Community Fund gets priorities right

21 May 2003

Community Fund gets priorities right and awards £2.1 million to older people

Over the last 12 months the Community Fund in Wales targeted older people and their carers as one of their four main priority groups. To date they have hit their targets with £2,120,317 awarded to older people and their carers in Wales over the last year alone

Over 40,000 people in Wales are affected by dementia; Alzheimer's is the commonest form. It is a condition that predominantly affects the elderly but in rare cases it can also affect younger people.

The Alzheimer's Society is one of several groups working in this field, helping older people and their carers. A development award of £151,988 from the Community Fund will be used by the Abergavenny branch to provide befriending services for people with dementia and their carers.

Unpaid carers deliver a large proportion of care to people with dementia. The project in Abergavenny will recruit volunteers who will receive full training and specialist induction. They will befriend and support sufferers and carers to manage the anxiety, stress and isolation caused by the condition.

Development worker Sue Phelps said: " We're absolutely thrilled with this grant from the Community Fund as it will allow us to continue our work and expand our services to the Newport area. The volunteers we recruit will help sufferers continue with the simple pleasures for as long as possible - playing bowls, swimming, visiting garden centres or going to the cinema. They'll also provide information and advice on all sorts of issues to sufferers and their carers.

"We saw that there was a gap for support in the early stages as statutory bodies do not become involved until the individual reaches crisis point. Our regular person centred support, will continue from diagnosis until the service is no longer required - this can be years in some cases. Dementia sufferers constitute three quarters of the people who require long term care and are among the most vulnerable - they deserve the highest level of attention and support and the Community Fund grant will make this possible."

Elsewhere Welfare of Aged Persons Rest Centre in Ebbw Vale are celebrating a grant of £124,277 which will enable the refurbishment of the existing centre, so that community services can continue and expand. Albany United Reformed Church and Haverfordwest Methodist Church will set up, a luncheon club for socially isolated older people in the community, following a grant of £110,313 to refurbish an existing hall which provides a meeting place for the wider community. Older people will be among the beneficiaries of a grant of £50,078 to Denbighshire Victim Support Scheme, who will give information, advice, emotional support and equipment fitting services to those affected by crime.

Community Fund have awarded a total amount of £1,275,278 to voluntary and community groups across Wales in this latest announcement of grants.

Groups seeking application forms or further information should visit the website: www.community-fund.org.uk or call 0845 7 91 91 91 (English) or 0845 7 273 273 (Welsh)

Notes to Editors

1.The Community Fund is the operating name of the National Lottery Charities Board, an independent body set up by Parliament to distribute funds to support charitable, benevolent and philanthropic organisations. There are 17 Board members, including the Chair. Decisions on grants are made by the members in grant-making committees for Wales, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the UK as a whole.

2.The Community Fund's grants programmes are awarded by the Wales Committee. Members in Wales are Jeff Carroll (Chair) and Elisabeth Watkins. Co-opted Members to the Committee are Margaret Dennis, Jenny Lewis and Dr Glyn Williams.

3.The Fund's main aim is to give grants mainly to groups who help those at greatest disadvantage and also to improve the quality of life in the community.

4.Since October 1995, the Community Fund, through its grants programmes, has distributed £142 million to groups across Wales.

5.Full lists of Community Fund's grants are published on the internet at www.community-fund.org.uk and full lists of all Lottery distributors grants are listed at www.lottery.culture.gov.uk.

Note to Designers

The Community Fund logo is as it appears on this press release. (The "crossed finger" logo is a trademark for the National Lottery and is therefore not for the Community Fund use).

For media enquiries please call Deian Creunant on 01686 611705.

	21 May 2003 Community Fund gets priorities right and awards £2.1 million to older people
	Over the last 12 months the Community Fund in Wales targeted older people and their carers as one of their four main priority groups. To date they have hit their targets with £2,120,317 awarded to older people and their carers in Wales over the last year alone Over 40,000 people in Wales are affected by dementia; Alzheimer's is the commonest form. It is a condition that predominantly affects the elderly but in rare cases it can also affect younger people. The Alzheimer's Society is one of several groups working in this field, helping older people and their carers. A development award of £151,988 from the Community Fund will be used by the Abergavenny branch to provide befriending services for people with dementia and their carers. Unpaid carers deliver a large proportion of care to people with dementia. The project in Abergavenny will recruit volunteers who will receive full training and specialist induction. They will befriend and support sufferers and carers to manage the anxiety, stress and isolation caused by the condition. Development worker Sue Phelps said: " We're absolutely thrilled with this grant from the Community Fund as it will allow us to continue our work and expand our services to the Newport area. The volunteers we recruit will help sufferers continue with the simple pleasures for as long as possible - playing bowls, swimming, visiting garden centres or going to the cinema. They'll also provide information and advice on all sorts of issues to sufferers and their carers. "We saw that there was a gap for support in the early stages as statutory bodies do not become involved until the individual reaches crisis point. Our regular person centred support, will continue from diagnosis until the service is no longer required - this can be years in some cases. Dementia sufferers constitute three quarters of the people who require long term care and are among the most vulnerable - they deserve the highest level of attention and support and the Community Fund grant will make this possible." Elsewhere Welfare of Aged Persons Rest Centre in Ebbw Vale are celebrating a grant of £124,277 which will enable the refurbishment of the existing centre, so that community services can continue and expand. Albany United Reformed Church and Haverfordwest Methodist Church will set up, a luncheon club for socially isolated older people in the community, following a grant of £110,313 to refurbish an existing hall which provides a meeting place for the wider community. Older people will be among the beneficiaries of a grant of £50,078 to Denbighshire Victim Support Scheme, who will give information, advice, emotional support and equipment fitting services to those affected by crime. Community Fund have awarded a total amount of £1,275,278 to voluntary and community groups across Wales in this latest announcement of grants. Groups seeking application forms or further information should visit the website: www.community-fund.org.uk or call 0845 7 91 91 91 (English) or 0845 7 273 273 (Welsh) Notes to Editors 1.The Community Fund is the operating name of the National Lottery Charities Board, an independent body set up by Parliament to distribute funds to support charitable, benevolent and philanthropic organisations. There are 17 Board members, including the Chair. Decisions on grants are made by the members in grant-making committees for Wales, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the UK as a whole. 2.The Community Fund's grants programmes are awarded by the Wales Committee. Members in Wales are Jeff Carroll (Chair) and Elisabeth Watkins. Co-opted Members to the Committee are Margaret Dennis, Jenny Lewis and Dr Glyn Williams. 3.The Fund's main aim is to give grants mainly to groups who help those at greatest disadvantage and also to improve the quality of life in the community. 4.Since October 1995, the Community Fund, through its grants programmes, has distributed £142 million to groups across Wales. 5.Full lists of Community Fund's grants are published on the internet at www.community-fund.org.uk and full lists of all Lottery distributors grants are listed at www.lottery.culture.gov.uk. Note to Designers The Community Fund logo is as it appears on this press release. (The "crossed finger" logo is a trademark for the National Lottery and is therefore not for the Community Fund use).		For media enquiries please call Deian Creunant on 01686 611705.