I was delighted to be invited to play Boccia and New Age Curling with members from a network of ‘Primetime’ groups at Husthwaite village hall today. It’s a fantastic initiative, supported by Hambleton District Council, set up to tackle loneliness across rural areas where populations are sparse and people can feel isolated. This afternoon’s games was part of a programme of Safeguarding Week activities across North Yorkshire. In a large county like North Yorkshire with its many rural areas, it’s easy for people to become very lonely and initiatives like this bring people together to give them an opportunity to meet and make new friends.