Older people to benefit from National Lottery funded loneliness project

Older people will be given the chance to confront loneliness thanks to £98k awarded to The ExtraCare Charitable Trust by The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, to deliver the Confronting Loneliness Project.

ExtraCare, a registered charity that exists to create better lives for older people, will deliver a programme of tailored support to improve the confidence of its residents and those in the wider community who are facing loneliness, over the next three years. A series of confidence workshops to empower people to engage in social activity and ‘chatty cafes’ will be delivered at ExtraCare’s Earlsdon Park Village in Coventry and retirement villages in Birmingham, and rolled out across its villages if successful.

The project launch coincides with the start of Loneliness Awareness Week (17-21 June), an annual event to raise awareness of loneliness. Older people are especially vulnerable to isolation. Loneliness can have a serious affect on an individual’s health – as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day[1], and a knock on detrimental impact on the NHS.

The announcement also follows the release of the charity’s recent research results with Aston and Lancaster Universities that found 87% of its residents living in its retirement communities are ‘never or hardly ever’ lonely. A great result but one that highlighted the need to identify and support those who are facing isolation.

A dedicated social engagement supporter has been recruited by the charity to run the initiative and will enhance the village’s existing specialist team of dementia and mental health, and well-being advisors. Volunteers will be trained to support by becoming ‘befrienders’ and ‘buddies’.

The retirement villages also offer an array of activity including tai-chi, woodwork, chair yoga, choir singing and quiz nights. Longbridge village in Birmingham has a successful stay and play group bringing together older people and young children – intergenerational activity is known to have a positive impact on people of all ages something highlighted in the charity’s involvement in the BAFTA-nominated Channel 4 show Old People’s Home for 4 Year-Olds.

Matt Poole, Head of Regional Funding for the Midlands at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players we are able to support more projects addressing loneliness and social isolation than any other funder in the UK.

Over 4,500 residents, aged 55-100+ live in the charity’s retirement communities across the Midlands and further south, most with 250 plus homes and up to 18 facilities including gyms, shops, hair salons, IT suites, hobby rooms and bistro restaurants. Residents live in one or two-bedroom apartments with care, well-being and dementia support available. For many their new homes have meant new friends and a new lease of life with access to a wide range of activities and volunteering opportunities.

ENDS

For more information, interviews and case studies please contact: Cheryl Flounders on 02476 507 917 or at cheryl.flounders@extracare.org.uk

The ExtraCare Charitable Trust

ExtraCare is a registered charity established in 1988 and based in Coventry. Our vision is better lives for older people and our mission is creating sustainable communities that provide homes older people want, lifestyles they can enjoy and care if it’s needed. To deliver our vision and mission we essentially do three things:

• We develop new villages
• We operate villages and schemes
• We support our villages, schemes and our ‘extra-care’ model through fundraising, advocacy and research

Each village or scheme has 5 to 18 social, health and leisure facilities that are accessible to our residents, volunteers and local people representing all age groups living in surrounding communities. Our Charity Shops help fund care and well-being services for older people living at our each of our locations.

extracare.org.uk

About The National Lottery Community Fund

We are the largest funder of community activity in the UK – we’re proud to award money raised by National Lottery players to communities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Since June 2004, we have made over 200,000 grants and awarded over £9 billion to projects that have benefited millions of people.

We are passionate about funding great ideas that matter to communities and make a difference to people’s lives. At the heart of everything we do is the belief that when people are in the lead, communities thrive. Thanks to the support of National Lottery players, our funding is open to everyone. We’re privileged to be able to work with the smallest of local groups right up to UK-wide charities, enabling people and communities to bring their ambitions to life.

[1] https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/health-wellbeing/loneliness/