The issue of social care and how society deals with an ageing population is never far from the headlines.

Ageing is a process that affects every family and a sudden change in circumstance can turn the plans of any of us upside down. The problems can often seem insurmountable and it might seem implausible that small grant-making can make a difference. However, the work being done by small groups at a grassroots level is crucial. It augments the high-level strategic campaigns being undertaken by the bigger national charities.

Local community-based groups know their members. They are in the same village or street and can provide a level of care and personal connection that national organisations struggle to deliver.

Keeping these fantastic services alive ensures we boost the health, well-being, independence and dignity of older people in Derbyshire.

Facts

People with a high degree of loneliness are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s as people with a low degree of loneliness.
(Age UK)

Before the pandemic, around 1 in 12 people aged fifty and over in England were often lonely, equivalent to around 1.4 million people1, a number that Age UK project will increase to around 2 million people by 2026.

The population aged 90+ in Derbyshire has increased by 64% since 2001 and is expected to double over the next 20 years.
(Derbyshire Observatory)

There are currently 2.1 million pensioners (18 per cent) living in poverty who are forced to make difficult choices about how to make the most of their very low fixed income;

In Derbyshire, 12% of older people live in low-income households