Visiting isolated and lonely people is of economic benefit to society, according to a study carried out for the SVP.
Half a million visits to vulnerable people are carried out by the SVP’s 10,000 members each year.
Research carried out by economists Oxera stated that visits helped to improve lonely people’s mental health, helped them to navigate ‘the system’ better, and enhanced skills, educational opportunities and employment prospects.
Oxera calculated “that the SVP’s befriending activities result in an economic welfare improvement of about £11 million per year.”