The Good Neighbours project originated from an unsuccessful big lottery application under the Ageing Better description. Ageing Better was an ambition to reduce isolation and loneliness in older people across the North East Lincolnshire area.
The application to the Big Lottery was ambitious in that it described a wholescale change in the delivery of services (regardless of the provider); an identification of gaps in services which arise from de-commissioning by the public sector and, newly identified needs that arise from public consultation with local older people. The application was for a budget of £6m over 5-years and to deliver the outcomes, a new older people structure was set up in the absence of any wholly older people structures. At the time of the application to the Big Lottery the local system had developed:
- A reference group of individuals and organisations with an interest in older people. The group has 300 members.
- A lead organisation to manage the funding.
- A Local Ageing Better Board comprising of all service deliverers including the private sector.
The application to the Big Lottery was unsuccessful and once the Board had recovered from the disappointment they met and made a commitment to carry out what could be carried out without the Big Lottery funds.
The result is the Good Neighbours Project which has continued since the end of the Big Lottery bid.
As there is no additional funding to use, the Board is supporting the application to other funding streams. So far a ‘cut-down’ version of the Big Lottery application is in force. This means a targeted approach to developing the Good Neighbours programme which used local data to identify the wards where most of the elderly isolated people will live. This identified Humberston, Haverstoe, Croft Baker, New Waltham and Cleethorpes. As Humberston has the most older residents, the work has started there with a view to using the learning to spread beyond the area into other areas.
In three months:
- Four consultation/taster sessions have been held to understand what older people in the area want to see provided.
- A membership scheme has been started with a view to this becoming the beginnings of an older people forum. Currently, the membership is in excess of 60 people. It is intended that membership of the card will being benefits such as discounted lunch, discounted social activities and freebies. So far the Countryman Pub and the Golf Club are offering discounted lunches and the Gingerbread House is offer- ing a Sunday Afternoon tea for card carrying members.