Legacy
Legacy
Please note: this post is 106 months old and The Cares Family is no longer operational. This post is shared for information only
Our Winter Wellbeing project 2015/2016 focused on a major community outreach effort in Southwark and Lambeth during the harshest time of year – a time when already isolated people can find themselves even less likely to leave the house, and less likely to access the resources and friendships that make life great.
Over the course of the project we met over a thousand older neighbours: at bus stops, foodbanks, in supermarkets and doctors’ surgeries, on the doorstep and at tenants’ meetings. Through those all important one-to-one conversations, we identified people in need of support, and helped them to stay warm, active, healthy and connected through a combination of activities, provisions, referrals and new friendships.
There are hundreds of stories that attest to a really deep need for this project. There’s Wayne, whose 15-year old coat was so ripped that he was loath to leave the house for fear of the cold but who needed to get out for cancer treatment. We gave Wayne a grant to purchase a new warm coat which he said eased his fears.
Then there’s Patrick, who told us he felt “like a real person” after we helped him out of the house to get a haircut, and who now has weekly visits from his new friend, South London Cares volunteer Lucy. We’re even assembling a team to sort out his garden in time for summer!
And of course, there are many more such stories. Check out the infographic below:
In the context of a dramatically ageing population, huge pressures on Council and health services, rapidly changing communities and a loneliness epidemic, especially in our big cities, this project has become an integral part of how the community looks out for and connects our older neighbours during the most difficult time of year, when the days are short and the weather can be bleak.
The infographic and report (please see below) tell many more of these stories of connection – how our teams linked older neighbours to the people and places around them so they do not feel left alone or left behind by the pace of change in our city, and how we connected neighbours in Southwark and Lambeth to the many wonderful people, services and activities on their doorstep.
Please do give the report a read and share it if you can. We’re thrilled we could build on the work of our 2014/15 Winter Wellbeing pilot and with this year’s project increase the number of people supported by 145%. With your help we hope to reach and support even more older neighbours in 2016/17 – and for many years beyond.