- Area:
- West Midlands
- Programme:
- Reaching Communities
- Release date:
- 11 9 2012
Empowering older people across the Black Country to make the right care choices is one of five West Midlands projects to share in National Lottery good cause funding today, totalling close to £1million.
People of all ages across Sandwell, Dudley, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Redditch, Telford, Kidderminster, Coventry and Birmingham are benefiting today from a range of projects that also include counselling for those with complex needs, training to help people into work and mentoring for children struggling at school.
The projects are funded through Big Lottery Fund’s flagship Reaching Communities programme which aims to help those most in need and build stronger communities.
Safe and Settled Ltd receives £163,143 to run an ‘Advocacy and Community and Development Volunteer Programme’. This new social enterprise aims to provide a service to people requiring care in Dudley, with plans to roll it out across the Black Country to reach 1,500 individuals. The project aims to empower older people – or their family, friends of carers – to make the right decision about the care they or their loved one needs. This is done through partnering people with trained peer volunteers.
The group will work in collaboration with Dudley Metropolitan Council and the Social Care Institute of Excellence to deliver the project – with significant help from volunteer peer mentors. These mentors will help others to navigate around care and support systems, exploring their needs and desires, reviewing all available options and helping them to make the right decision about care choices. Support is offered for an agreed period of time to make sure that older people are settled into their new care arrangements. The project will help people to help themselves, which will result in fewer interventions and greater stability in care arrangements.
Jan Burns, Chief Officer at Safe and Settled said: “Safe and Settled is a service that was established to empower people to make the right care choices. The project will enhance this service by providing an ongoing, advocacy and advice provision, delivered by older people working as volunteers.
“They will be recruited and developed from within the community, sharing their valuable knowledge, skills and expertise as required. The project will promote active living, give communities the tools to address their own specific needs and enhance the quality of life for older people.”
Mentor Link receives £414,074 to expand its current work in Kidderminster and Redditch into Dudley and Telford. The group aims to support children and young people who are struggling with issues either inside or outside school. They will be referred to the project via their school and with family approval the organisation will match the young person with a suitable mentor. The mentor will meet the young person each week to listen to any problems and help them improve self-esteem and develop a more positive attitude towards learning. Advice will also be given to deal with any issues that come to light.
And Centre Spot CIC is awarded £72,076 to use a range of healthy activities and creative learning to get young people in Walsall, Sandwell and Wolverhampton onto the right track for a successful future. Expanding on a football-based pilot, the project will target young people who find themselves socially or educationally excluded and offer positive activities in areas such as sport, dance, health, media and art.
Funding of £117,243 will enable Brandwood Centre Community Association in Birmingham to offer training courses in areas such as customer service, environmental health, first aid, health and safety, CV sessions, interviewing skills and food safety to help people into paid work. Finally, Valley House receives £229,303 to extend its emotional and psychological support for people with deep-seated complex needs. Pre and post counselling support will be offered along with drop-in sessions, on-line and telephone counselling and guidance, advice and information.
John Taylor, Big Lottery Fund’s Head of the West Midlands region, said: “I am really pleased to see such a range of great initiatives getting BIG funding today. From helping children get on the right track at school, to supporting older people get the best care, today’s projects show how Reaching Communities continues to reach people of all ages and backgrounds across the region.”
Further Information
Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours media contact: 07867 500 572
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Ask BIG a question here: https://ask.biglotteryfund.org.uk
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Notes to Editors
- The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
- BIG is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK. Since June 2004 BIG has awarded over £4.4bn.
- The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
- Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to good causes. As a result, over £28 billion has now been raised and more than 383,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.
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