We know loneliness in old age can literally be a killer. Connectivity – having a connection to people like family and friends – is a potent antidote, and Manchester University has come up with a way to promote connectivity within faith spaces, providing much needed support.

I congratulate the team which has spent the last 18 months examining how faith spaces in the city support different groups of older people in their communities.

They spoke to a wide range of faith-based and interfaith networks, and diverse groups representing older people from across Greater Manchester.

Faith leaders or representatives of faith communities, as well as older people who are regular users of faith spaces, contributed to the data.

Greater Manchester has a growing older population which is becoming increasingly culturally diverse. The city region also faces high levels of inequality around health, income and access to neighbourhood services.

The research found faith spaces provide spiritual wellbeing, belonging, and a sense of community by serving as “social connectors”, and they provide practical and emotional support across gender and social class.

Faith spaces supported a wider range of benefits beyond that of spiritual wellbeing, both for those who identified with a faith community, and for those who did not.

Some participants from the White British community who visited an Anglican church told the researchers that they didn’t think of themselves as people of faith, but the space was important for socialising.

I recognise that.

The activities provided by the faith spaces are more than indoor meetings – a group of women started going for walks in a local park as part of an informal initiative by a lay leader from the Muslim community.

Retired people who’d been stuck at home without a support network started to get out.

The research uncovered high inequality across different neighbourhoods, as well as social isolation among older people.

Faith spaces provide invaluable services for people feeling isolation and/or financial hardship, and for those suffering bereavement, divorce, health problems and relocation which helps communities to stay together.

There’s no question in my mind that faith spaces play a crucial role in promoting age-friendly agendas.

Surely, we should be exploring how to enhance their role in contributing to promoting health and wellbeing in the community, and provide support to enhance the social function of faith spaces.

They also have the potential to connect older people to age-friendly initiatives, as well as the broadening spiritual participation and cultural diversity.