Interviews with 30 individuals who had engaged with services for reducing loneliness or increasing social connection revealed the complex nature of loneliness and its impacts, with psychological, behavioural and physical health effects. Loneliness was associated with a loss of meaningful social connection, and often compounded by a range of other life events and factors. Participants felt that services for social connection needed to be better advertised, and procedures for finding and accessing services streamlined. Support attending the service for the first time was also key, as was being appropriately welcomed and inducted into the service. Where participants felt appropriately included, a bond and sense of commonality formed with the service providers and other service members. This sense of meaningful connection reduced loneliness and had significant positive effects on health and wellbeing. Increases in confidence had knock on effects, improving the quantity and quality of participants’ social connections outside of the service. However, where participants felt that they were not properly included or welcomed into services, a sense of connection often failed to form and could in fact worsen feelings of loneliness and isolation.