Support which provides clear goals and The importance of face-to-face support ¤ exit pathways – Support that provides Regardless of the category of support and in longer-term programmes if desired, which set addition to support that incorporated principles out well-defined plans and build exit strategies of best practice, face-to-face support is vastly which give people the option to return and re-preferred. People want to connect in person engage. in order to overcome their disconnection, and Support that benefits others – Support are wary of the ability for digital-only support to ¤ that benefits other individuals, such as fully meet their need for human engagement. volunteering, is particularly effective in However, platforms such as Skype, and supporting positive sense of identity and WhatsApp did for some ‘fill the gap’ when they purpose for individuals. In this sense utilising a were unable, due to transport, illness or mobility service provided by volunteers is as beneficial issues, to have interactions in person with to those experiencing loneliness as is taking friends and family. part in volunteering themselves. “Online support is only good if it leads to Shared interest support – Support that meetings in person…I ind typing things up ¤ identifies and leverages the unique interests to be very like discussing my thoughts but of a particular target group and uses that in a rather cold manner. The process of me to bring together individuals is cited as best thinking about what I am going to say is very practice. This can range from small, ad hoc detached to how I would react to a person activities such as coffee mornings to more one on one.” established support such as further education (Bereaved, Male, Belfast, 18-34) courses, walking clubs, and cookery classes. The preference for face-to-face contact is shared by the public in the general public survey; when presented with a range of potential support options and asked which they felt they would do to overcome feelings of loneliness, just under half of all adults (48%) indicated they would speak to friends and family, 37% would join a shared interest group and 33% would become a volunteer (See Figure 12, overleaf). What kind of support do people want and how do they want support delivered? 42