We are so pleased to share the news that our Age Better in Sheffield team have been awarded an additional year of funding to continue their work in ending loneliness, and growing Sheffield as an Age Friendly City.
In 2015 we were awarded £6million from The National Lottery Community Fund to set up a project that would help end loneliness and make Sheffield a city we can all be proud to grow older in. Since then Age Better in Sheffield have worked with over 2,000 individuals, embraced an innovative test and learn approach with projects and partnerships across the city, and learnt a huge amount about the ways we can support the development of connected communities where individuals feel valued and seen.
Projects have ranged from exciting and innovative start-up groups, one-to-one therapy support, financial and digital inclusion, creative engagement, confidence with transport, community Neighbourhood Toolkits, and more! All of these projects have been delivered in partnership with many brilliant organisations across Sheffield and the team are looking forward to growing this network even further in the coming months.
Co-governance, co-design and co-production (where all work is done with people with lived experience, and not just to people) have been at the heart of Age Better in Sheffield from its very first moments, and over the years the team have gathered an abundance of experience (and awards!) about how to make this work well. The team will be sharing more about this in the coming months, along with their huge amounts of learning, too.
With Covid-19 continuing to keep people physically apart and having huge impact on mental health and experiences of loneliness, we know how important it is to prioritise the nurturing of a city where people feel connected and cared about. We can’t wait to see what happens this year and will continue sharing updates.
If you are an organisation or individual who wants to find out more about Age Better in Sheffield or get involved with Sheffield’s Age Friendly City mission you can get in touch today by emailing agebettersheffield@syha.co.uk or heading to their social media channels @agebettersheff.