Legacy
Legacy
Please note: this post is 60 months old and The Cares Family is no longer operational. This post is shared for information only
January 2020 means we have reached the dawn of a new decade, and at South London Cares it indicates another important milestone - we are halfway through our Winter Wellbeing project!
By the end of December, we had spoken with 491 older neighbours and gone on to provide 283 of them with 669 deeper interventions. These included 344 individual warm items and 325 types of alternative support.
This level of impact is a result of having the ongoing support of communities and organisations across Southwark and Lambeth. Below we reflect on the nature of these collaborations, the people we have met, and discuss plans for the second half of the project!
We partnered with Hyde Housing on a project to knock on the doors of 296 residents over the age of 65. We spoke with 124 neighbours across both boroughs and provided 54 of them with 165 deeper interventions.
This included 80-year-old Brenda, who we met in Stockwell, SW4. We put her in touch with Repowering London to help make her home more energy efficient. Brenda was also very keen to sign up for our Social Clubs and told us: "It's lovely to see youngsters round here, it doesn't happen a lot – it's nice to mix people together. Just because I'm older doesn't mean I'm fuddy-duddy – do you do hiking and skydiving? I'd be up for that!".
Then we met 91-year-old Laconia in Bermondsey, SE1. We provided her with some warm clothing, some assistance with her housing, and a small grant to put towards her bills. She was full of lively chat, and when we mentioned her incredible energy levels she replied: 'Yes but the energy is no longer in my legs, now it all goes to my mouth!'. Laconia is a beautiful soul, and we hope she signs up for our Love Your Neighbour programme as we think she'd make a brilliant match for a younger neighbour in her local area.
We also teamed up with Watmos Community Homes to run three coffee mornings at their housing estates in Lambeth. During these events, we spoke with 30 older neighbours and provided 25 of them with 111 interventions, most of which were items to help them stay warm in the cold winter weather.
At their Thorlands Estate in Camberwell, SE5, we met Albert (78). On top of some warm clothing, we supported him with a referral to SHINE to help with his energy efficiency and signposted him to three other community organisations who could provide him with additional guidance and advice.
Albert was full of positivity and faith, and told us that he lived by the mantra: 'When you do good, good will follow you'. We all need more Albert in our lives, and we hope to soon welcome him into our other programmes!
To continue deepening our relationships with community partners, we held our second ever Winter Warmer event at Pembroke House in Walworth, SE17. Throughout the afternoon, 45 neighbours met 20 partners from 13 organisations and everyone shared information and stories about the various help and support available. You can read about it in this blog.
We had some great feedback from partners and neighbours, like 75-year-old Rita, who told us: 'It was really useful going to all the tables and talking to people and learning about the different organisations, and how to keep warm with low energy. I loved it all, so please do it again!'.
Great news - we will be doing precisely that as the project nears its end in March! This time we will be at the Harry Caddick Community Centre in Camberwell, Lambeth, SE5 on Friday 27th March 2020. If you would like to attend then please email Matt.
Many partners offer us a similar opportunity by inviting us to attend events they are running so we can speak to members of their networks about the project and the various support available.
For instance, in October, we attended the 'Come and Try Day' organised by the Older Person's Assessment Unit at Guys Hospital. We spoke to 10 older neighbours, signed six up to receive our Social Club programme, and signposted nine to other local organisations.
In the last three months we have kindly been hosted by Guys and St Thomas, West Norwood Library, Watmos, Southwark Pensioners, BETTER Leisure, Valley Road Surgery PPG, St Johns Ambulance, Kingswood House, Time & Talents, Lambeth Larder, Quay Health Solutions, and Wrap Up London.
We have received 121 referrals from community partners, family members, friends, and current older neighbours. Such as 76-year-old Rose, who was referred to us by Sandra, an older neighbour already in our network. We supported Rose with some warm items and signposted her to three other local organisations. Rose used to work in her community until she retired, and beamed as she told us: "young people are in my heart!".
This year has seen an unprecedented number of warm items distributed to help neighbours stay one step ahead of the cold weather. This would not be possible if it was not for the kind and generous donations of some of our corporate partners.
The team at NKD went shopping in Brixton and dropped off a huge haul to us shortly before Christmas. And with the help of Better Bankside, the folks at STR Data donated 350 individual items to to the project. This community love means that we will be able to support more people in more ways, and we are all incredibly thankful for their generosity.
Winter Wellbeing is also heavily reliant on the goodwill of our network as a whole. The project is predominantly funded by our Community Fundraising activities, and in particular, by the BigGive Campaign - a matched fundraising pot that doubles the money raised during one week in December.
Over these seven days, we received 128 donations from individuals and organisations across our network, which totalled a very humbling £12,612, (£14,180 after Gift Aid).
This incredibly strong spirit of sharing highlights how Winter Wellbeing succeeds - by a community coming together to ensure its members have what they need to stay vibrant, visible and connected.
Over the next three months, we will continue to assist the older neighbours of Southwark and Lambeth in the following ways:
Provide free warm items - deliver thermal clothing, blankets, flasks and other warm items direct to neighbours' doors.
Keep homes warm - connect neighbours to organisations that can improve their home's energy efficiency and help reduce their bills.
Assist with finances - arrange small grants and specialist advice for people in difficult circumstances who are struggling to afford everything they need to get through the tough winter months.
Connect to the community - introduce neighbours to brilliant social activities and events in the local area.
As can be seen, our ability to do all of this is completely reliant on the community around us. As part of that community, we would love for you to take part in the project and there are numerous ways of doing so. If you know or work with neighbours who are 65 years old or above and who live in Southwark or Lambeth, then you can:
- Refer someone who could benefit from the project by using this referral form on our website.
- Arrange for us to visit your workplace and speak about the project to colleagues or older neighbours in your network.
- Attend our next Winter Warmer event as a community partner or neighbour.
- Volunteer, fundraise, or help to spread the word!
To sign up or find out more please call us on 0207 118 0404 (option 1) or email Matt and we will shortly be in touch.
We look forward to hearing from you!
