• YOUR report (How about 1p levy to fund projects that crack isolation? August 4) fails to mention the fact that Camden Council requires community centres and other organisations which occupy its buildings to pay a “levy” on projects of this kind in the form of rents and business rates. An example in Gospel Oak is a bill of £50k per year.

It has done so for many years and just reimposed them after a pause during the Covid-19 pandemic. Rent debt forced two community centres to go bust recently. Charities will not provide as part of their funding charges for rent.

Another problem for those in the voluntary sector running loneliness and other projects is the lack of suitable premises.

In Gospel Oak there is a new group of volunteers trying to find new, suitable, premises for its food bank which in addition to providing food works with vulnerable people with a wide range of problems, including loneliness.

“Negotiations” have been going on with the council for over a year, even though two of the five nearby council buildings have been empty for more than two years.

Not so long ago tenants’ and residents’ associations were a vibrant source of activities, including those for the lonely.

Many of these no longer function. Perhaps the council could find out why and try to help them to get operating again.

It was not long ago that the council held celebratory events in the town hall for groups of volunteers. It is local volunteers that organised and raised funding for such events as for lonely people.

Volunteers felt valued. The council stopped such much- appreciated thank-you events well before Covid.

Given the above list some might suggest that the council contributes to loneliness by its policies, not to its solution.

MICK FARRANT, NW5