National Lottery funding to expand support for our Senior Saints
A funding boost of more than £400k opens an exciting new chapter for our over 60s programme, working in partnership with Communicare.
New National Lottery Community Fund funding of nearly half a million pounds will sustain and grow Senior Saints over an initial period of three years, as well as partnering the programme with local charity Communicare to open up our support to an even wider audience.
Senior Saints supports over 60s in Southampton with maintaining independence and keeping physically and mentally healthy as they get older. 11 free weekly sessions run in venues across the city and cater for a variety of physical abilities, including chair exercise, walking sports, circuit classes, an online session and walks in local parks.
A new referral pathway will create a single point of access for support agencies, with experts from the Foundation and Communicare recommending the best route forward for participants. They will then be supported long-term by both charities, with the provision offered able to flex and move as their needs change.
Paul Hedges, Health Projects Manager at Saints Foundation, said: “Thanks to the National Lottery’s incredibly generous backing, alongside a variety of other funding streams, we’re able to continue making sure the needs of older adults in Southampton are met.
“We’re excited to bring together two organisations with a trusted reputation of working with older adults in our city to expand the offer of Senior Saints and reach even more people that need our support.”
Annie Clewlow, Manager at Communicare, said: “We are delighted to have this opportunity to cement and develop our partnership with Saints Foundation.
“We have been working closely together for some time and this will give us a chance to put things in place that allow us to have even more impact for those we support who are in the older age category.”