MEASURES to tackle loneliness were called for by Frome and East Somerset MP Anna Sabine as she launched a national campaign for ‘hobby hubs’ to be introduced across the UK.

The Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Culture, Media and Sport the MP spoke after new data showed people spending less than half their time on hobbies compared to four years ago.

Ms Sabine visited Deck and Dagger, in Frome, in her role as Lib Dem spokesperson to play board games and chat about the importance of hobbies and the community they bring.

She said: “Sharing hobbies and passions with peers is a powerful way to fight loneliness, isolation, and loss of community in an increasingly online world.

“As the parent of teenagers, I know how important it is to provide spaces for them to connect with others, to engage and socialise doing something they love.

“Hobbies are not a luxury, they are a lifeline, whether it is sports or board games, knitting, or playing music, these are more than just pasttimes, they are social activities that are absolutely necessary to allow for balance for adults and teens alike.”

The campaign aims to revitalise libraries, community centres, and pubs as spaces where residents can more easily meet and connect, breathing new life into high streets while tackling the growing crisis of loneliness and isolation in Frome and East Somerset and across the UK.

Ms Sabine said the Liberal Democrats had warned that a ‘crisis of connection’ was gripping the UK, worsened by the steady loss of local community infrastructure.

The party argued that the country faces a ‘silent epidemic of loneliness’ and that a lack of community spaces is forcing people to find human interaction online.

House of Commons Library research shows that since 2015, 498 libraries and leisure centres have closed across the country.

Locally in Somerset, and B&NES, residents have felt the impact of the closures, leaving many with no choice but to practice their hobbies at home or seek interaction solely online.

Now, new data reveals that the average person spends less than half the time on hobbies compared to four years ago, falling from 353 hours per year in 2020 to just 147 hours in 2024.

Ms Sabine said: “Covid saw all of us suffer, not least our younger generations, many of whom suffer from social anxiety, and providing practical, local spaces where people can connect, create, and belong, is a crucial element to bringing us out of isolation and into community life again.”

Under the Lib Dem plan for ‘hobby hubs’, existing spaces such as libraries, community centres, and pubs would be able to access grant funding to host regular hobby groups.

Pots of funding would be made available for shared resources such as sewing machines, cameras, musical instruments, and board games, reducing the financial barriers to taking part.

The party would also allow GPs to ‘prescribe’ participation in ‘hobby hubs’ for patients at risk of isolation, integrating the hubs into local health and community strategies.