Campaign to End Student Loneliness - UniPal

16/02/2022

Have you ever felt lonely? Feeling lonely is a natural part of being human, but we are often taught myths and lies surrounding what feeling lonely really means. We are taught that only 'outcasts' feel lonely, or that to feel lonely you must not have any good friends. Because of this, feeling alone often comes with guilt or shame.

We are here to debunk these harmful myths and stereotypes. Feeling lonely doesn't mean that there is something wrong with you, and loneliness can be a useful tool that can actually help you, even if it feels painful now. Loneliness is a cue that can help you become aware of when you need to reach out and connect with others. It can even let you know when your social circle might need to change.

For more information on lonelines, what it is, what causes it and what you can do about it, consider following our page!

02/02/2022

It's always a pleasure to reflect on some news coverage for our campaign!

The number of lonely students is still rising - what can we do to solve it?

Please leave your thoughts and comments below! 😁

Dramatic increase in students experiencing loneliness due to lockdown By Kyra Donachie on 1st December 2020 Young people are reporting more “lockdown loneliness”, according to new data. Office for National Statistics (ONS) study shows that 50% of 16-24 year olds have reported ‘lockdown lonelin...

10/02/2021

If you're feeling lonely, there are plenty of ways to help.

✅ Reach out to a friend or family member
✅ Message our page and get in touch
✅ Join an online chat room (https://www.google.com/amp/s/talkwithstranger.com/free-chat-rooms/lonely-chat%3famp=true)

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/feeling-lonely/

Read practical tips and advice on what to do if you're struggling with loneliness

24/10/2020

It's easier now more than ever to feel alone.

Here are some brave and compassionate students sharing their experiences, and how they dealt with feeling isolated at University.

Though feeling lonely often faces such a negative stigma, we hope to foster an empathetic and connected University community where students feel safe and united. Stay tuned for more information on our campaign!

02/10/2020

We are incredibly grateful to have been awarded start up funding from the Santander Universities pitch competition!

Our team are working hard to continue raising awareness of loneliness among students. We are currently working on the development of our app - UniPal - designed to help students form new friendships and meet new people safely online.

Thank you to everyone who has supported our project so far. Together we can work to destigmatise and demystify the issue of loneliness among young people.

University of Southampton

01/10/2020

‼️ Young people need your help ‼️

50% of young people are suffering from 'lockdown loneliness'. Please click this link to like our 60 second pitch to give us the chance to tackle student loneliness head-on 💪

A moment of your time could help us enact some real positive change and get our app, UniPal, off of its feet! 😁

We really appreciate any likes or shares - thank you for your time 😊

https://nacue.com/events/online-peoples-vote/532-unipal.html

Simply vote for your favourite pitch – The applicant with the highest number of online votes will be fast-tracked through to the Tata Varsity Pitch 2020 Grand Finals on Friday 20th November 2020

29/09/2020

University is an adjustment period, even more so now we're living through lockdown measures.

Writer from The Hysteria Collective Harriet Harding shares how she found her home at University - and how you can, too 😊

Some fellow students share their favourite hacks

16/08/2020

Are you interested in social change?

Check out our Portal episode with the Social Impact Lab where we discuss loneliness in the new normal, and our hopes for connection post-pandemic 😊

https://youtu.be/9zm-Ca0ROUQ?t=23

Find out ways to get involved and make a real difference with the Social Impact Lab at the University of Southampton!

After a successful and insightful first episode from the new Portal series, we were joined by third year Psychology student and UniPal founder, Laura Smith t...

02/07/2020

Loneliness is one of the most commonly misunderstood emotions, but what does it actually mean when we feel lonely?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3Xv_g3g-mA

This video helps dispel some harmful myths and stereotypes surrounding loneliness, and provides a really helpful learning tool to get educated on what loneliness truly means.

Let's work together to understand each other more, and reach out a helping hand to those who feel lonely.

Everybody feels lonely sometimes. But only few of us are aware how important this feeling was for our ancestors - and that our modern world can turn it into ...

17/06/2020

Half of our 16-24 year olds have been impacted by "lock down loneliness". We need to start addressing the issue now, and giving the difficulties of our young adults the due care and attention they deserve.

The equivalent of 7.4 million people across Great Britain say wellbeing has been affected

22/05/2020

1 in 3 students feel lonely on a weekly basis. Despite the shocking number of students experiencing loneliness, it's an issue which is rarely talked about. Let's change that together.

Check out our video in partnership with our Student's Union where we're working to raise awareness of student loneliness! 😊

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=248710576515089