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19.
June
2020.
Don't let the issue of loneliness get forgotten after lockdown says app founder
 

Don't let the issue of loneliness get forgotten after lockdown says founder of app that has created sparks of joy for many
This Loneliness Awareness Week, Charlotte McMillan, founder of digital scrapbook app Storychest, is urging people to continue to openly outreach to neighbours, friends and family who they think could be lonely with a single message. I’ve got you!

Charlotte took a decision at the beginning of lockdown to find ways of supporting people who were at an increased risk of loneliness and isolation during the coronavirus outbreak by sending flyers to residential homes and running Facebook advertising campaigns to signpost people to her app, Storychest, a digital scrapbook that allows people to record and share sparks of joy with their friends and family on days when the TV is full of sad news.

Mike Cameron-Smith, who became a dad 8 weeks ago, says that having the app has made all the difference to him, his family and friends during lockdown: “Our family and friends say how lovely it is to wake up to these happy little stories of our daughter and her progress as opposed to the rubbish news of late.”

Charlotte and her team have also been supporting Marmalade Trust's Loneliness Awareness Week campaign to raise awareness of loneliness and encourage people to speak openly about it and to share ideas for reducing loneliness in our communities.

Charlotte says: “We are so pleased to have been able to support people through lockdown and help to raise awareness of the important issue of loneliness throughout Loneliness Awareness Week; the Marmalade Trust is doing amazing work, but there is still work to do to ensure that loneliness becomes a topic that continues to get attention after this week and as lockdown eases. I know from my own experience and hearing from family and friends that loneliness is an ongoing issue that affects all generations, and our busy lives don’t necessarily create the space for us to have open discussions with people close to us, or people we know, about how they are feeling.”

Throughout lockdown people have come to appreciate technology and apps more than ever with Zoom dinner parties, neighbourly WhatsApp groups, and of course, there has been TikTok, but whilst these things provide a sense of connection that has been desperately needed during social distancing, people are still longing for that deeper sense of connection to themselves and others.

Charlotte, continues: “Storychest allows people of all ages to record their unique and powerful personal story; it’s a really easy way of capturing important moments, past and present from your life and sharing them privately with family and close friends. Reflecting on our past is known to reduce feelings of loneliness, which can lead to stress, anxiety and depression, and through the app we are creating a safe space for people to keep adding to whenever they are triggered by a happy or sad memory from the past, whilst also remembering the ‘times of their life’ and the people, items and events that have shaped it.”
 

Start creating your digital scrapbook today, search for Storychest in the App Store; and join the community of joy seekers on Facebook and Instagram toady.