A CHARITY that wants to help stop loneliness by connecting local communities has changed its name, in order to better reflect its mission.

The charity, which helps communities across Wokingham and Bracknell were previously known as Community Council for Berkshire and will now be called Connecting Communities in Berkshire (CCB).

The charity helps residents to develop their skills and confidence so that they can help make a difference across the local community.

The name change has come at the same time as a new project, which explores the factors indicating areas of high risk of loneliness.

Tim Parry, chief officer at Connecting Communities in Berkshire, said: “There are many interesting and varied activities taking place in communities across Berkshire, but we hear time and again that loneliness and isolation is a growing issue, exacerbated by our ageing population and issues compounded by the rise of social media.”

The charity recently held a conference about loneliness and isolation called Beyond the Front Door. The talk was designed to share good ideas that any community can use to tackle the problem.

Mr Parry added: “Our work aims to get back to basics and to encourage any community that wants to get involved, to spend some time reflecting on what already exists, who might be missing out and whether there is a willingness to get some new activities established.”

CCB are currently delivering a range of training courses in Wokingham, which include getting social media for village halls, first aid and trustee skills.

For more information about the charity visit: https://ccb2017.wordpress.com/.