Grants Worth £19,000 Awarded by HIWCF to Tackle Isolation and Loneliness for Older People
HIWCF has awarded over £19,000 in grants from the ‘Heart of Hampshire’ Fund to support nine smaller local voluntary and community groups tackling the issues of isolation and loneliness affecting older people in Hampshire. Groups to benefit range from an arthritis hydrotherapy group in Romsey, to a lip reading group in Havant.
The first round of grantees includes Eastleigh Live at Home Scheme, which received a grant of £2,500 for their “Natter and Platter” group, providing a fun and relaxing environment for older people to get together and catch up on the latest news over a cup of tea and some lunch, while also finding out what is going on in and around the local community.
Mark Kirby, Eastleigh Live at Home Scheme Manager commented “I would like to thank HIWCF for this grant award, it will make such a difference to the lives of the older people we work with and means that we can keep our Natter and Platter group going. Many members of our group have been widowed, which is life changing for them, and making it possible for them to meet together enables them to share experiences and we know that they take great value from the friendships they have been able to develop.”
Brendoncare Club Hampshire based in Gosport has also received a grant of £4,262 to help continue four weekend clubs set up to prevent older people experiencing loneliness in the Gosport area. The clubs run from the Anchorage Centre, and offer a 1950s/1960s dance evening, a Kurling group, a cinema club and a multi activity afternoon club.
Joanna Jackson, Fundraising Officer for Brendoncare Club Hampshire commented “This is absolutely fantastic news for us. Our weekend clubs are such a vital aspect of Brendoncare Gosport, as loneliness can be exacerbated at this time, when there are fewer organised activities for older people. The grant from HIWCF will mean we can continue to support older people in our area, many of whom live alone and can be vulnerable to loneliness for reasons such as poor health, severe frailty, relocation or living on a low income.”
Grant Cornwell MBE, Chief Executive for HIWCF said: “This is the first round of funding under the Heart of Hampshire Fund, set up to make a positive difference to the lives of older people in our local communities. We would like to thank all of our HIWCF donors who have supported this campaign, as we know how detrimental loneliness can be to a persons’ health and wellbeing. We are delighted to support the local community groups and volunteers who work so hard to reach older people, often living alone in rural locations, who can benefit immensely from some company and organised activities, making all the difference to what can otherwise be an extremely lonely and quiet week.”
HIWCF focus on awarding grants to the smaller, lesser known, community and voluntary groups working on the frontline who often need only a few hundred pounds to make a huge difference to local people’s lives. If you would like to find out more about our work or make a donation to HIWCF please go to www.hiwcf.com
