Podcast: Lone crusader tackling loneliness head-on

Posted on 04 Nov 2024

By Greg Thom, journalist, Institute of Community Directors Australia

In a world that’s never been more connected through technology, loneliness has become an epidemic.

Groundswell Foundation founder Martin Blake.

It is estimated that one in three Australians are affected by loneliness, a reality that has profound mental health implications for the nation.

It was this knowledge and his own personal experience of the debilitating effects of loneliness that prompted former KPMG chair Martin Blake to establish the Groundswell Foundation.

Having experienced loneliness and professional isolation following his retirement from a high-flying executive lifestyle, Martin founded the foundation in a bid to tackle the loneliness crisis head-on.

His foundation aims to raise awareness of the impact of loneliness on everyone from young Australians to migrants and CEOs and strives to provide evidence-based solutions.

“Even in positions of power, isolation can be profound,” said Blake, who hopes to inspire other leaders to confront the often-overlooked issue of loneliness in their own organisations.