Aarhus Hosts the Fifth Stop of the KORALE Community Rail

Aarhus, Denmark, 16-18 September 2026 – As loneliness and social isolation continue to impact communities across Europe, Aarhus became the fifth stop on the KORALE Community Rail, bringing together project partners to exchange learning, showcase innovative approaches, and strengthen collaborative efforts to prevent and reduce unwanted loneliness.

Launched in April 2024, the KORALE project brings together partners from Portugal, Spain, Austria, Denmark, Belgium and Ireland, united by a shared mission to address loneliness and social isolation, particularly among older people and young people. Co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg Europe Programme, the project is led by the Adinberri Foundation (Basque Country, Spain) and includes partners Social City Wien, Region Midtjylland, Stad Aalst, Fingal County Council, and Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa.

The Aarhus study visit provided an opportunity for consortium partners to share progress on the development and implementation of their respective policy instruments while exploring innovative Danish approaches to fostering social connection, belonging and community wellbeing.

A particular highlight of the fifth Community Rail was the invitation extended to the KORALE consortium to participate in Denmark's National Loneliness Conference, which brings together decision-makers, researchers, practitioners, civil society organisations and community leaders to address one of the country's most pressing societal challenges: loneliness. The conference focused on understanding loneliness as a cross-cutting societal issue with significant implications for mental and physical health, overall wellbeing and social cohesion. Participation in the conference provided consortium partners with valuable insights into national policy responses, evidence-based interventions and multi-sector approaches to tackling loneliness, further enriching the collective learning of the KORALE partnership.

As part of the programme, Fingal County Council provided an update on the launch of the Fingal Age Friendly Strategy 2026-2030, highlighting how the strategy has been informed and strengthened through the exchange of knowledge, good practices and policy learning generated across the KORALE partnership. Fingal outlined how lessons learned from consortium partners have helped shape actions to reduce social isolation, promote age-friendly communities and enhance opportunities for participation, inclusion and connectedness among older people across the county. See policy instrument and consortium update here

A key contribution from Fingal was a presentation delivered by Fingal County Librarian, Lilian Whelan, entitled "Isolation and Loneliness in Older People: Fingal Libraries' Approach to Connecting People and Services." The presentation showcased the critical role of Fingal Libraries in creating welcoming and inclusive community spaces, fostering social connections, and acting as trusted access points to information, supports and services. The presentation emphasised the importance of Fingal Libraries as a key stakeholder in the Fingal KORALE programme, demonstrating how library services contribute to combating loneliness through community engagement, outreach initiatives, lifelong learning opportunities, digital inclusion supports, and partnership working across sectors. See presentation from Libraries here

The visit further reinforced the value of cross-sector collaboration and highlighted the importance of local stakeholders in delivering practical, people-centred responses to loneliness and social isolation. Through site visits, thematic discussions, peer learning activities and participation in the National Loneliness Conference, partners continued to build a shared understanding of effective approaches that can be adapted and transferred across Europe.

In addition to facilitating knowledge exchange, the Aarhus study visit contributed to KORALE's long-term objective of developing a European Public Policy Guide on Combating Loneliness, which will capture lessons learned, transferable practices and policy recommendations emerging from partner regions. The fifth Community Rail stop further strengthened the growing European community of practice committed to creating more connected, inclusive and resilient communities, while reinforcing the importance of collaborative action in addressing loneliness as a significant public health and societal challenge