Let’s Build Health Grants are available to help create opportunities and develop local activity that improves health and wellbeing. The grants are available in the following People Keeping Well (PKW) Community Partnership areas: Burngreave, Chapelgreen, Firth Park/Shiregreen, Southey Owlerton.
This round we received some fantastic applications and funded a total of 17 local voluntary and community organisations delivering a range of projects! Meet Kathy:
My name is Kathy Markwick and I am a Freelance Community Consultant, based in Sheffield. I launched Friendship Lunches in South Yorkshire 6 years ago with the aim of combating/reducing loneliness and social isolation.
I am extremely grateful to SOAR and People Keeping Well for kind sponsorship via its Let's Build Health Grants which has enabled me to establish 3 hugely successful Friendship Lunches at the Red Lion in Grenoside and the Oak House Restaurant and Norfolk Arms in Chapeltown. These events are now completely self-sustaining and almost fully booked every month. The posters are kindly sponsored by Visiting Angels South Yorkshire, SCCCC and Norrie Waite Slater Solicitors.
I receive amazing feedback from the events - one guest said "It has been absolutely fantastic - my husband has dementia and it gives us both something to look forward to".
I know that some people living with dementia may not remember the Friendship Lunch the next day but they will have undoubtedly enjoyed the moment and that is hugely important for them and for their families/carers.
Dr Lisa Philip from Chapelgreen Practice has been to the Friendship Lunches and is a huge supporter, as is Miriam Cates MP. They are both featured in the press article by Sheffield Star.
The events provide a perfect platform for relevant partners to come and speak to our guests in a very informal setting, e.g. Dr Philip spoke about general health matters, including the importance of the vaccines and the problems associated with Long-Covid and we had Tina Weston from Trading Standards speak about rogue traders and how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud.
I am now looking forward to working on a Warm Spaces' project thanks to the support of SOAR and People Keeping Well via the Let's Build Health Grants.
SOAR are proud to support Friendship Lunches via the Let’s Build Health Grants.
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