New grants announced

We are delighted to announce several new grants that are increasing our reach to Southwark’s older residents and improving their well-being.

In Nunhead, our grant is supporting the running costs of The Ivy Club which meets weekly at Nunhead Green Community Centre in SE15 for 1 year from June 2022. The investment is critical as Nunhead has the lowest life expectancy for men and for women in Southwark and the area suffers poor transport links generally.

In Dulwich, we have awarded an unrestricted grant to Link Age Southwark for core costs for 1 year starting from June 2022. The charity provides high quality services that support the wellbeing of around 750 older people in Southwark annually. 

In Peckham, we are funding the development and running costs of the community cafe at Copleston Centre over 2 years from June 2022 to connect older people living in and around Peckham and East Dulwich.

In West Bermondsey, we have given two grants. One to Entelechy Arts for the ‘Bermondsey roaming’ programme, a series of creative workshops starting in September for 9 months with residents of Tower Bridge Care Home, including art, poetry, writing, movement, memory cards (to simulate conversation), music, and singing. The activities are based on the needs and interests of residents and delivered by sessional artists at residents bedsides, and in communal spaces at the Care Home with trips to external Southwark venues at the end of each of the series. The other was to The Guinness Trust Estate Tenants Association Pages Walk by New Kent Road for a platinum Jubilee celebration on 4 June. A significant proportion of the tenants are aged 55 plus and have spent much of the last two years isolating. They enjoyed food and refreshments, a singalong and dancing with their neighbours.

In South Bermondsey and Rotherhithe we are supporting Bede House to deliver the award winning Inside Outside project for 1 year from July 2022 which delivers free outdoor handyperson tasks and jobs to around 35 local older people, normally within a mile radius of Bede Centre, over the course of a year. Bede’s clients, with mild to moderate learning disabilities, deliver the tasks to help older people to remain safe in their homes and gardens. If you’d like more information on the service please email: carolebrady@bedehouse.org

And in Borough we supported Mint Street Music Festival C.I.C. to deliver live music and dance for older people at the Age UK Stones End Day Centre’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations on 1 June.

We will continue to invest in community organisations and charities that demonstrably improve the well-being of Southwark older residents aged 55 and above. For further information on our grants programme please contact: grants@southwarkcharities.org.uk