Loneliness Awareness Week video is a collaboration between award-winning musician Rekesh Chauhan and the Randal Charitable Foundation.
An inspirational new video, “Feel So Alone” highlighting loneliness and isolation has been released for Loneliness Awareness Week. It aims to encourage young people suffering mental health difficulties to seek help.
The video features the vocals of MOBO-nominated vocalist Ayanna Witter-Johnson, with the film directed by a BAFTA crew starring choreographer and dancer Oliver Robert Russell.
Dr Nik Kotecha OBE, Chairman of the Randal Charitable Foundation, said: “We are delighted to be able to partner with Rekesh Chauhan to create this video, which so many people who feel alone, depressed and anxious will be able to relate to. We hope it will play a role in highlighting the challenge as well as the wide-range of help and support available.”
There has been a rise in anxiety and loneliness amongst young people in recent years, exacerbated by Covid-19. Research from the Mental Health Foundation showed that 58% of British teenagers felt they have had no-one to talk to, “some of the time” or “often” during the pandemic.
Research from the Office for National Statistics shows that loneliness levels were higher in young people who are unemployed, full time students and single parents in each wave of a survey, which has tracked the mental health of the nation since March 2020.
This video follows on from Rekesh Chauhan’s release, Neelam’s Story, supported by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, which has amassed nearly 90,000 views and a reach of 1.6 million people.
Rekesh Chauhan said: “It is important for me to continue the conversation on mental health. Arts is a powerful medium, which we can all resonate with. As an artist I want to use my music to end stigma and help people find the critical support they require, needed now more than ever”.
The video is officially supporting three mental health and youth support charities; PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide, The Prince’s Trust and Shout 85258.
