March 31 sees end Bristol Ageing Better and First Contact projects
The Care Forum specialises in improving the Health and wellbeing of people across the South West. We do this in 2 ways; by supporting local older people to stay connected with their community with our Bristol Ageing Better funded; Greater Fishponds Community Champions project. The other by our involvement in the Community Navigator Partnership. The Care Forum supported voluntary sector services to provide support to older people across East, Central and South Bristol, as a partner within the BAB Community Navigator scheme.
At Greater Fishponds Community Champions, we’ve helped people over the age of fifty to build connections and create lasting relationships by getting involved in their local community. By reducing isolation and loneliness, this helps to improve the health and well-being of our participants and at the same time, it serves to strengthen the Greater Fishponds community at large, creating a vibrant and thriving area for local residents.
There have been many success stories during this projects existence and you can find out more about them here; https://www.thecareforum.org/bristol-ageing-better-bab/
The project has ran for three years, and will sadly be finishing on March 31st 2020
The project was managed by The Care Forum. The Care Forum is part of the Bristol Ageing Better (BAB) partnership. Led by Age UK Bristol, the partnership has £5.9million in Lottery funding for Bristol and includes 150 organisations working together to reduce social isolation and loneliness among people over 50, helping them live fulfilling lives.
The Care Forum would like to thank everyone involved in supporting or engaging with these projects over the past 3 years.
Another service drawing to a close at the end of March is First Contact; a service which helps the over 50s access basic services and support in their area. People can complete the First Contact checklist through a number of means, including through partnerships agencies, online or by post. The checklist allows service users to check the box of any service or organisation they wish to be contacted by, with all forms being processed centrally by The Care Forum.
Some of the First Contact partners and their associated services include Age UK Bristol for financial advice, Centre for Sustainable Energy for energy advice, and Avon Fire & Rescue for fire safety visits. In the past year nearly 100 people around Bristol have been able to access basic services and support through this scheme.