HEINEKEN UK has today announced its new charity partner, Marmalade Trust. Together, the two organisations will work together to address loneliness in the UK, helping people to foster more social connections.
The new partnership, which follows numerous initiatives HEINEKEN UK has rolled out during the past seven years as part of its ‘Brewing Good Cheer’ platform, will see the great British pub positioned as one solution to the problem of loneliness and a place where people can come together to enjoy in-real-life interactions.
Over the course of the next year and beyond, HEINEKEN UK and Marmalade Trust will work side-by-side on a number of bespoke pieces of activity. They include introducing loneliness awareness training for HEINEKEN colleagues and rolling out fundraising and conversation starter kits across its 2,400 strong Star Pubs & Bars estate.
To mark the announcement of the partnership during Loneliness Awareness Week (12 – 18 June), HEINEKEN UK has revealed the results of a new, comprehensive study that draws attention to the acute problem of loneliness in Britain in 2023.
The study shows that almost half (46%) of adult Brits experience feelings of loneliness at least once a week and that almost the same number (45%) conceal their loneliness by fibbing to friends about what they did at the weekend. Instead of enjoying busy, exciting, fun-filled times with friends, they are too embarrassed or ashamed to say they spent the weekend alone.
Further to this, the data shows how Brits are quite comfortable telling lies about their fake weekend social plans with friends; 40% will say they went to the pub, 36% fib about going into town, while 34% will cite fictitious shopping trips with company.
Despite loneliness within the community being rather prevalent, the silver lining is that Brits are in fact longing for more moments of social interaction – 45% say they would like to go on more night’s out, but they just don’t get the invites.
Commenting on the findings of the study, and the new partnership with Marmalade Trust, Lawson Mountstevens, managing director of Star Pubs & Bars at HEINEKEN UK, says: “Most of us experience loneliness at some point in our lives, but the data shows almost half of us experience it on a weekly if not daily basis. While it’s nothing to be ashamed of, it’s something that we need to talk about and address.
Social connections are key to helping people who are experiencing feelings of loneliness. Pubs are at the heart of communities. They are places where we can meet family and friends, make new connections, laugh, share problems, and build bonds with people over a cider or beer. Partnering with Marmalade Trust is a natural fit for us – we’re going to work together with them to build a more connected world.”
Amy Perrin, founder of Marmalade Trust, said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Heineken on a cause which is incredibly important to both of us. At Marmalade Trust we know just how prevalent loneliness is amongst those living in the UK and we also know how important pubs are in bringing people together and fostering connections. With Heineken’s support, we hope to be able to raise even more awareness of loneliness across all demographics in society, and most importantly, continue to provide people with the resources that they need to feel and get more connected.”
