Lisa

Lisa is a 22 old woman living with her parents and working at nursery.

Lisa discussed feeling lonely during her school years. In Lisa’s view, she had difficulties making friends and was left out by her peers.  The Special Educational Needs coordinator (SENCO) of her school started a lunchtime club for students who were experiencing loneliness and that helped Lisa find friends. She is grateful to her key person in secondary school, who was always understanding and encouraging and helped her find ways to stem off loneliness.

Lisa also experienced loneliness after she ended her romantic relationship with her boyfriend approximately two years before we spoke to her. She felt that didn’t just lose her partner but also their shared friends and a big part of her social network. Lisa expanded her friendship group by joining a friendship and dating agency that has helped her build meaningful relationships.

Lisa found that social clubs topped her feeling lonely. Unfortunately, however, they were closed down due to government cuts and many people with learning disabilities were forced into social isolation.

Lisa discussed the difficulties connecting with others during the “lockdown” in response to Covid-19. She kept herself busy during weekdays, however she experienced loneliness during weekends when she would usually meet in person with her friends.

Lisa found it difficult not being able to see her friends in person. It was good to be able to video call them.

Recently, in lockdown, because not being able to see my friends is hard. Because I’m young still, I still want to go out and go to places with my friends but because of lockdown, it’s now restricted because they have, they have special needs as well and some needs that mean that they have to isolate. So, it’s harder because they have got [inaudible 0:00:58], it’s harder because we can’t see them. But the good thing is, the good think about it is the Zoom. So, we’re able to still talk to each other on Zoom, which is good.

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Lisa keeps herself busy during the week but notices the absence of her friends at the weekend.

Is there any time when you feel lonely during the week?

Not really. No, not really. Because I’m so busy doing something, I don’t really notice it.

But you still miss your friends?

Well, sometimes on the weekend, I start to feel it a little bit cos that’s the time I normally see them. Whereas during the week, I’m working or busy doing housework and cooking and stuff. But then during the weekend, I notice it more because I’m doing less stuff because, on the weekend, it’s just a relaxing day.

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When social clubs closed, Lisa’s social network shrunk and she lost a sense of belonging.

So, have you ever gone to social clubs?

Yeah, I used to join, I used to belong to two. One special needs social group and one `normal’ social group but they both got closed down because of financial reasons.

OK, could you talk to me about those social clubs and when did they get closed down?

They got closed down… how long ago was it? It was quite a while ago they got closed down, but it was because of the funding. So, they lost their funding which was hard because I was enjoying it. I was enjoying the activities they were doing. They were doing like games, cooking in one of them. All different types of stuff. I think one of them did like a spa where do you like nails and stuff.

Oh! Absolutely fantastic. I love those things.

Yeah?

I love spas and nails and so on. I’m a girly girl. I love those things. How about you?

And they did like painting, drawing. In the `normal’ one, they had a basketball court next door. But it was near a high school, in a… I think it was like a youth club place and there was a basketball court next door, so they were able to use that if we wanted to play basketball.

OK. And that closed?

Yeah, because of funding.

OK and how did that make you feel?

It was hard because I was enjoying it. I enjoyed seeing people.

Did you have friends?

Yeah.

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