People are handing out badges at Tube stations to tackle loneliness

LONDON -- More than 9 million people across the UK are always or often lonely, according to the British Red Cross.

But, the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness -- which launched on Tuesday in memory of murdered MP -- wants to do something to combat Britain's loneliness epidemic. On Tuesday, a group of campaigners from the commission are handing out badges with the words "Happy to Chat" at London's busiest Tube stations in an effort to start a "national conversation" about loneliness.

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Commuters have been posting photos of the badges on social media, expressing their support for the initiative.

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Jo Cox set up a cross-party commission on loneliness before she was murdered in June 2016. Campaigners and politicians worked together to ensure that Cox's good work didn't go to waste. Throughout 2017, the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness will be working with partners – including Action for Children, Age UK, Alzheimer’s Society, The British Red Cross -- to shed light on various aspects of loneliness and the positive steps anyone can take to combat it.

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A spokesperson for Age UK said the charity hopes the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness will have a big impact on the millions of people grappling with feelings of loneliness. "Our analysis shows that around 1.2 million older people are chronically lonely, meaning they have been feeling this way for years – pointing to something of a social crisis at the very heart of our society," says Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK. "It’s clear that loneliness can affect us all at any stage of life but older people are particularly at risk simply because they are more likely to experience deteriorating health and the death of a loved one," she said.