This report summarises the discussions and outcomes of a roundtable on the Future of Social Connection held at University College London, which brought together recognised UK and Australian expert stakeholders on social connection, including psychiatrists and psychologists, social scientists, community organisers, campaigners, advocates, and policymakers. Together, they reflected on the best available academic and community evidence, and collaboratively charted innovative, impactful and sustainable strategies to combat loneliness strengthen social connection into the future. 

This report investigates the causes of social isolation and loneliness, including both structural- and individual-level causes. It then provides an overview of different interventions, taking a holistic lens that examines environment, community, and individual approaches.

Proposed strategies and recommendations 

• Build and invest in the physical, social and cultural infrastructure necessary to foster social connection in communities. Inclusive and accessible spaces in the built and natural environment can facilitate social opportunities, community belonging and neighbourhood connectedness. 
• Improve the evidence-based for understanding loneliness and social isolation. High-quality, rigorous data is necessary to develop, scale-up and evaluate effective treatments and interventions to improve social connection. 
• The local neighbourhood is the most impactful level at which to intervene on entrenched issues, such as community disconnection, and to galvanise meaningful change 
• Tackling loneliness requires thinking outside of the box. Innovative solutions, such as ‘nudging’ small behavioural changes, can promote more accessible opportunities for connection.
• Significant investment from governments and non-government sectors in programmes that facilitate social cohesion, and connection has the potential for far-reaching health, social and economic benefits. 
• Target loneliness and social connection through individual and collective solutions. This will likely lead to more effective, sustainable and wider public health benefits.