A study* commissioned by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has highlighted that more than half of adults consider themselves to be ‘lonely’ because they are too busy or shy to socialise with others**.
The RHS Garden for Friendship will celebrate how you can make great friends through gardening, from community gardening, to sharing plants with your neighbours, discussing top tips and spending time in the garden socially.
The study of 2,000 adults found 28 per cent are too short of time to spend time with others, a third struggle to find people with similar interests and more than 36 per cent simply feel shy. A fifth believed social media has taken over communication and three in 10 put their loneliness down to lack of money.
But while 52 per cent of Brits have experienced feeling alone, the younger generations suffer most, with 68 per cent of 18-24 year olds having felt lonely compared to 41 per cent of the over 55s.
As a result of this epidemic, half have attempted to tackle their loneliness with almost a third joining a social group such as a gardening club. Four in 10 have taken up a new hobby on their own to combat feelings of loneliness. Some 39 per cent of people said they garden or grow plants when they feel lonely.
More than half of adults ‘enjoy’ being surrounded by greenery and a further 53 per cent said it boosts their mood.
“Loneliness is a key issue that can impact mental health and that’s why personal wellbeing is a key theme of the RHS Garden for Friendship.
The RHS are solely funded by our members, visitors and supporters. For more information visit www.rhs.org.uk.
