Cash for isolated
ORGANISATIONS in Halton have been invited to bid for funding aimed at reducing feelings of isolation among pensioners.
The Happy Older People (HOP) fund was created in 2014 with the goal of increasing engagement in arts and culture.
It was created by National Museums Liverpool in conjunction with LightNight festival organisers Open Culture.
Six HOP pots of up to £300 each are now available for partnership projects developed by an arts or cultural organisations working alongside another group to make it easier to access the arts.
Past projects have included themed craft workshops for sheltered housing schemes, a ‘digital surgery’ and exercise opportunities.
Rachael Treacher, Open Culture’s HOP project manager, said: “The point of HOP is to create an opportunity for arts organisations to connect with older people, and what better way to do this than to go straight to the organisations that work alongside these people on a daily basis?
“Collaborating of mutual benefit, and although £300 doesn’t sound like a lot, it is a great is ● kickstarter for creating some simple projects that can make a huge difference to improving the lives of the older people who are being reached.”
Rachael said: “Last year our funding pots went towards projects enabling older people to access digital technology in an arts and culture setting.
“So many older people think they are past the point of being able to use digital technology as it’s essentially learning a new skill, but the projects we funded challenged this perception and opened up a whole host of new opportunities to the older people they worked with.
“It just shows that arts and culture is a great start- ing point for helping isolated older people in our local communities to add more enjoyment and positivity to their lives.
“Aside from offering funding, the HOP network provides a fantastic opportunity for organisations to get together regularly and find ways to reach out to older people and open doors to new experiences that would have otherwise been closed.”
The applications deadline is Monday, July 17.
Further details and the application form can be found at www.happyolderpeople.com
Alternatively, email rachaelt@ culture. org. uk for more information.