TfL Partners With Marmalade Trust And Others To Host Events For Loneliness Awareness Week

Transport for London (TfL) will partner with loneliness organisations and charities Camerados, Marmalade Trust and Strangers In The City to host a series of events between Monday 15 June and Friday 19 June in support of Loneliness Awareness Week.

Open to all Londoners and visitors, with the aim of tackling loneliness in the capital, the events focus on reducing stigma around loneliness and supporting communities to have open and honest conversations.

The popular Chatty Cabins initiative at the London Cable Car returns to encourage people to connect and spark conversations with others, while enjoying a journey across the River Thames between Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Docks. This free scheme includes a 20-minute round trip in the cable car and a hot drink, and runs throughout the week, with booking via Eventbrite.

In collaboration with Marmalade Trust and Strangers In The City, a ticketed Games Night will run on Tuesday 16 June from 18:00 to 21:00 at the London Cable Car experience. The event will be filled with different interactive and team-building games to spark conversations, with prizes to be won and goodie bags. Londoners and visitors who book paid tickets through Eventbrite includes a cable car round trip ride.

A pop-up Public Living Room will also be in place at the Greenwich Peninsula Terminal on Wednesday 17 June between 10:00 and 16:00, in partnership with Camerados, to encourage Londoners and visitors to chat with others and have company. Booking a space is encouraged, but walk ups are welcome and those who sign up are entitled to a free cable car round trip.

TfL’s support of Loneliness Awareness Week builds on the Mayor’s Strategy for Social Inclusion and the Reconceptualising Loneliness in London report published in 2022, which estimates 700,000 Londoners feel lonely ‘always’ or ‘most of the time’. Loneliness disproportionately affects young, low-income, LGBTQ+, single parents, deaf or disabled, or ethnic minority Londoners.

Fiona Jones, TfL’s Head of London Cable Car, said: “Last year’s Chatty Cabins in support of Loneliness Awareness Week proved so popular with our customers that we have decided to take it a step further this year by partnering with Strangers In The City, Marmalade Trust and Camerados to provide a range of activities to support this great cause. These initiatives will be a fantastic way for Londoners and visitors to meet others and share their cherished experiences in the city.”

Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard, Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice, said: “I’m pleased that ‘Chatty Cabins’ is returning to the London Cable Car to bring more Londoners and visitors together. Loneliness can affect anyone, but small moments like this can remind us of the importance and benefit of community and connection, as we continue to build a better London for everyone.”

Yvonne Dawson, Head of Learning and Partnerships at Camerados, said: “Public Living Rooms provide a relaxed, no-pressure environment for anyone to have company. We’re delighted to support Loneliness Awareness Week by creating one with Transport for London. A space for people to drop by, pass the time and remember that the best thing any of us can do in our day is to connect with others.”

Tara Fisher, Chief Operating Officer at Marmalade Trust, said: “Marmalade Trust’s new research shows loneliness still carries real stigma, with many young people saying they’d rather admit to feeling anxious than lonely. Loneliness Awareness Week is all about giving loneliness a voice, and TfL’s Chatty Cabins are a brilliant example of how small, everyday conversations can help soften that silence and make connection feel easier.” 

Chanté Joseph and Zainab Kwaw-Swanzy, co-founders of Strangers In The City, said: “We started Strangers In The City with a simple belief, which is that London is full of incredible people who just haven’t met each other yet. Partnering with TfL, Camerados and Marmalade Trust to bring that mission to life with a series of wholesome events feels like the perfect way to mark both our second anniversary and nine years of Loneliness Awareness Week.

We are incredibly proud of this partnership and what it represents, which is that some of the best connections happen when you least expect them, and that London itself can provide the backdrop for something truly special.”