.png)
Education
Supporting learners to grow their understanding of loneliness
How we work with schools
Marmalade Trust is dedicated to raising awareness of loneliness and empowering everyone to make connections. We work closely with schools, offering FREE, interactive, and engaging lesson plans, assemblies, and resources designed by teachers for teachers. Our materials include fun printables for classrooms, as well as quizzes and guides to help EYFS, primary, and secondary learners deepen their understanding of loneliness. We hope these carefully designed resources inspire both teachers and learners!
Spreading festive cheer
Our longest-running project, Christmas Cheer, brings companionship and joy to some of the loneliest people in our region. In 2024, we worked closely with seven local schools. Using our resources to get involved, schools created cards, decorations, bookmarks or connection calendars to give to our project members. Our project members (predominantly older people) tell us how the children's contributions brighten their day. 87-year-old Bill told us “I will cherish the drawings, they were my favourite gift this Christmas.”
Little learners
During a workshop at a local school, we explored the theme of loneliness. We expected a few hands when asked if they had ever felt lonely. In fact, every child's hand shot up.
Their honesty in sharing experiences was heartwarming and eye-opening, “I felt lonely when my best friend Max was off sick”, and “When there was no space for me on the swings, I felt lonely”. Unlike adults, who might hesitate to discuss loneliness due to societal stigma, children understand it as a natural signal of needing more connection. Our workshop reminded us that feeling ashamed or embarrassed to talk about loneliness is a learnt behaviour, something that children don’t have.
Loneliness is completely normal – we are human beings who need social connections to survive! There is nothing to feel ashamed or embarrassed about. Whatever our experience of loneliness is, there are always things we can do or support available to help us feel more connected.
Raising awareness in schools
Marmalade Trust has enjoyed working alongside Bristol-based schools including Victoria Park Primary, which has participated for several years in both our Loneliness Awareness Week and Christmas Cheer Projects. Helen Wright, KS1 Lead, shared her thoughts on the impact of Marmalade Trust's educational materials:
​
"Victoria Park Primary School has developed a wonderful link with Marmalade Trust. We enjoy taking part in projects every year. The free informative assemblies, lesson plans, accessible resources, and loneliness guides have ensured our knowledge and understanding of loneliness has deepened. We love opening the Marmalade Classroom in our school and look forward to learning more each year about loneliness. The charity is a super special one, and we feel lucky to be a part of this community."
Get in touch
Our team are passionate about working with schools to raise awareness of loneliness and foster meaningful connections. Whether you're interested in working together, or simply have questions about our resources or projects, we're here to help. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at info@marmaladetrust.org or call us at: 07566 244788
Other ways to get involved
From sponsored runs to cake sales, fundraising is a brilliant way to support our charity.
.jpg)
