RURAL HELP AND SUPPORT

ACRE The umbrella group for England’s 38 Rural Community Councils, which can provide advice and source funding to help small community projects (acre.org.uk). Also see Wales Council for Voluntary Action (wcva.org.uk); Scottish Community Councils (communitycouncils.scot) and Rural Community Network in Northern Ireland (ruralcommunitynetwork.org).

MIND Charity providing help and support on mental-health issues. It has a network of local groups that offer counselling, befriending and crisis lines, and its Elefriends online community is a supportive platform for

sharing stories and advice (mind.org.uk).

YOUNGMINDS Charity committed to improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people (youngminds.org.uk).

AGE UK As part of its work to support older people, the charity campaigns on loneliness and

works with its 150-plus local branches to offer befriending and other services (ageuk.org.uk). CAMPAIGN TO END

LONELINESS Network of national and local organisations and people working together to ensure loneliness is acted upon as a public health priority (campaigntoendloneliness.org).