Better Lives Strengthening Independence is proud to have been awarded a 3 year Reaching Communities grant from The National Lottery Community Fund to support older people across Knowsley who may be experiencing loneliness and isolation.
The CORE project (Companions Options Respect Excellence) has been growing since the covid-19 pandemic. Now with our new funding, it will continue to be available free at the point of use to older people who would like to build a connection and engage with the local community. The CORE project is unique in Knowsley by focusing primarily on companionship for older people who require support in their own homes and are unable to benefit from community groups or lunch clubs.
CORE was originally developed thanks to a short-term grant from the Knowsley Foundation in 2021, which allowed us to pilot our project and was further supported under the Just Connect banner in 2022 in partnership with Knowsley Carers Centre.
The CORE project is to run alongside our hospital discharge service which offers a minimum of 4 weeks of free SHOP support to those who are medically fit to be discharged from hospital, but may not have a close support network to help with daily tasks to aid recovery after their hospital stay. This service connects an individual with a Supporter who can help with shopping and cleaning.
‘We are delighted to have the opportunity to make a difference to the many older people across Knowsley who will really benefit from having a dedicated Supporter companion at home. We are so grateful to TNLCF for investing in our vision for raising the aspirations of older people and enhancing their quality of life’.
Pat McCarthy, CEO at Better Lives
To find out more about our CORE project call 0151 449 3706.