And the pub's the place to do it… 54% of Britons say the random acts of connection they make with strangers in pubs help to alleviate feelings of loneliness

LONDON and BRISTOL, England, June 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- To kick-off this year's Loneliness Awareness Week 2024 (10th-16th June), new research has been released by HEINEKEN UK and charity partner Marmalade Trust showing that pubs are officially the places where we're most likely to talk to new people and forge random acts of connection.

What's more, 54% of Britons say those small moments of connection they experience in pubs makes them feel less lonely.

Despite living in an ever more 'connected world', 85% of adults in the UK confess to having experienced loneliness in the last 12 months*, which is why this year's focus is the power of these random acts of connection to change the social stigmas surrounding loneliness.

The data reveals how 55% of people feel happier and less lonely after making small talk with a stranger, with 47% yearning for more random acts of connection in their lives. Almost one in three people (30%) say that the pub is the place where they are most likely to have laughed or smiled during an exchange with a stranger, and over half (56%) say they've forged on-going friendship with a once-stranger they met in a pub.

In order to further encourage these random acts of connection, HEINEKEN UK and Marmalade Trust have produced a series of striking, conversation-starting posters. Flipping the famous 'Careless Talk Costs Lives' posters, developed by the British Government during World War Two, the new prints each carry the strapline 'Small Talk Improves Lives' in the same famous and familiar style as the originals.

Commenting on the new campaign, Pete Brown, drinking culture journalist, said; "The British pub has evolved as a wonderful complement for who we are. We're traditionally known to be quite reserved, stiff upper lip. The pub is this unique place where, when you're at the bar, you can start talking to a stranger and it's not weird. Pub connections can be just a few minutes which make you feel a bit happier. Or they could be the start of lifelong friendships."

Ron Moody, CEO of the Marmalade Trust, added; "As Loneliness Awareness Week 2024 begins, I am excited to highlight such insightful research carried out by our partners HEINEKEN UK, which underlines the vital role that pubs, amongst other social spaces, have in fostering human connection. At Marmalade Trust we believe it's crucial to raise awareness that loneliness is a natural human emotion, one that affects people of all ages.

Our partnership with HEINEKEN UK is invaluable in terms of helping to raise this awareness and remove the social stigma attached to loneliness. Together, we are dedicated to fostering this understanding and to building a more compassionate community - let's use this week to start conversations, build connections, and support one another. Perhaps next time you are down at your local pub, ask them how their day is. You never know, it could lead to a lasting friendship."

Ron shares three of the ways that people can get involved and help make this a reality:

Make #RandomActsofConnection and encourage those around you to do the same.
Share our campaign graphics on your social media channels.
Host or join an event and be sure to add it to the map on our website.

*The silent epidemic (lonelinessawarenessweek.org)

Statistics quoted from Censuswide research conducted by HEINEKEN (2,000 nationally representative UK general consumers), May 2024

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2436058/HEINEKEN_UK_Small_Talk.jpg

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