In its first month the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness is looking at how the issue affects the elderly. In the future it will be looking at how different areas of society, for example new mothers or carers, are affected by loneliness. It will then create a list of suggestions for the government to implement.
Linking Lives UK, Livability, Pilgrim's Friend Society, the Bible Reading Fellowship and Capital Mass are urging churches to pledge their support to the Commission online and do what they can do befriend people in their communities.
Research suggests churches are already doing a significant amount to tackle loneliness, with the group of charities saying 87 per cent already have regular formal or informal things in place to ensure people have someone to talk to.
Age UK says 1.2 million older people in England are chronically lonely, with almost half a million people over 60 normally spending every day alone.
On behalf of the five Christian charities Jeremy Sharpe, National Coordinator of Linking Lives UK, said: "This is a significant opportunity for churches to be salt and light in our communities.
"Collectively, churches are probably already the single most powerful movement of people reaching out to support isolated older people and we are calling on people to make this visible by signing up the Jo Cox Commission campaign."
