It is not against any law for people to go for a walk in the local park. And, if you happen to see someone you know there, there is no law against you having a chat - staying at least two metres away from each other.
Do not think a lot of people really understand how dreadful this loneliness can be, and desperate need to just actually to see and talk to someone else.
I am really horrified as to the total lack of any sort of empathy from so many posters.....also people (with little or no knowledge_ so quick to judge and come in with words like depressed - yes, most of us are depressed, not clinically so.
Technology as wonderful as it is does not quite cut it for me. My whole family had one 'all=in together Zone meet=up, all five of my children, their partners and all the g.children and me. It was nice, but somehow, it actually emphasised to me how times have changed. I am not keen on repeating this. I still prefer a phone call to a email message and skype is fine for me to talk to me younger g.children, but do not really like this for adults.
A weekly phone chat with my children (all of whom, but one live some distance away), is lovely - but my once a week proper chat with the one who lives nearby in the local park is a life-line. We do not touch, or come close to each other, but it is good to see and talk in the flesh so as to speak
Think this is what the original posters Mum wants, and can see no good reason for her not to have it -no different (as has been said), of standing at the bottom of the front garden and chatting.
Too many people on here who seem to mis-understand the reasons behind the rules for social distancing and what social distancing means.
I have hear of people who are 'shielding' being scared of going out into their own quite large gardens 'in case their neighbours report them'.
We really need to keep a good sense of perspective in these times, as in all times and to remember that humans are social animals.