Big Lottery Success for Manor Farm Community Association!

Rushall based charity Manor Farm Community Association is proud to announce a major funding success having been awarded £325,467 from the Big Lottery Reaching Communities Fund.

The Big Lottery award will allow the charity to continue its hugely successful “Silver Scheme” project for the next 3 years and expand on the wide range of support services it provides for older people in the Rushall, Hatherton, Pelsall, Shelfield, Bloxwich and Brownhills areas of the town.

The scheme originally ran as a Big Lottery funded 12 month pilot from January to December 2013 and provided a 'one stop' service to assist older people in need regardless of their problems and with the main aim of reducing loneliness, social isolation and helping to keep people happy and healthy in their own homes and out of hospital and residential care.

Using staff and a recruited team of over 80 local volunteers the scheme very rapidly became an overwhelming success supporting over 1,000 local elderly people providing a wide range of services from befriending, essential transport to hospital and health care appointments, luncheon clubs, domestic services and home maintenance, gardening, etc.

Gary Bird, Chief Executive of the Charity said “The demand for the services and the support from local people volunteering has been staggering and demonstrated just how essential these services are and the difference they can make to our older community. When the funding ran out in December 2013 we lost all the staff but from the huge demand within the community we knew we had to carry on the service as best we could. With the help of our dedicated volunteers, we have continued to do as much as possible but this Big Lottery award will really make a huge difference and has secured the work for the next three years.”

“Our society has an increasingly older and isolated community and our scheme aims to support them and improve their lives where possible. Many have seen significant changes in their lives and now need support when they face difficulties like depression, ill-health, bereavement and loneliness. Helping tidy their garden, take them to hospital, maintain their home or provide social activities where they can get a healthy meal and share some happy memories with people their own age is the least we can do.”

Anyone wishing to find out more information about the ‘Silver Scheme’ or interested in becoming a volunteer should contact the Association on 01922 614316