From feeling lonely to finding community: Janet’s story

After Janet’s husband died in November 2023, she was feeling lonely and isolated, due to grief and her own health problems. Janet was referred by her GP into her local social prescribing service.

And that’s where Essex Wellbeing got involved!

Community Support Through Age Well East

Janet was connected with Age Well East, a charity supporting older people in the East of England and a key partner in the Essex Wellbeing Service. Their mission is to empower people in their later years, ensuring they receive the support needed to age well. They offer advice, welfare, emotional support, community and friendship services, dementia care, and bereavement and loss support.

As part of her new support from Age Well East, Janet joined a friendship group. “I didn’t know what to expect at all,” she reflects. “Everyone was so welcoming, so friendly. [At the friendship group] we have a general chit-chat first of all, and then we have a fun quiz.”

She lights up as she talks about the quiz: “We’re always learning something new from that quiz. Probably useless information, which we’ll never use again! I sometimes send the questions to my pen friends and sometimes to my son and daughter – so I put their thinking caps on too!”

Her experiences of the friendship group, their quiz questions, and the opportunity to talk about her own problems and those of others have had a big impact on her. She’s gone from feeling lonely and isolated to finding community and connection through her friendship group.

Support that meets each person’s needs

With the friendship group such a positive experience, Janet soon joined a book club group too. 

We all have tell-tale signs that show we’re feeling good or feeling low. For Janet, one of those signs is whether she’s reading books or not. For you, that might be whether you’re getting outside, calling friends or family, listening to your favourite music or audiobooks, or taking care over the food you prepare for yourself.

Janet says she’s always been a big reader and she knows that “when there’s something wrong…I stop reading.” Using that as one of her tests of how she was doing, she knew she was in “a very low spot…I needed something to inspire me to read again.” And the Age Well East book club has really helped! “It’s not back to where it was, but I’m getting there slowly.”

The power of connection to combat feeling lonely

Joining the friendship and book clubs transformed Janet’s life, easing her loneliness and giving her a renewed sense of belonging. Lisa, the “absolutely splendid” local coordinator, and Helen, Janet’s new companion, have also become important figures in her life. “We hit it off straight away,” she says of her new pairing with companion Helen. “It’s a really good match…we got on really well from the start.”

That connection with Lisa and Helen, the friendship group, and the book group, have been invaluable as Janet navigates grief and health challenges. “I could not have done without Age Well East in my life really.”

Just before Christmas 2024, Lisa came round with a gift bag from another organisation, United in Kind now known as Kinder Essex and also an Essex Wellbeing Service partnership member. “It caught me on a day when I was having problems with my own colitis, and that really, really cheered me up to see what was in that bag,” Janet recalls. “I thought it would be a box of chocolates or some hand cream.” But the gifts inside took her by surprise!

“In fact, it was a gift bag containing nine paperback books, a box of Christmas slices, an individual Christmas pudding, cards written by children, poems written by children, handmade Christmas decorations for my tree, and some anti-aging face cream.” She was deeply moved by the kindness and thoughtfulness of all the people who had contributed and delivered the gift to her.

Is this support for you?

“Everybody qualifies who are perhaps stuck indoors and can’t get out much,” says Janet, who initially worried she shouldn’t have accepted the Christmas gifts or used the services.  “But Lisa reassured me – no, this is for everyone who can’t get out much.”

“Cause I take water tablets for my heart…that really stops me from going out and about now. Sometimes I feel like I’m in prison, so I need these friendship groups. They’re my lifeline really.”

And, with her renewed inspiration and energy, Janet is extending that lifeline to others too. “I’ve recently applied to be a pen pal friend as well, because I love writing letters. I’ve got seven pen friends and I can easily take on another one or two.” 

Janet’s journey – from feeling lonely and isolated, to finding community, friendship, support and renewed inspiration for the things she loves in life – is such a joy to hear! This is why we’re here: to help you access the support you need to live life to the fullest. 

We’re here for everyone in Essex: older people, younger people and those in the middle! We offer a variety of services to support everyone.

If you’d like to find out more about the support we can offer, take our online assessment or contact us.