Summary
The Winter Social Wellbeing Fund was an initiative that ran over the 2020-2021 winter period, providing funding to local organisations that helped reduce loneliness and isolation among people in vulnerable groups.
Making A Difference
Between 2020-21 winter period, the HSCP made £115,500 of funding available. 67 organisations delivered activities, with a total of 5,426 individual project beneficiaries supported across the full range of vulnerable groups the initiative was designed to target.
Winter is frequently a difficult time for those at risk of social isolation, and the measures put in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19 only exacerbated this issue.
In order to help local organisations provide support to Glasgow City residents who may be isolated over the 2020-2021 winter period, the Health and Social Care Partnership made £115,500 of funding available. Organisations needed to be currently supporting Glasgow residents to apply, and priority was given to those working with groups most at risk of isolation, as well as those most impacted by coronavirus. These groups included women, vulnerable young people, older people, carers, BME individuals, disabled people, homeless people, lone parents, adults with additional support needs and people with long-term health conditions.
Third Sector organisation Impact Funding Partners were commissioned to manage the fund on behalf of the HSCP, distributing small grants to local orgs to help them work with local communities to reduce isolation and loneliness. The maximum amount any one organisation could apply for was £3000, and the activity funding was requested for needed to be in addition to work that was already being delivered, or the costs covered needed to be associated with keeping services open throughout winter, therefore meaning a greater number of individuals were able to be supported over the winter period.
“You will not know what this means to me. Suffering from mental health and being on my own at Christmas is the worst time. The hamper put a smile back on my face. I didn’t know if the napkin was for my tears or to use to wipe my mouth! This is the first Christmas in a long time that I knew someone actually cared”.
Eligible costs included: staffing, volunteer costs, premises/overhead contributions, transport, activity costs, trips and food costs. The majority of the spend once distributed went towards staff costs, food and activities.
67 organisations delivered activities, which included the delivery of activity packs or food parcels, online activities, digital inclusion projects, music sessions and intergenerational projects. From outdoor walks, online art classes and choirs and helplines for people to call; they all made an impact. Food provision and the delivery of online activities and digital inclusion support were some of the most common activities that the fund helped to support.
Many projects reported that their activities gave a real feeling of social connectivity and that the organising of activities which might seem commonplace at a different time brought quite strong emotional reactions from participants. Connection and routine were equally important for the hundreds of volunteers which ensured they continued to feel that they had a purpose and were helping out when needed.
“It’s made this time easier for me, some of us don’t have anyone to spend Christmas and New Year with and it’s nice to be able to see other people and have fun”.
The simple act of making that connection also motivated people who may have been struggling during the lockdown period to do things they may have stopped for example, volunteering. In addition, it has given organisations the opportunity to look at strategies to ensure that they are connecting with more of the local community, creating opportunities to be involved at a strategic level and involve all ages. Several organisations reported an increase in local young people wishing to volunteer and provide their support. This was an unexpected outcome for many and something that organisations will develop further.
In total, 5,426 individual project beneficiaries were supported by the 67 funded organisations, including across the full range of vulnerable groups the initiative was designed to target.
