- Area:
- Wales
- Programme:
- Advantage
- Release date:
- 7 3 2012
The Big Lottery Fund celebrates £20 million invested in improving the lives of Older People throughout Wales.
A project that supports older people with Alzheimer’s and a project which uses the power of song to improve the quality of life of over 50’s cancer patients are among the range of organisations throughout Wales who will come together today for a special conference to celebrate the £20million the Big Lottery Fund has invested in improving the lives of older people throughout the Country.
In 2011, 29 projects the length and breadth of Wales shared in the £20 million awarded through the Big Lottery Fund’s (BIG) AdvantAGE programme, which aims to empower older people in Wales by reducing social isolation and developing support services.
Through a series of interactive workshops, networking opportunities and key note speeches from special guests including Ruth Marks, the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, the Making Age an AdvantAGE conference held at the Canolfan Gorseinon Centre in Swansea today (10am – 4pm Wednesday March 7th) provides a golden opportunity for projects to come together to network and enhance their projects through shared learning and experiences.
Those attending the conference will also be treated to a special performance by the BIG funded Tenovus Sing With Us Choir for your Community project, who were awarded nearly one million pounds through the AdvantAGE programme last year to establish 15 new Sing for Life choirs for cancer patients over 50 years old throughout Wales. The choir is also open to their families, carers, friends and those who have been bereaved through cancer across Wales.
Highlighting the importance of the conference, Big Lottery Fund Wales Committee Member and Chair of the AdvantAGE Programme Committee, Fran Targett, said: “Our AdvantAGE programme is designed to improve the quality of life and fill gaps in service provision for older people over fifty. This important conference provides a golden opportunity for the projects we have funded to come together, share best practice and enhance our investment even further.”
“The importance of tackling social isolation and loneliness to improve older people’s wellbeing and quality of life is increasingly recognised on both a national and international level and has been acknowledged by the World Health Organisation. Our extensive research has also identified this as a key area where we could make a positive difference and that’s why we funded these projects throughout Wales.”
Looking forward to the conference and to meeting the projects, the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Ruth Marks, said: “I am very pleased to see this dedicated programme designed to improve services and help older people across Wales.As Commissioner, I regularly hear from older people who suffer from social isolation and loneliness - problems that must be addressed. I look forward to learning more about the AdvantAGE projects and how examples of good practice can be shared to help improve and support the lives of older people across the country.”
The AdvantAGE programme has awarded between £200,000 and £1 million for projects running between three to five years.
For further information about the BIG Lottery Fund and how you can apply for funding, please visit www.biglotteryfund.org.uk and use the ‘Wales’ specific search facility.
Further Information
Big Lottery Fund Press Office – Oswyn Hughes: 02920 678 207
Out of hours contact: 07760 171 431
Public Enquiries Line: 0300 123 0735
Textphone: 0845 6021 659
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Notes to Editors
- The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out half 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. 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 £27 billion has now been raised and more than 370,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.
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