Aviva Community Fund provided £62 of match funding
AGE HAPPY (SEARCH)
Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom
Aim
We are raising funds so we can continue to make a difference to the lives of older people living in the West End of Newcastle.
SEARCH is a charity based in the West End of Newcastle that provides a range of support, services and activities to over 50s in the area.
We have spent the last 41 years connecting and bringing older people together in a bid to combat isolation and improve the health and well-being of our Friends of SEARCH (those who use our services). We offer a range of community activities, groups, one to one support, volunteering opportunities, advice and help with claiming benefits and accessing services.
Since the lockdown due to Covid-19, we have had to think on our feet and find new ways to connect, respond and support our Friends of SEARCH. We have also suffered a loss in income due to various funding cuts and fundraising grinding to a halt which is why we are calling upon the pledges from the public to help us to continue our vital work.
Shop and Drop and Medication Pick-up Service
Every Thursday we shop and deliver food to those most vulnerable in the West End who have had to isolate during the lockdown. We also pick up and drop of medication from the pharmacy.
Lunch at Home
We used to run Lunch Clubs for our more socially isolated Friends of SEARCH. Since the lockdown, we have been delivering a two-course lunch at home each week along with an activity and friendly phone call from a volunteer or member of Staff.
Digital Buddies
We have invested in tablets which our Friends of SEARCH can borrow during the lockdown, along with being given basic IT training from our volunteers and colleagues on their doorsteps. This will ensure they can remain digitally connected to their nearest and dearest during this difficult and isolating period of time.
Phone Buddies - Spreading a little sunshine over the phone
Successfully running since April 2020, we started small however the popularity of this service continues to grow week by week aided by some brilliant volunteers. Phone Buddies allows many of our SEARCH Friends to stay connected despite not having the internet. It is based on principals of inclusion and building community connections by phone with groups of 3-4 like-minded individuals offering weekly support to one another.
Bringing Activities online
Since June, we have managed to get over 15 of our Tai Chi group onto Zoom and partaking in the weekly session from their living rooms lead by our Tai Chi instructor. This has given the group great joy at being able to continue their practice and also see familiar faces every week.
Advice and Information Telephone Service
We have been delivering our Advice and Information service over the phone during the lockdown which has allowed us to continue to help those most in need with benefit and housing worries along with a range of other issues.
Monthly Bulletin
We have been sending out a monthly bulletin along with activities to over 400 Friends of SEARCH to help keep them connected and occupied. Many have told us they look forward to receiving it each month and it has often brightened up their day.
Craft Packs
Many of our Friends of SEARCH enjoy crafts so we started to compile craft packs which we hand deliver to many people across the West End to help keep them occupied during a difficult time.
How your money will help us
No matter the pledge, big or small, every little amount with enabling us to continue delivering our important services to
- £5 will pay for a craft pack to be delivered to one of our Friends of SEARCH to keep them occupied and busy during this difficult period.
- £12 will pay for an older person’s lunch at home with an activity pack and a friendly phone call.
- £35 will cover the cost for our weekly Tai Chi Zoom session.
- £70 will pay for a 1-hour community activity such as arts and crafts or Digital Buddies.
- £95 will pay for one person to attend our Advice service session which includes a 20-minute screening phone call and up to two-hours of assistance with form filling.
2-hour face to face form filling will cost about £ 95. - £230 will cover a social event to enable us to bring our Friends of SEARCH together for some much-needed light relief.
- £265 is the cost of our weekly Buy and Bite service in which we take 10-12 people to the supermarket for shopping and lunch.
- £300 will help us deliver lunch at home to 25 older people which includes food, staff, and travel.
- £595 will help us to deliver our weekly Bishops Court Lunch Club for 30 vulnerable and isolated older people.
Please do something amazing today - donate now - and bring joy to an older person in the West End.
This project successfully funded on 7th October 2020