How we’re reaching older people through their local communities

As we continue to explore our renewed focus on financial hardship, learn more about how supporting local organisations helps older people with practical support and comfort

In order to tackle financial hardship in later life, Independent Age will focus on four key areas to help us create lasting and sustainable change. These strategic areas are Income, Costs, Community and Home.

We’ve recently discussed our plans for Home which will ensure everyone has access to safe and secure housing in later life. While our work on Incomes will push for the State Pension to work for everyone.

As part of our Community plans, we will help older people reconnect with their communities while supporting local organisations working directly with those in later life.

Grant-making has become central to our work improving the lives of older people. By supporting smaller organisations working closely within communities around the country, we hope to reach those most in need.

In the past year, Independent Age launched a Cost-of-living Grants Fund in response to difficulties so many older people have faced during the cost-of-living crisis.

This emergency fund of £2 million, supported by the Pension Insurance Corporation, allowed us to support 50 community organisations across the UK.

Each organisation is in some way focused on economic deprivation and works with people in vulnerable communities. We received a huge number of applicants for the grant which has shown us that we can aid real positive change with those in need through our grants and partnerships programmes.

This success has already been seen in our partnership with the Birmingham Asian Resource Centre (BARC).

Located in Birmingham’s inner-city neighbourhood of Handsworth, BARC has been a cornerstone of the community since 1977.

Originally founded to campaign on social justice and provide refuge for victims of domestic abuse, its mission has expanded to focus on supporting Handsworth’s older population and their carers. The charity offers them a chance to socialise, exercise, and attend advice clinics.

This includes a warm hub where as many as 30 older people can enjoy a hot meal and have a conversation with others in their community. Most of the older people BARC works with have no additional income beyond the State Pension and so rely on charity support to make ends meet.

Juma Begum is Project Coordinator and Centre Manager at BARC. Whilst speaking about her job, she describes how they have been able to support an older resident: “One gentleman in his 70s, who used to be a tailor, came to us and said though he is no longer able to sew himself, he wanted to teach others how to make traditional Asian attire and pass on his knowledge to the next generation,” she explains.

“The change in him since doing this has been incredible, and he says this has given him the opportunity to grow in self-confidence and value himself. With Independent Age’s help, I hope that we are able to help more people like him live happier, healthier lives.”

Like many charities, BARC has been hit hard with surging inflation, threatening its work. But, with support from Independent Age’s Grants Fund, the organisation has been able to enhance and expand its services to tackle loneliness and poverty.

This includes new health and wellbeing programmes for older residents whose first language is not English.

In addition to this, BARC has expanded its financial advice surgeries, which are more crucial than ever during the cost-of-living crisis.

Juma explains that in Handsworth “the impact of the cost-of-living crisis has been truly horrendous”.

“The area we’re in suffers from high levels of deprivation; people who already had very little now are really struggling,” she says. “We are seeing between 50 and 70 new faces every month.”

At the advice surgeries, attendees can receive assessments for benefits, grants and trust funds with the aim of maximising their income. Furthermore, volunteers provide practical support such as affordable payment plans for utilities.

For Dan Ellitts, Grants Consultant at Independent Age, the success BARC is achieving shows why the Grants programmes are so worthwhile: Having been inundated with grant applications, we can see that this form of partnership is beneficial for organisations and the older people they support across the UK,” he says.

“We are incredibly proud to work with and fund some of the vital work BARC has been doing as part of our Emergency Cost-of-living Grants Fund.

Having supported the community for nearly 50 years, I know that BARC is perfectly placed to provide support to the older people of Handsworth.”

BARC is a wonderful example of the work we hope to achieve with the Grants projects. We’re excited to see how our relationships with other recipients develop, and as Independent Age gains new partners, we hope to hear even more success stories.

If you’d like to learn more about our Grant-making, click here.