BIG LOTTERY
Ageing Better Programme
What the Lottery Funding is for
 To reduce social isolation among older people who are most
at risk
 To build the capacity of older people & local communities &
develop support networks
 To find out what works & what doesn’t work by analysing the
effect of innovative initiatives on
 older people’s lives
 the demand for health & care services
 To improve cross sector partnership working
* It is NOT to fund existing projects & activities
Outcomes
 Older people are less isolated
 They are actively involved in their community & their
contribution is valued
 They are more engaged in the design & delivery of services
 Services that reduce isolation are better planned &
coordinated
 Better evidence is available for services that effectively
reduce isolation
The Story So Far
 March 2013 – BIG Lottery announced the new £70 million
Ageing Better programme
 100 areas invited to submit an Expression of Interest in
bidding for funding
 32 areas (including Wolverhampton & Birmingham) chosen
to go on to the next stage
 15-20 of these areas will be chosen, after evaluation of their
Vision & Strategy, to receive £2-6 million over 3-6 years to
develop initiatives to tackle social isolation
Social Isolation
 Social isolation causes both physical & mental ill health
 Risk factors:
 Living alone, being a carer
 Very old, ethnicity, sexual orientation
 Bereavement, retirement, divorce
 Mobility problems, poor physical/mental health, sight/hearing
problems
 Living in a deprived area
What’s Happening Now
 Establishment of Partnership
 Selection of lead VCS organisation
 Engagement with lonely, isolated older people
 Research
 Production of Vision & Strategy
The Role of the Partnership
 Establish structures & processes that enable older people to
drive the project
 Undertake area wide consultation & mapping of existing
services & activities
 Identify relevant research findings & good practice
 Develop a strategy & plans to reduce social isolation
 Commission appropriate interventions & monitor delivery
 Evaluate initiatives & disseminate learning
 Influence the design & delivery of services used by older people
Involvement of Older People
Older people should be central in key decisions & take a lead
role in:
 Identifying the priorities for tackling social isolation
 Planning how & where to address the priorities
 Helping to manage or deliver initiatives
 Taking part in the evaluation of initiatives
Vision & Strategy
 Vision & Strategy for addressing
social isolation, developed by local older people & other partners,
must be submitted to BIG Lottery by April 2013
 It should cover:
 The area’s innovative approach to addressing social isolation &
vision for the future
 Overview of social isolation & existing initiatives in the area
 Specific groups & localities to be prioritised & the rationale for
choosing them
Implementation
 Summer 2014 – 15-20 areas chosen to receive funding of £2-
6 million
 £50,000 grant each to develop detailed Project Plan over 5
months
 Project implementation begins in Spring 2015