We are pleased to issue our annual report for 2021-22. Since Frodsham Bee Friends held its first public launch meeting at the end of 2021, we have seen support for our activities grow in the form of new volunteers and have successfully established our own drop-in and meeting hub, “The Hive”. We have been fortunate to receive funding from a number of external sources in support of our work. This annual report gives you some of the background behind the formation of FBF as well as (we hope) a taste of things to come.
Since 2018 a group of us have been meeting because of our shared concern about loneliness and social isolation issues that seem to face an increasing number of residents living in our town – Frodsham in Cheshire. Our concerns have been reflected across the UK with loneliness now considered to be one of the largest health concerns that we have. It is likely to increase the risk of death by 26% (Holt-Lunstad Report 2015) and is now considered worse than obesity and as bad for our health as smoking. Many organisations, like us, have realised that the Covid pandemic has exacerbated the loneliness crisis which is now believed to be affecting over 9 million people across the UK.
We are a group of local people who have come together because of our shared concern about social isolation and the loneliness felt by many people living in our community. As we begin to emerge from the restrictions, we have all endured during the Covid pandemic, we believe that support in this area is needed now more than ever.