Love Island star Tasha Ghouri and EastEnders actor Bobby Brazier have joined a celebrity organization supporting a government crusade to combat loneliness among young people.
The duo will hire Made In Chelsea’s Josh Patterson, influencer Bronte King, Heartstopper’s Bradley Riches, and YouTuber Anastasia Kingsnorth to share private reports on the topic in a series of videos.
For six weeks, the government plans to post videos on social media showing other people feeling lonely in situations such as when they move house.
The videos will have the new title of the campaign: “Solitude. It’s about life. Let’s communicate about it. “
Ghouri, who was born in North Yorkshire and is deaf, said: “I’m proud to be part of the crusade against loneliness in the deaf aspect of representation.
“It’s vital to speak up when we’re feeling lonely and normalize open conversations, because it will attract a lot more people!
“According to my personal reports with hearing loss and a cochlear implant, it can be isolating and I had to seek help for advice.
“Opening up and talking about how you’re feeling does a lot more than just keep it to yourself. “
Brazier, 20, said: “Everyone feels lonely at some point in their lives, because life can be very isolating.
“That’s why being a part of this crusade is for me, to show that everything is okay and inspire us to communicate our feelings. “
It enriches the importance of the crusade as an autistic and queer individual.
“This campaign is incredibly important to me because, as an autistic and queer person, I’ve found myself in certain things in my life,” she said.
“I think when other people think about loneliness, they think about other older people, but no one really talks about the feeling of loneliness in young people.
“This crusade is helping to create a space for other people to gain and break the stigma because everyone in life will feel lonely at some point. “
King pointed to the prevalence of loneliness among girls, especially those attending college.
She said: “After building a network to help women and after college, I realised that loneliness is not unusual among 16- to 24-year-olds.
“From freshman college to graduate life, it can be a lonely time.
“That’s why being a part of this campaign, making loneliness a broader topic of discussion and giving other people the space to realize that those emotions are normal, is so vital and it’s something I’m so proud to be a part of. “
Kingsnorth said the hardest facet of dealing with loneliness is acknowledging oneself and then turning to others for help.
Stuart Andrew, the Minister for Loneliness, held a meeting at 10 Downing Street to attract celebrities, who collectively have 8. 7 million fans on social media.
He said: “We know that young people are the age group most affected by loneliness, but they are also the least likely to take action for themselves.
“Our new crusade will inspire other young people to share their experiences, with the purpose of breaking the stigma that prevents others from getting help.
“Everyone wants to know that they’re not alone and that they’re available. “
In 2018, the Government pledged to tackle the stigma surrounding loneliness and has since invested more than £80 million, in collaboration with partners, to tackle the problem.
This includes the allocation of up to £30 million from the Know Your Neighbourhood Fund to create volunteering opportunities and alleviate loneliness in 27 deprived areas.
Online communication platform Discord will boost the campaign by directing users to resources on the Every Mind Matters website.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have already served as ambassadors for the campaign.
MORE ABOUT