AN initiative to tackle social isolation and loneliness will be launched, aiming to benefit some Forest of Dean areas.

The major three-year initiative comes following a £900,000 investment from The Summerfield Charitable Trust, and will target Cinderford and Mitcheldean, as well as Gloucestershire's Stonehouse, Cam and Dursely.

The initiative, known as Building Connections: People, Place and Partnership, will be delivered by three Gloucestershire-based charities; Forest Voluntary Action Forum, GL11 Community Hub and All Pulling Together.

David Owen, Chair of Trustees at The Summerfield Charitable Trust, said: "The Summerfield Trust is proud to make this landmark investment in Building Connections. The evidence is clear: people need places, and places need people. This programme brings both sides together in a genuinely transformative way.

“By supporting a community‑owned ecosystem across Cinderford, Mitcheldean, Stonehouse, Cam and Dursley, we are backing the residents, volunteers and organisations who hold their communities together. Their insight, their energy and their determination have shaped this proposal from the ground up.

“Our nearly £1 million commitment reflects our belief that every person deserves somewhere to go, people to meet, and a reason to participate. This is a long‑term, place‑based investment in the things that make life meaningful - connection, belonging and shared purpose.

“We are delighted to stand alongside FVAF, GL11 and APT as they help local people create the welcoming, resilient and inclusive communities they have told us they want and deserve.”

According to the Trust, the five areas were selected because they show some of the highest combined risk factors for loneliness and isolation in Gloucestershire, but also because of their potential.

A Community Partnership Facilitator will support work in the Forest of Dean, alongside Community Buddies in Cam and Dursley and Stonehouse and locally based Partnership Builders. These roles will work at neighbourhood level: connecting residents with community spaces, offering one-to-one encouragement or personalised invitations, supporting volunteers and local leaders, and helping groups develop activities that reflect what matters locally.

Community Chests will place practical resources directly within the participating areas. Over four years, Cinderford and Mitcheldean will each benefit from £125,000, while £60,000 will be shared across Cam and Dursley and Stonehouse.

Chris Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Forest Voluntary Action Forum said: “We are incredibly grateful to Summerfield Charitable Trust for investing in Building Connections. This funding will help communities across Cinderford and Mitcheldean to create more sustainable and welcoming spaces, strengthen local partnerships, and give more people opportunities to connect, contribute and belong.

“We passionately believe that power, decision-making and resources should sit as close as possible to residents and grassroots organisations, and this investment marks another important step towards building stronger, fairer and more empowered communities.”

“By the end of the programme, the partnership aims to leave stronger neighbourhood networks, better-used and more sustainable community spaces, more confident volunteers and local leaders, and established ways for residents to influence local activity and investment. Learning from the four communities will also help partners understand what enables connection to grow across other rural and semi-rural parts of Gloucestershire.”