Young people join together to burst the bubble of youth loneliness and isolation

A group of young folk from the Orkney mainland will be creating a series of pop-up Boba – or bubble tea – drop ins for their peers across Orkney, in a bid to tackle youth loneliness and isolation.

The group, supported by youth and family learning worker Karen Bevan from the Council’s Community Development, Learning and Employability Youth Services team, have been exploring what youth loneliness looks like in Orkney and what can be done to break down barriers and address it.

The group feels that Orkney young folk face some key obstacles that peers in other regions might not be affected by – including rural isolation, scattered public transport and the added logistics of living in an isles setting, as well as societal stigma surrounding expressing individual loneliness.

Funded by the Co-op Foundation, the young people are part of a Young Scot project group working together to find a solution to the issues of loneliness and isolation they identified. The group, who planned and designed the series of ‘Pop-up Boba Cafes’ starting in January 2024 for young folk aged 12-25, will also test the success of the events in alleviating the impact of loneliness. 

They plan to visit rural areas and some of Orkney’s island communities as funding allows, with the aim of creating opportunity for young folk to build friendships. The group also hopes to learn more from young people who come along to the events how loneliness impacts them, and ideas they have for tackling youth loneliness in the county.

Karen said: “This is a great example of young people recognising a challenge and tackling it head on. Loneliness is widespread and it affects people from all walks of life and we know it has huge implications for overall wellbeing - but it’s a hidden problem and one that many folk are embarrassed to speak about.

“The hope is these events will help encourage honest dialogue about the issue among young people and in turn the wider Orkney community. Tricky and challenging conversations can shed light on the real complexities and perhaps lead to some solutions.

“The group is determined to start this dialogue – their insight and generosity sharing their individual perspectives has been awesome to witness, and we hope these events will help reassure young folk who are feeling a bit isolated that they are not alone, that loneliness is a problem many of us face from time to time, and that there are steps you can take to feel more connected again.”

Here is a sample of what young people in the group had to say about their project:

• “Young people in Orkney can feel lonely for many reasons, we can feel isolated because of where we live, what activities are on offer in our area or if you can get to Kirkwall or not.”
• “We live in small communities with less people our age to hang out or be friends with.”

The group are also working on a series of videos highlighting services and organisations offering support to young folk in Orkney which will be featured on Young Scot’s Orkney webpage, and available via a QR link on posters advertising the Boba pop-ups.

Young Scot CEO Kirsten Urquhart said: “Our long-standing partnership with the Co-op Foundation focuses on tackling youth loneliness by encouraging Scotland’s young people to engage with their local communities to tackle the issues that are a priority for them and their peers around the topic of loneliness.

“Creating events such as these pop-up boba cafes demonstrates the imagination and enterprise of these inspiring young people to tackle the unique circumstances impacting youth loneliness in Orkney. I admire their drive to provide a safe and welcoming environment that can make a real difference to young people in Orkney’s island communities.”

The first pop up will be held in the Finstown hall on Saturday 13 January from 2pm-4pm. Anyone aged 12 to 25 is welcome to come along, enjoy a bubble tea while meeting new people, and share their experience of the causes and cures for loneliness.

Follow the Council's Facebook page for updates on future Boba Cafes.

Background

Young Scot partners with the Co-op Foundation to connect and empower young people across Scotland to tackle youth loneliness.

For Young Scot information and resources on youth loneliness visit the Young Scot website.

Co-op Foundation is the Co-op's charity, helping communities work together to make things better. Find out more about the Co-Op Foundation on their dedicated website.