This campaign has now closed

We are raising money for a new minibus in Gosforth, West Cumbria to ensure that older people are able to receive care in their own community. Many of the people we support have lived in the area all their lives and with our continued help they can continue to live at home and retain their independence whilst making use of professional services offered through our day centre. Without access to our the local Abbeyfield day centre service, our visitors would have to find other means to travel to either Egremont or Whitehaven which are much further away and as many of our older visitors are both mentally and physically frail, losing this service would prove very difficult and upsetting.

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Categories

  • Community Support & Development Community Support & Development
  • Health/Wellbeing Health/​Wellbeing
  • Other Other
  • Beneficiaries

    • Older People Older People

    Situation

    West Cumbria is a very rural area, taking in the West coast and the West Lake District. The population is scattered across farms, small hamlets, villages and small towns. The nearest large town is Whitehaven. Travel throughout the area is by minor roads which are very twisting and winding and therefore very slow. Public transport in the area is sparse and inaccessible to the frail and elderly. In rural areas neighbours can be few and far between. For frail older people this can mean isolation within their own community. In the past such areas have relied upon informal support from neighbours. Although this still happens, due to the rising numbers of older people, this support is not sufficient to cater for the needs of older people today. Consequently many are forced to move to nearby towns as they feel unable to cope in their own homes. Abbeyfield runs a community centre – called the Blengdale Centre - in Gosforth, Cumbria and offers day care five days a week. We offer a range of services from Monday to Friday to the elderly and disabled population at the heart of our community. The centre is also available at weekends for wider community use. We bring the community together by acting as the contact point for the mental health team including social workers, community practice nurses, chiropodists and consultants from the West Cumberland Hospital. The Blengdale Centre not only provides a therapeutic and preventative service but also the opportunity for regular assessments, monitoring and stimulation of a vulnerable group of older people. We are a member of the Community Brokerage scheme supported by the County Council to provide affordable and accessible transport to community groups. Our mini bus is used by a community transport group, the Gosforth Outriders, on Monday afternoons who collect passengers along the way from Gosforth to Seascale enabling people access to the doctor’s surgery, library, bank & shops. The mini bus is also available for hire in the evenings and at weekends through the Outriders, a local darts & dominoes group use the bus fortnightly and on some Saturdays it is used for excursions to local attractions & shops. In addition to this, Abbeyfield residents in Gosforth and Seascale use the bus monthly for outings. We have a small staffing group of five so local volunteers offer much appreciated help, coming into the day centre, washing dishes, playing games and generally helping where and when needed. We are always looking out for new volunteers – young and old – who can bring new skills and activities. The centre is a social meeting point for older residents in the community. Our visitors enjoy playing games such as Scrabble, Bingo, Dominoes and have the chance to try new activities. They enjoy eating a meal with others and they can meet up with other peers in their age group – people who have shared the same experiences in their lives – and we believe this prevents loneliness and isolation. We have our own mini bus with full wheelchair access, this is essential to enable us to collect our clients from their homes and are applying for funding towards the cost of a new mini bus to replace our current one which is becoming unreliable. It provides a vital lifeline to 60 older people each week giving them access to support, meals care and companionship. Many of our users are disabled wheelchair users who require the use of the mini bus tail lift we offer a trained escort - this support enables them to remain in their own homes and also gives them the opportunity to receive specialist care and gives their carers and family much needed respite. The total cost of the bus is £35,000 and we have raised £5,000 towards the costs.

    Solution

    100%
    Categories

  • Community Support & Development Community Support & Development
  • Health/Wellbeing Health/​Wellbeing
  • Other Other
  • Beneficiaries

    • Older People Older People