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Bristol charities come together to tackle cuts
Some of Bristol’s leading charitable trusts have clubbed together to create a £100,000 fund to help support services to the elderly.
The Bristol Older People’s Funding Alliance will be made up of contributions from notable charitable societies such as The Dolphin Society, The Quartet Community Foundation, John James Bristol Foundation, St Monica’s Trust and the Society of Merchant Venturers. It will be chaired by the Dean of Bristol, Dr David Hoyle.
The decision to create the fund came off the back of a discussion with Dr Hoyle and the CEOs of the charities involved.
is needed now More than ever
Prominent members of local charities have joined together, to create the Older People’s Funding Alliance
The project’s main intention is to help smaller organisations become more financially sustainable, so as to maximise the impact they can have on communities.
Organisations that assist with issues like loneliness and mental health can apply for up to £15,000 each to help with sustainability projects, such as advice about fundraising techniques. The money can also be used to help with current services and new innovations.
“We live in a time where there is just less money in general, so getting the most out of what you have is very important” said Sara Naylor-Wild, director of development and research at St Monica’s Trust.
“In the past, organisations have relied on what they can make through fundraising. As money gets tighter, this limits their effectiveness, so we hope that by providing better training to the smaller charities, we can ensure they can keep operating effectively for a long time.”
Sarah Naylor-Wild from St Monica’s Trust
This is the first time charities have worked together this way in Bristol. All the charities have contributed based on their means and they hope that if the project turns up positive results, further investment could come from national funding agencies like the National Lottery.
“This is an historic moment for Bristol and marks the first time that six of the city’s leading charitable trusts have linked arms to create an alliance of this kind,” said Dr David Hoyle.
“With cuts to traditional sources of funding for organisations that support older people, we hope that forming the Bristol Older People’s Funding Alliance will give them the breathing space to continue to provide their much needed services in the future.”
The welfare of old people has become a major concern for many in light of recent budget cuts, with loneliness and a lack of social activity strongly linked to causes of serious mental health issues.
It is estimated that up to 2.3 million elderly people nationwide could be missing out on vital social care after years of budget cuts, amounting to billions of pounds. The scale of the problem in Bristol has been further exacerbated by a proposed £3 million worth of further cuts to dementia and disability services.
Organisations that wish to apply for the funding must submit an expression of interest form by the deadline on Thursday, February 22 2018 by visiting www.agefriendlybristol.org.uk/transformation-fund
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