'A phone call can change lives'

Age UK, and volunteers like Julian, are helping combat an epidemic of loneliness among older people

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Julian, 59, is on the front line of the UK's loneliness crisis, now believed to affect nearly a million older people.

As one of 100 volunteers for Age UK's Silver Line Helpline, he offers friendship and support to people who might be calling it in their most desperate moments.

For some, talking to Julian could be the first time they've spoken to another human being for days.

"Some people are in a dark place when they come to us," says Julian. "Friends could have moved away, a partner might have died or their family are living far away, and they just need someone to chat to."