Co-op Warm Spaces Funding Boost has provided £705 of match funding
Together Co. Warm Spaces Socials Fund
Brighton, Brighton and Hove, United Kingdom
Aim
Fundraising for the transport costs of 300 scheme members to attend monthly socials which provide a vital warm safe space for socialising.
Who we are
We are Brighton & Hove’s loneliness charity that create connections to change lives. We do this through award winning befriending, social prescribing, and a range of volunteering programmes. We help people increase independence, confidence & wellbeing. Our work would not be possible without the support of 500+ volunteers who give 17,000+ hours a year. We help people increase independence, confidence & wellbeing. 97% of clients report a positive change in their lives.
In a city of nearly 300,000, no one should be lonely or socially isolated. Together, we can make sure no one is.
The warm spaces socials fund
We are seeking funding to continue holding 24 socials, positively impacting 300 people annually. Each month we will hold one in the centre of Brighton, and one on the outskirts. This allows our service to be more accessible and extend our reach. Activities include bingo, guest speakers, chair yoga, guest singers, and most importantly, a regular and consistent monthly opportunity to socialise and meet friends.
Why we are needed
Without help we will not be able to provide these socials which are an essential part of our service and hugely important to our scheme members.
We know that the befriending socials provide a consistent space for the people we support to come and socialise with people from their local area who may have shared lived experiences. People we support express needs relating to loneliness, lack of hope, low mood, and isolation. Regular socials and interaction with their befriender goes a long way to address this, especially now, as the older people we support are amongst those suffering most from the ongoing impact of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis.
The impact of monthly Socials
- 216 hours of socialising in the city
- Support 300 people a year
- Each person receives 48 hours of social connection
- 48 journeys via community transport with onboard volunteers to assist
- 24 fun and engaging activities to increase positive mood and wellbeing
We extend all socials to those waiting to be placed with a 1 to 1 befriender. This allows us to increase our outreach to individuals on our waiting list ensuring they have support immediately from the initial referral and throughout the matching process.
This project successfully funded on 27th March 2023