Camerados: creating connections in Public Living Rooms

By Yvonne Dawson, Camerados

What’s the Camerados movement?

Camerados believe the answer to our problems is each other, and by looking out for one another more, we can get each other through life’s tough times.

Connection with other people is crucial to addressing social problems, and connection is what Camerados is all about; that game-changing, ‘no stigma attached’ power of just being alongside each other without judgement.

Anyone can be a camerado; you'll know one when you meet one! They're the type of person who won't try and solve your problems for you, but they'll listen and they'll have your back. Beyond this, Camerados is a place – a Public Living Room or an online space where folk spend time together to make tough times feel just a little bit easier.

This year the Camerados movement is ten, and celebrates its anniversary during the week of 23rd June 2025. There are lots of ways to join in; find out more here. You can find out more about the movement here.

What's a Public Living Room?

Public Living Rooms are no agenda places created by communities for their community, social spaces where people can come together in a mutual way to look out for each other without any expectation of formal advice, therapy, counselling, or onward referral. They are places where you're with people who listen, who treat everyone with respect and dignity; to foster friendship, a sense of purpose and community.

The Camerados movement was started in 2015. Since then, more than 460 Public Living Rooms have been created (with almost 300 of these being open regularly for people to get together). They are open to anyone who wishes to attend and you can find one near you on the Camerados map, or find spaces taking part in Loneliness Awareness Week via the Loneliness Awareness Week Connection Map.

Impact of Public Living Rooms

A survey in 2024 found that of those who attended Public Living Rooms:

●     90% felt more connected to others.

●     97% would recommend a Public Living Room to others.

●     94% would recommend the movement to others.

●     85% felt happier.

●     67% felt less anxious or stressed.

●     57% felt more confident.

●     53% felt more able to cope with everyday life.

What people say about Public Living Rooms

Public Living Rooms provide a space for social connection, enable people from a diversity of backgrounds to mix in an inclusive space, and give those that come along a sense of purpose. Attendees have commented:

"I'm a carer and I find that I become quite socially isolated because of that so it's nice that for a couple of hours a week I can leave that all behind and I don't need to sit at home on my own and I just come along and have company and there's no pressure around it and it's just a relaxed atmosphere, it's nice to be able to connect with people."

"We're in a highly diverse area with 100 different languages spoken in 4 sq miles - we were finding it difficult to mix people up. A Public Living Room is how you mix people up."

"People with support lead and run the Public Living Rooms. The Camerados approach means they lead the way, not the organisation's way. They experience a sense of purpose and a feeling that this is their space."

Hundreds of Public Living Rooms will be open during Loneliness Awareness Week. To find out more, search ‘Public Living Room’ on the Connection Map or use the Camerados map to find a Public Living Room near you.