Julia and Hans Rausing Trust

Helping to re-position support for local communities.

The Julia and Hans Rausing Trust Charity Survival Fund has a perceptive and unique understanding of the problems community-based charities like Action For Elders have faced during the Covid pandemic.

During the Covid emergency when we re-positioned ourselves online, we saw a huge rise in demand for our Balanced Lives programme. By offering a wide variety of services for older people and their carers: such as exercise, mental wellbeing, along with social interaction, we were able to reach a great many people live in the comfort and safety of their own homes. We helped people keep fit and stay well, both mentally and physically under lockdown.

For many, the lockdown period during the early part of this year was the hardest yet, as one of our participants pointedly remarked:

“This time in lockdown we seem to be in a state of limbo, not knowing what to do next. With Action For Elders Balanced Lives programmes, we really felt we had the support to help rebuild our lives.

Diane, Balanced Lives participant.

Re-integrating Back Into the Community

As June approaches it has become abundantly clear that not only should our online services continue, they should also form an integral part of our Balanced Lives programmes in the future as we return to face-to-face delivery. Many people are very nervous about returning to the outside world and will need help and support to re-integrate into their local community.

As James Lewis, Action for Elders CEO says:

“We hope that the Charity Survival Fund will encourage others to help these organisations who are part of the social and cultural fabric of the UK, and whose work has been a vital lifeline for many during the pandemic.”

The Julia and Hans Rausing Trust Charity Survival Fund has not only given us the opportunity to help people under lockdown, it has also enabled us to plan for the wider future, post-lockdown.