CONNECTFORCE was established in May 2020 as a COVID-19 emergency response, set up to combat the growing isolation of UK care home residents during the pandemic. Our initial idea was simple: video-calling technology. We wanted to provide residents and their loved ones with the means to communicate digitally while they were kept apart by the virus. By the time lockdown measures were lifted, we’d succeeded in getting 310 electronic devices into some most critically in-need care homes across the UK. Since then the national situation has changed, and so has our mission. While we’ve been lucky enough to facilitate countless connections between residents and loved ones, we’ve also seen first-hand just how deep-rooted the problem of social isolation truly is. We understand now that simply delivering technology isn’t enough. That’s why we’re in the process of developing a number of programmes designed to create long-lasting links between care homes and their communities – from virtual companion schemes to building relationships between local institutions. Technology helps, but there’s no quick-fix for loneliness. It takes the hard-work of education, communication, and compassion to solve a problem so ingrained. CONNECTFORCE are committed to doing just that. The immediate challenge might be over, but our journey is just beginning.