DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR APPLICATIONS TO BIG LOTTERY FUND'S CONNECTING OLDER PEOPLE PROGRAMME

Northern Ireland organisations who want to apply to the Big Lottery Fund's Reaching Out: Connecting Older People programme should be aware that the deadline is approaching.

The deadline for community and voluntary organisations to get their outline proposal forms in for this programme is Wednesday 29th February 2012 at 5pm.

The £20 million programme supports isolated and vulnerable older people who have been affected by issues such as bereavement, disability, long term illness or who live in residential care or sheltered housing.

Organisations can apply for grants of up to £500,000 to run projects that support older people through activities such as physical and mental health projects, volunteering programmes and projects that will bring isolated older people and young people together.

Projects that have already been awarded funding include Southcity Resource & Development Centre, awarded £200,000 to run a range of support services and activities in their centre to improve the health, confidence, community involvement and safety of lonely and isolated older people living in the disadvantaged Donegall Road and Sandy Row areas of south Belfast.  

And Alzheimers Society has been awarded nearly £500,000 to setting up dementia cafes across Northern Ireland over the next four years. The  cafes will provide a meeting place for both people with dementia and their carers to enjoy together; a place for them to meet others with experience of living with dementia and where people can access information, support and signposting to other services they may need. 

Frank Hewitt, Big Lottery Fund NI Chair, said: “This programme closes to outline proposal forms on Wednesday 29th February 2012, so if you’ve got an idea for a project that you think could be funded we would advise you to get your project proposal in as soon as possible.

You can also check out a Big Lottery Fund factsheet on Writing About Need, which will come in useful when filling out your application: http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_reaching_out_writing_about_need_factsheet.pdf