ACT Foundation offers Friends of the Elderly £500,000 in matched grants scheme
Melanie May | 10 May 2018 | News
The ACT Foundation has selected Friends of the Elderly to receive a £500,000 donation towards its grants service, which supports older people living in financial difficulty.
Starting from last month, The ACT Foundation is match funding Friends of the Elderly’s grants funding over a five-year period, to the value of £100,000 per year. It is estimated that through this, Friends of the Elderly will be able to increase the number of older people supported by the grants service by 48% over the five years.
One-off grants, of an average of £300 each, offered by Friends of the Elderly help older people over state retirement age living on a low income in England and Wales. Grants are awarded towards household adaptions, the purchase and replacement of essential items, the cost of equipment to get online, and utility bills.
Grants are offered for help with:
- Home essentials – to cover the cost of replacing everyday items, small home repairs and mobility adaptations.
- Digital connection – can be used towards the cost of equipment, such as tablets and smartphones, as well as broadband costs.
- Financial support – to help with unexpected bills and large costs, such as utility bills, funeral costs or moving fees.
Caroline Kendall, ACT’s Operations Director said:
“We are delighted to have formed a new five year partnership with Friends of the Elderly. With their expertise we will be able to reach out to many more older people who are living on a low income. Our grant, which will be match funded by Friends of the Elderly, will help fund everyday items and small home repairs and adaptations that will go a long way to enabling people to continue living independently in their own home for longer.”
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Steve Allen, Chief Executive at Friends of the Elderly said:
“We are delighted that The ACT Foundation has chosen to support our grants service. This transformational donation will help us to further expand the number of older people who so desperately need our help. What is really important is that every single penny of the money given by The ACT Foundation will be distributed to recipients and for those people; it really will make a vast difference to their lives.”
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.