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As we approach the end of 2024, we’re taking a moment to reflect on an incredible year of connection, growth, and impact. From prestigious recognitions to transformative projects, 2024 was a year that brought people together in ways that truly made a difference.
Here's a look back at our highlights and a sneak peek at what’s ahead in 2025.
Amy Perrin receives an OBE
The year began with exciting news as our inspiring founder and CEO, Amy Perrin, was awarded an OBE in The King’s New Year’s Honours List for her services to older people. Over the last decade under Amy’s leadership, we have had a direct impact with over 4,000 people involved in our projects, delivered loneliness training to 55,000 people, and reached hundreds of millions across the world with our global awareness campaigns.
Amy shared: “It’s an unbelievable honour! To the wonderful team, volunteers, friends, and family who have supported me in building Marmalade Trust over the past 10 years – thank you so much. None of this would be possible without your incredible support."
This recognition is a testament to Amy’s dedication and to the entire Marmalade Trust community, whose passion continues to drive our mission forward.
A project of connection
From January to June, our Marmalade Companions project supported 84 people experiencing loneliness. By pairing members with trained volunteers, the programme empowered participants to explore new activities, build social connections, and form meaningful friendships. We’re excited to continue this project in 2025, expanding its reach to even more individuals in our community.
One member shared: "It’s improved my confidence. I’ve started going out a lot more, bumping into people I know, and arranging to have coffee. I've been on a few day trips, meeting people at an old dance group and the knit and natter group which my volunteer found for me"
A royal honour
In May, two of our Marmalade Trust volunteers, David and Alison, attended a Garden Party hosted by the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace. We were thrilled to be invited to celebrate receiving the prestigious King's Award for Voluntary Service.
David told us: “I was very honoured to have been selected to be one of the volunteers to be selected to represent Marmalade at the Garden Party. I had received the very ornate invitation to attend and was very excited as this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Meeting inspiring people
At Marmalade Trust, it’s the people who truly make us who we are. From dedicated volunteers and compassionate project members to the talented new additions to our growing team, we are surrounded by friends - both new and old - who inspire us every day.
Since the very beginning, we’ve been incredibly fortunate to work with individuals who share our passion for reducing loneliness and creating meaningful connections. Every member, volunteer, supporter, and staff member brings something special to our community. Their kindness, commitment, and belief in our mission drive us forward, reminding us why this work matters so much.
Inspiring the next generation
This year, a key focus has been on working closely with schools, offering FREE, interactive, and engaging lesson plans, assemblies, and resources designed by teachers for teachers. Our materials include fun printables for classrooms, as well as quizzes and guides to help EYFS, primary, and secondary learners deepen their understanding of loneliness.
Through engaging workshops and creative activities, we’ve inspired young people to take action and foster meaningful relationships within their communities.
Loneliness Awareness Week 2024
This year’s Loneliness Awareness Week was one for the books! Our theme, Random Acts of Connection, encouraged everyone to increase those simple, everyday moments of connection which help us feel happier and less lonely. Our campaign reached 638,000 people across the UK and beyond through social media, sparking over 3,000 connection-building activities and events. 87% of people told us they had started a conversation with someone new about loneliness during the week.
Research from Eden Project Communities, organisers of the Month of Community, revealed some incredible insights into the campaign’s impact:
15% of the UK population—over 10.3 million people—are now aware of Loneliness Awareness Week.
Approximately 2.8% of the population, or nearly 2 million people, actively participated in Loneliness Awareness Week 2024.
These figures highlight the growing recognition of our campaign and the power of collective action in addressing loneliness. Seeing individuals, businesses, and community groups come together to break the stigma reminds us why this work is so important.
National conversations on loneliness
In autumn, our founder was invited to 10 Downing Street during a civil society reception, where she advocated for loneliness and social isolation to remain key issues on the national agenda.
Throughout the year, Marmalade Trust participated in critical discussions, workshops, and partnerships, ensuring that the conversation about loneliness continues to evolve and drive meaningful change.
Our growing online community
In 2024, our online presence flourished, helping us connect with people far and wide. We welcomed nearly 60,000 visits to our website from 46 countries, with individuals using our resources to deepen their understanding of loneliness, discover ways to feel more connected and join in our campaigns.
Visitors spent an average of 6 minutes and 54 seconds exploring our website – a metric far exceeding the typical charity benchmark, demonstrating how valuable and impactful our content has been in empowering people to navigate loneliness and build connections.
On social media, our reach continued to grow, with content viewed by over 350,000 people across platforms and our community expanding to over 11,300 followers. These interactions are a vital part of our mission, sparking conversations and raising awareness on a global scale.
Exciting partnerships
This year, we were proud to collaborate with some incredible organisations.
As our corporate partners, it was great to be involved in Heineken UK’s ‘Star Turns Orange’ fundraising event. We were honoured to attend their charity ball for Marmalade Trust in Glasgow. The event raised vital funds for our charity and was a truly magical evening! Stonegate Group, the UK’s largest pub company, and Heineken UK, the nation’s leading brewer and cider maker, joined forces to launch their “Pub Alone” campaign. Together, they aim to spark meaningful conversations on loneliness and encourage people to connect and build new relationships over the festive period.
We were also delighted to be supported by JLL Residential, The Crescent Club, The Clifton Club and Canada Life as their Charity of the Year. Many other local businesses supported us with fundraising events and pro-bono support.
Christmas Cheer 2024
This year’s Christmas Cheer project will once again bring companionship and joy to those feeling lonely during the festive season. With over 350 project members and volunteers, the initiative continues to make Christmas a little brighter for our region’s most isolated people.
One member told us: “I don't have anyone around, so without Marmalade, I'd be spending Christmas Day alone. Last year, I met so many wonderful people, I was smiling for days afterwards. It cheers me up just thinking of it!"
Looking ahead to 2025
As we step into 2025, we’re excited to mark 12 years of Marmalade Trust and continue expanding our work to support even more people experiencing loneliness. Through our connection projects, awareness campaigns, and training and resources, we aim to help more individuals feel connected and empowered.
We’ll also continue innovating through partnerships with organisations that share our mission to raise awareness of loneliness and encourage everyone to build meaningful relationships. Plans are already underway for another impactful Loneliness Awareness Week, where we hope to spark deeper conversations and inspire action across the UK and beyond.
2025 will be a year of growth, innovation, and, above all, connection. We can’t wait to see what we’ll achieve together in the year ahead.
A big thank you
2024 has been an incredible year, and none of it would have been possible without the unwavering support of our volunteers, members, staff, supporters and partners. Together, we’re creating a world where loneliness is better understood and more people feel connected.
As we step into 2025, we’re ready to keep building on this momentum. Thank you for being part of our journey. Here's to another year of making a difference together!
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