LOCAL CHARITIES JOIN IN NEW INITIATIVE TO COMBAT ISOLATION
Local charities Aspire Living and Age Concern Hereford and Localities are to join forces to pilot a brand new initiative specifically aimed at older people with a learning disability.
The aim of the project is to establish a network of volunteers to help older people with learning disabilities make friends with people in their local communities and to help them access groups and clubs where they can meet people.
People with learning disabilities are living into old age and like the rest of the population can experience conditions associated with old age like mobility problems and dementia. For people with learning disabilities it can leave them isolated and very vulnerable because they may not have the social skills to make friends.
The venture will be funded from money awarded to Aspire living by the national Transition Fund. It will not replace service provision lost through the recent cuts which has seen places at the only day centre in Herefordshire for older people with learning disabilities cut to only 13 places, but it will provide an alternative.
Age Concern Hereford and Localities who currently do not cater for this group of individuals, and Aspire are both keen to learn from this pilot as the number of older people with learning disabilities in the county is growing and currently the only provision is Aspire’s Tan Brook centre in Hereford.
Leominster and Ross-on-Wye have been selected for the pilot and the scheme will be managed by Jane Colbourn from Aspire Living. Age Concern and Aspire have recruited two development officers; Annie Gamble (Age Concern) for the Leominster area and Suzanne Rollinson for Ross on Wye (Aspire Living)
Volunteers are needed now to help get this unique initiative off the ground – as well as helping people access local services and activities, it is the long term aim to create friendship circles, use local social clubs to help break down some of the barriers which those with learning disabilities face, and a one to one ‘buddy’ scheme which is the main thrust of the pilot project.
If successful it is hoped that funding can be achieved to ensure the scheme can be extended to cover more of the county and provide for greater numbers of people for whom social isolation is a real issue.
Colette Colman, CEO of Age Concern Hereford and Localities said “This is a great opportunity for us to work with Aspire on this pilot project. The expertise from both organisations can be shared and we are hoping that a successful pilot will lead to a new service in the future”.
Judith Weir, CEO of Aspire Living said “Partnership working is the way forward and we welcome this opportunity to work with Age Concern, Hereford and Localities in meeting the needs of older people with learning disabilities in Herefordshire”
