Older people living in the Kincardine and Deeside area will benefit from £5,000 of funding for Kincardine & Deeside Befriending (K&DB) to pay for work to help reduce isolation and increase social interaction. The money is coming from Corra Foundation and is part of almost £200,000 of funding that has been awarded this month to 48 charities for work across Scotland.
Jessa Stevenson, Chairperson of K&DB, said: “As people become older many can, unfortunately, experience isolation and loneliness, perhaps as a result of bereavement, loss of mobility, illness or family migration. This can lead to loss of confidence, depression and general poor health which ultimately may contribute to older people leaving their home and moving into residential accommodation. We provide support to around 100 local people by matching them on a one to one basis with a volunteer befriender. A regular visit from a befriender can provide companionship, practical and emotional support, and generally improve physical and mental wellbeing. While much of the support is for seemingly small things, it all adds up to help people feel more confident and be able to stay in their own home for longer.
“The £5,000 we have been awarded will help us pay for the salary costs of our Senior Co-ordinator. Raising the money to pay our staff is a big part of our fundraising work, but without having good people in place we’re not able to deliver our work, so this award is great news.”
Mary Craig OBE, Chief Executive of Corra Foundation, said: “This award will help provide a really valuable service for local older people who just need a little bit of support to make their lives feel much better and keep them active and independent for as long as possible. KDB has had four other awards from us in the past, and it is great to be able to continue to support its work. We’re interested in hearing from other charities in the area that are working to make life better for people who are disadvantaged, and the next closing date for applications is 15th July.”
Another Aberdeenshire charity, Supporting Children in Learning for Life (SCILL), also received an award of £3,000 to help pay the salary costs of the group’s administrator.
