Royal Voluntary Service research found that “70 per cent of older men living alone in Britain who feel lonely do so because their partner has passed away.”  Many of the men who responded to the survey said they had lost their confidence and thus their social life.  A recent Guardian article called for loneliness to be recognised as a contributor to and signal of poverty.  As happiness research advances, the body of evidence showing that strong social networks contribute to overall health continues to grow.  So what can we do?  No matter how small the action, anything that contributes to local communities and connections could be invaluable to someone.  I think the effort will always be worth it!