Study Visit Update May 2025: KORALE European Meeting in Lisbon

Naomi Weir representing Fingal County Council and Representatives from study groups: Austria, Denmark, Belgium, and the Basque Country

KORALE European Meeting in Lisbon: Building Communities of Connection and Care

Lisbon, May 27, 2025 – As loneliness and social isolation continue to challenge communities across Europe, Lisbon became the next stop on the KORALE Community Rail. The third international study visit of the European project KORALE took place on May 27, 2025, at the historic Extraction Room of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa (SCML).

Launched in April 2024, the KORALE project brings together six European countries— Portugal, Spain, Austria, Denmark and Belgium, and Ireland with the shared mission of preventing and reducing unwanted loneliness, especially among young people and older adults. The project is co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg Europe program and is led by the Adinberri Foundation (Spain/Basque Country), with partners including Social City Wien, Region Midtjylland, Stad Aalst, Fingal County Council and Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa.

In addition to knowledge exchange, the study visit contributed to KORALE’s long-term objective: the development of a European Public Policy Guide on Combating Loneliness, to be published at the conclusion of the project. This visit in Lisbon lays important groundwork by highlighting effective local interventions and strengthening the emerging community of practice.

KORALE community rail third stop: Lisbon, Portugal

The KORALE European Meeting on 27th of May 2025, titled “Lisboa Com Vida”, marks the third in a series of six interregional gatherings and will serve as a key moment for exchanging good practices, exploring innovative strategies, and fostering a pan-European dialogue on tackling loneliness as well as social isolation. The program features expert panels, inspiring good practices and opportunities for direct exchange between practitioners and policymakers.

The event will shine a spotlight on local initiatives that address loneliness through urban innovation, intergenerational programming, and community-based responses. Attendees will also benefit from the presentation of selected European good practices from the KORALE partner regions, including:

Presentation of Lisbon-Based Good Practices: Innovative local projects will demonstrate how community-driven initiatives are creating new pathways to social connection

- Senior University of Lumiar

- Une-Idades Project

- Live Better in Beato

European Good Practices from Partner Regions: Delegations from Austria, Ireland, Denmark, Belgium, and the Basque Country will present transferable models and pilot interventions that address loneliness across different demographics and urban contexts.

Linda Ennis, Principal Community Officer presenting on Fingal Welcome Rooms

The KORALE European Meeting will be held in English and brings together a diverse audience of institutional representatives, practitioners, researchers, and civil society actors. It reflects Lisbon’s commitment to building cohesive, caring, and resilient communities—not only locally, but across Europe. 

Join the Journey Against Loneliness Register now for the KORALE newsletter, visit the project website, and follow us on LinkedIn & YouTube for more updates:

· Discover Successful Intervention Strategies and Good Practices: Learn about the innovative approaches and effective solutions implemented in the Basque Country, Austria, Portugal, Ireland, Belgium, and Denmark to combat loneliness.

· Engage in Public Debates: Participate in discussions aimed at destigmatizing loneliness and fostering community support.

· Shape Impactful Policies: Contribute your experience and expertise to help shape regional policies address this critical issue.

Contact: Katrin Weber, KORALE Communication Manager <span>[email protected]/span> | Tel. +43 676 77 52 562 | www.interregeurope.eu/korale

#korale #communityrail #endloneliness #socialconnection

Cathrina Murphy, Age Friendly Programme Manager presenting on Collaboration across Generations​: From intergenerational projects to intergenerational practice