Winchester News Online
Dramatic increase in students experiencing loneliness due to lockdown
Young people are reporting more “lockdown loneliness”, according to new data.
Office for National Statistics (ONS) study shows that 50% of 16-24 year olds have reported ‘lockdown loneliness’.
Before the Coronavirus pandemic, one in three students reported feeling lonely on a weekly basis. Since then, the statistics have grown to show that half the population of students are now experiencing heightened loneliness due to the national lockdowns.
A team of students from the University of Southampton have created UniPal to help campaign against student loneliness.
One of the members of the team, Laura Smith, told Winol: “Student loneliness is a chronically underrepresented issue in the mainstream media and in mental health services.”
Ms Smith went on to say “This mass under-representation of loneliness among students as an issue is part of the problem because it’s facilitating and enabling that stigma around students that do feel lonely because it’s saying it’s not normal to feel that way.”
University is meant to be a time for students to connect with new people and do a course that they enjoy. However, it is largely overlooked at how difficult it is to be often plunged into a whole new city with a group of people who have never met before. This is where it is integral for fellow students to share their experience of loneliness to destigmatise the feeling of being lonely.
It is important to be able to identify the main signs of feeling lonely within yourself or other people, these could be: The feeling of dissatisfaction with life, feeling isolated and that no one understands and withdrawing and coming completely into yourself to the point that you’re not going out and doing the things you enjoy anymore.
With support for mental health being massively underfunded everywhere, Laura identified that there is an “unwillingness to engage with the help that is out there” because people are either afraid of no one being able to understand or afraid of draining the service for the people they feel could benefit from it more.
The University of Southampton students who are leading the campaign to end student loneliness are currently working on a social media app to give students a safe and online format where they can meet people of similar interests and bring them together through other ways than just sharing a lecture hall.
A man threw a chair and threatened bystanders in the centre of Gosport on Friday.
Police say the man, who was behaving aggressively, threw the chair on the ground and shouted threats at nearby shoppers before running away. No one was injured.
It happened just before noon, outside a Greggs Bakery on the High Street.
Hampshire Police say the man was white, bald and in his late 40s. He was wearing a baseball cap and a grey hoodie.
Officers are asking anyone who saw the incident to contact them.
Twelve people were arrested after 350 anti-migrant protestors clashed with police overnight in Gosport following reports of a small boat landing in the area.
A small number of officers needed medical treatment following the protests near Walpole car park.
Assistant Chief Constable Simon Dodds said: “Violence and criminal damage have no part in peaceful protest, our position on this has been clear that we will investigate thoroughly and take robust action against anyone responsible.
“Our officers did not deserve to be assaulted as they worked incredibly diligently on Sunday to ensure the safety of everyone in the area.”
Police had banned face coverings and had issued a dispersal order ahead of the protests across Gosport.
Those arrested were held on suspicion of assaulting officers or being drunk and disorderly.
The protest marks an increase in tensions within the UK after protests at Portsmouth, Taunton, Basingstoke and Glasgow in recent months.
Gosport Reform UK councilor Paul Carter told GB News: “If you think about this last night, no one really knew what was happening… I think a lot of people are really worried.”
People in Romsey are being warned that the town’s recycling centre will be closing for a month for repairs.
The closure of Casbrook recycling centre will take place from 12 October to 12 November.
The council says that repairs are essential to keep the site safe, after heavy vehicles damaged the tarmac beneath waste containers.
Councillor Kirsty North, Hampshire County Council’s deputy leader, said: “We are investing in essential improvements to preserve the surface of Casbrook HWRC (Bunny Lane) and ensure the facility continues to serve residents safely and effectively for many years to come.
“I thank residents for their patience during these works and confirm that capacity is available at nearby HWRCs to ensure residents that usually use Bunny Lane, can still dispose of their waste during this time.”
Locals have been advised to use alternative centres in Winchester and Eastleigh while the repairs take place.
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