The problem we are addressing

Loneliness and social isolation are among the most significant public health challenges of our time. Research consistently shows that chronic loneliness is as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and is associated with increased risk of depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, and premature death.

In East Hampshire and the surrounding area, thousands of people — particularly older adults, those living with long-term health conditions, and people who have recently experienced bereavement, relationship breakdown, or other significant life changes — are living with debilitating loneliness.

The Healing Hubs was founded to address this need directly, through compassionate, community-based befriending and connection.

What we do

Telephone befriending: we match trained volunteers with people who are lonely or isolated, providing regular, warm telephone contact that makes a real difference to people's lives.

Community groups and activities: we facilitate group activities — including laughter yoga, social events, and wellbeing sessions — that bring people together and build lasting friendships.

Awareness and education: we raise awareness of loneliness and its impact through events, campaigns, and partnerships with health and care professionals.

Volunteer development: we recruit, train, and support a growing community of volunteers who are themselves enriched by their involvement with us.

The difference we make

We measure our impact using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), which tracks changes in mental wellbeing over time. Our data consistently shows significant improvements in wellbeing scores among people who receive our services.

Service users regularly tell us that their befriending relationship has reduced their feelings of loneliness, improved their mood, given them something to look forward to, and helped them feel more connected to their community.

Our volunteers tell us that befriending has enriched their own lives, developed their skills and confidence, and given them a deep sense of purpose and fulfilment.

Our community events create spaces where people who might otherwise never meet can form genuine friendships and support networks that extend far beyond our organised activities.

Our reach

Since our founding, The Healing Hubs has supported hundreds of people across East Hampshire and beyond, through telephone befriending, community events, and awareness activities.

We work in partnership with NHS Talking Therapies, social prescribing link workers, GPs, housing associations, and other community organisations to ensure that people who need our support can access it.

Our volunteer community has grown steadily, and we are proud to have trained and supported volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds and ages.

Our commitment to measuring impact

We are committed to continuous improvement in how we measure and demonstrate our impact.

We collect feedback from service users and volunteers regularly, and use this to improve our services and inform our strategic planning.

We report our impact to funders, partners, and the public through our annual report and this statement.

We are committed to being transparent about what works, what we are learning, and where we can do better.

Looking ahead

The need for our services continues to grow. We are committed to expanding our reach, deepening our impact, and building a community where no one has to face loneliness alone.

We are grateful to our funders, partners, volunteers, and supporters who make this work possible.