Tackling social isolation: Northern Europe steps up to the challenge

euronews (in English)

A vast European project is underway in seven countries across the North of Europe, to combat isolation by promoting inclusion. We take a look at the results in Norway.

Transcript

00:00 Loneliness and isolation damage not only the physical and mental health of those they impact,

00:07 but also their social cohesion.

00:09 In seven northern European countries, universities, municipalities, companies and associations

00:15 have joined forces to move from isolation to inclusion as part of the European Eye to

00:20 Eye project.

00:24 We know that people who are lonely and isolated, they are in risk of being depressed, they

00:32 can also be in risk of different illnesses, and therefore it was very important for us

00:40 to deal with these issues to see how we can include people and help them to have more

00:46 quality of their lives.

00:52 Here in Norway, in Arendal, the European Eye to Eye project focuses on transportation as

00:57 a tool for inclusion.

00:59 Bjerg can book a mini-bus to go to the doctor or the social centre.

01:03 All she has to do is use the project`s application or make a phone call and the bus will conduct

01:08 door to door service.

01:11 Yes, they pick us up wherever we want.

01:16 We can get out a lot more than if we did not have the service.

01:19 And on top of that, they help us with the shopping, taking it right up to our door.

01:25 They are very friendly.

01:29 Seven countries across the European continent, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands,

01:33 Germany, the United Kingdom and Norway have carried out more than 45 activities within

01:38 Eye to Eye.

01:40 The project focuses on using innovation as a shield against isolation.

01:45 Elsa lives alone and she benefits from the screen installed by this pilot program.

01:49 Her family can talk to her and send her photos and messages without Elsa having to press

01:54 a single button.

01:56 Yes, I use it when they call me.

02:03 Sometimes every day.

02:08 The beautiful thing about the screen is that she doesn`t have to answer because she doesn`t

02:12 know how and she doesn`t have to.

02:14 It`s just a count down.

02:15 It`s really easy to use.

02:17 She just has to be in the room.

02:19 The total budget of Eye to Eye is just over 3 million euros, of which 1.3 million come

02:25 from the EU cohesion policy.

02:28 25 organizations and companies in Northern Europe are taking part in the project, like

02:34 the social center run by volunteers in Arendal, which offers meals and proposes various activities

02:40 linked to people`s social inclusion and well-being.

02:43 We have a song cafe where they have the accordion and they sing and they at the same time get

02:50 to exercise their lung capacity.

02:53 And they laugh a lot.

02:54 [laughs]

02:55 (music)

02:57 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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