Anchor links with other charities to create the new Transformation Fund

SMT - Merchant House, Clifton, Bristol, Portraits. ©Barbara Evripidou/FirstAvenuePhotography.com
SMT – Merchant House, Clifton, Bristol, Portraits. ©Barbara Evripidou/FirstAvenuePhotography.com

The Anchor Society and five other leading charitable trusts have joined forces to create a £100,000 fund that will benefit the lives of older people living in Bristol.

The Bristol Older People’s Funding Alliance will award transformation grants of up to £15,000 to organisations that deliver vital services to older people in the local area, such as those that tackle loneliness and isolation.

The alliance will be chaired by the Dean of Bristol, Dr David Hoyle and is made up of the Quartet Community Foundation, The St Monica Trust, The Anchor Society, John James Bristol Foundation, The Dolphin Society and the Society of Merchant Venturers.

The Dean of Bristol, Dr David Hoyle, said: “This is a historic moment for Bristol and marks the first time ever that six of the city’s leading charitable trust’s have linked arms to create an alliance of this kind.“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 Bristol Older People’s Funding Alliance aims to help organisations change and adapt to meet the challenges posed by cuts to their traditional sources of funding.

Chief Executive of the Anchor Society, Richard Pendlebury, said “A number of us are already working together across the city to improve the lives of older people and we are delighted that this fund will further cement these important relationships.”

The fund will help organisations become sustainable, improve existing services or develop innovations that will have a positive effect on the quality of life for older people.

The St Monica Trust’s Director of Development and Research, Sara Naylor-Wild, said: “It’s a similar principle to Dragon’s Den where each member of the alliance can choose which project they would like to fund and they will then be responsible for that particular project’s delivery.”

The type of projects that can be supported by the fund, include setting up social enterprises, gaining skills to enhance fundraising activities, setting up mergers and using technology to improve their efficiency and reach.

Vanessa Moon, President of The Dolphin Society, said: “We are delighted to be part of this joint initiative, which aligns perfectly with our charitable objectives to support the elderly and disabled in Bristol to live independently and safely in their own homes.”

The fund will be managed by Bristol Ageing Better, a Big Lottery funded programme that is working with individuals and organisations to reduce isolation and loneliness amongst older people in Bristol.

All organisations will be asked to complete an Expression of Interest form and submit it before the deadline of Thursday 22 February. The successful organisations that meet the fund’s criteria will then be shortlisted and invited to complete a full application for funding.

For more information about The Bristol Older People’s Funding Alliance and to request an Expression of Interest form, please email bab@ageukbristol.org.uk, call 0117 928 1539 or go to www.agefriendlybristol.org.uk/transformation-fund/

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