This Christmas we have made almost 60 grants to organisations around the country bringing older people together over the festive period.

Over the next week we will be sharing all of the grants made in a series of updates.

A big thanks to everyone who applied, and as always, we are sorry we have not been able to fund more.

Friends of Sudbury Sporting Memories – £500 grant

Friends of Sporting Memories is a small Suffolk based group and the £500 grant will enable them to have a Xmas party for more than 50 of their older members with entertainment, a sing-along and a gift bag. This is a lonely time of year for many of their members and the party will bring the community together.

Charles Young Centre – £605 grant

This South Shields based charity provides connection for older people across the area. The grant will allow them to bring together 100 older and disabled people for a xmas meal. They will provide transport to those who live remotely and bring them together for the afternoon.

Inspiring Connections South West – Operation Rudolph – £750 grant

“Operation Rudolf” in Honiton will use the £750 grant to deliver meal boxes for house bound older people on Christmas day and provide a community meal with transport. They will make sure that no-one in this rural part of East Devon is forgotten at Christmas.

Churches Together in South Tyneside – £1,000 grant

Churches Together South Tyneside will run 3 Dementia Friendly Xmas Events bringing together older people suffering with dementia and their carers. Local children will also be invited to sing and join in the celebrations.

Village Kitchen Scotland – £500 grant

This wonderful Clackmannanshire group supports more than 75 older people in the area and will provide “Xmas Meals on Wheels” for those housebound, a xmas meal in the community hall and a trip to a local christmas market which is a real treat to the members who wouldn’t normally get to travel outside of the area.

Devon Business & Education Trust – £700 grant

This charity takes care of older socially isolated people in a rural area of East Devon. They will provide two Christmas lunch events inviting more than 50 older people from across the area.

Volunteer Action Oundle – £500 grant

This £500 grant will allow this Northamptonshire charity to run a Christmas meal and entertainment for 30 of the most isolated older people in the community. Last year’s event put a smile on everyone’s face and really connected this rural ageing community.

Grangemouth Old Peoples Welfare – £1000 grant

This Grangemouth community organisation provide a hub for lunch clubs, dementia groups, carer groups in the area. This grant will allow them to provide lunches for 120 older people to make their Christmas more special.

West Hull Community Hub – £1,000 grant

This local community hub is located in Hull, which is one of the most deprived districts in the country. Each week they provide hot meals to more than 60 older people and this grant will allow them to provide a 3-course Christmas meal and small gift to over 90 group members.

The La Di Da Society – £1,000 grant

The La Di Da Society in East Sussex runs daytime cabaret and afternoon tea events for people over the age of 60 with the aim of reducing social isolation and loneliness. This  £1000 grant will enable them to run two big Xmas events and invite hundreds of local older people to attend.

Rotary Club of Southampton Magna – £600 grant

This local Rotary Club will provide a Christmas lunch with entertainment and gifts to over 65’s living in St Mary’s, one of the most deprived areas of Southampton. Those invited are often isolated and this will be the only Christmas events that they get invited to. Many live in a local Council run warden assisted block of flats. The event will let those isolated and often alone at Christmas know that they are not forgotten.

Pontneddfechan OAPs – £450 grant

The grant will allow this group to have a Christmas Get Together and Lunch, they will provide transport to those who otherwise would have been alone. It will give more than 30 older people something to look forward to at the end of the year.