spen, Lambeth, Darlington,        Community Projects
    Boston, Birmingham)
   Counteracting division & negativity
   Normal people who want to make a
    difference and do something positive
   Not party political - all welcome!

The Great Get Together

   An initiative set up by Jo’s family & friends designed to bring
    communities together
   Every year on the weekend of Jo’s birthday in June & The Great
    Winter Get Together in Dec and January
   At the heart of our vision for a nation of strong compassionate, well-
    connected communities

The Future

We’ve learnt that everyone has value and that every little connection helps
   Multi-layered approach
   National & local
   Top-down & bottom-up
   Cross-sector
With national government, local authorities, businesses, charities, community
organisations and individuals all playing our part, hopefully my sister’s vision
of a country where no one feels lonely or forgotten is within reach
                                                      Many thanks for listening