Day: 15 February 2023

The one thing the team want you to know

Colebrook SW have been working in the community for many years and deliver a range of community projects from their centres which are the St Budeaux and Barne Barton Wellbeing Hub and the village hall in Crownhill. We work closely with residents in these areas and have a deep understanding of some of the issues they are currently facing and what sort of activities may be beneficial to them in the current crisis. We are passionate about helping people to save money by utilising some of those long forgotten practical skills such as growing food, sewing, cooking and home maintenance.

Project description

We would like to deliver a range of 3 hour practical activities on a weekly basis for 12 weeks that not only support people to save money but also support the reduction of social isolation as well as equipping participants with new skills.

Planned activities will include:- how to sew a draught excluder, How to make simple repairs to clothes, a clothes swap, How to make edible gifts, How to reduce food waste, Healthy eating on a budget, simple home maintenance, personal budgeting skills, ways to save money on everything, soapmaking from leftover soap, grow your own food, and how to sew a non electric slow cooker.
These sessions will be delivered by our partners Whiz Kidz as well as our own staff depending on their particular skill set.
We have engaged with the local community at our Wellbeing café and warm space and these are some of the activities they feel would be beneficial to them and that they would really like to take part in.
We will run an activity each week and change/amend activities in line with community wants and needs.
Our plan is to recruit some skilled volunteers in the longer term so they may continue delivering sessions as part of our wellbeing café.

Funding needed £2480.00

What group or groups of people will the project be working with and why?

We will be working with those people who have been affected by the cost of living crisis and who are looking for ways to save money or make their money go further and are willing and open to learning new skills to support them with this. These may be those who are on benefits or a low income. We feel that those who are currently working but struggling are often under represented when it comes to any support so we will look to work with individuals and families whether they are working or not.

What areas will the project be working in?1 neighbourhood

St Budeaux/Barne Barton

What is the group or organisations track record? Track record:
Been delivering for many years

How new is the idea? Experimentation:
New, adapting something similar

---

Budget

Salaries & peoples time 44%

Project costs 20%

Event/hire/rent 36%

IT spend 0%

Core costs 0%

Capital 0%

Organisations involved

Whiz kidz

The one thing the team want you to know

As part YMCA Plymouth’s Health & Wellbeing agenda, we’ve established a new project (Y’s-Group) aimed at supporting
senior citizens aged 60+. This project was created to help combat loneliness, empower inter-generational interactions (utilising Health and Social Care students from Discovery College) and tackle social isolation, particularly for those residents in the poorest area of the city, who have been adversely affected by the cost of living crisis. Social Isolation has been widely researched, with studies highlighting that senior citizens who stay socially active experience:

· Better cognitive function
· Prevention of onset dementia or Alzheimers
· Good emotional health

Project description

Rationale:

Established in 1848, YMCA Plymouth’s mission is to deliver professional and personable services, focusing on 3 strategic priorities; Education, Health & Well-being and Families. Sitting in the heart of our community (Honicknowle) we support 10,000+ people per year. Our provision is delivered within a LSOA decile-2 area of deprivation, catering to economically disadvantaged people (deciles 1-3).

The cost of living crisis has increased social isolation, due to reduced means, detrimentally affecting the health of over 60’s. The NHS stated that 1-in-4 adults (over 60) and 1-in-3 adults (over 75), reported being isolated. Equally concerning, there’s a 50% increase risk of dementia, and a 32% risk increase of stroke amongst this demographic. As a result, YMCA Plymouth pilot a Y’s-Group project in October 2022, engaging 10-12 particpants deemed ‘socially isolated’. Within 8-weeks the pilot had grown to over 45+ Plymouth residents, initially from PL5 postcodes, now expanding to PL3,4,6,7&9, hence the need for growth funding. The YMCA organises structured activities, bringing the Y’s-Group together to enable them to get active, socialise and visit local attractions (see: https://www.ymcaplymouth.org.uk/ys-group/).

Our group members live alone, bereaved, in sheltered housing, have minimal social contact and no access to transport. In addition, many of the members have disabilities/ailments which without YMCA’s and POP+ support provides further barriers to isolation services. Therefore the Y’s-Group is the only opportunity to participate in something positive and purposeful…ultimately tackling a range of social isolation barriers.

Action to enhance the wellbeing of local residents:

YMCA Plymouth, in partnership with POP+, Go Southwest and GWR (offering reduced cost transport) will support our members to access health & wellbeing activities, reducing social isolation and broaden the Y’s-Group horizons. This allows the Y’s-Group free opportunities to venture beyond their home, providing access to locations around the Westcountry, whilst building new friendships and improving their physical/mental health. This funding will allow the YMCA to organise daytrips every 2-3 weeks (inclusive of warm refreshments & lunches) that only accesible bus/rail transport can provide, showcasing local picturesque landscapes, whilst exploring great sightseeing destinations from days gone by, including: Looe and St Ives, plus visits to small local towns, including Calstock, Totnes and Tavistock.

Aims and objectives:

1. Increase group size (circa 80-100 particpants)
2. Provide a wider range of experiences
3. Reduce social isolation
4. Improve particpant wellbeing

Target Groups:

– Over 60
– Socially isolated
– from marginalised communities / impoverished backgrounds

Funding needed £3847.00

What group or groups of people will the project be working with and why?

The groups of people the YMCA will be working with:

– Over 60
– Socially isolated / living alone / bereaved / disabilities & ailments
– from marginalised communities / impoverished backgrounds (most affected by cost of living crisis).

Why:

Evidence reveals that social isolation and loneliness hinders good health, putting older adults at risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, weakened ammune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, alzheimers disease and 4 x the increase of early death (NHS:2022)

What areas will the project be working in?City wide

Predominately / preference given to the PL5 communty (LSOA deprivation decile 2), however we will accept and support referrals from other organisations such as: GP’s, Improving Lives Plymouth, Memory Matters & Timebank (already referal partners).

What is the group or organisations track record? Track record:
Been delivering for many years

How new is the idea? Experimentation:
Established for a few months

---

Budget

Salaries & peoples time 0%

Project costs 65%

Event/hire/rent 30%

IT spend 5%

Core costs 0%

Capital 0%

Organisations involved

– Improving Lives Plymouth
– Timebank
– Memory Matters
– Plymouth Isolation Forum
– Mindful Art Club
– GP’s
– Go Southwest (Formerly Plymouth CityBus)
– Great Western Railways (GWR)

The one thing the team want you to know

Livewell Southwest’s Wellbeing Team and Food is Fun CIC have a track record of working collaboratively to support individuals and groups with healthy lifestyle behaviours. Recently, the Wellbeing Team has commissioned Food is Fun CIC to produce a healthy eating recipe booklet specifically for slow cookers and to coordinate a community outreach programme (outlined below).
Positive feedback has been received from participants and local VCSE stakeholders. However, funding for this project runs out from March 2023. The vision is to build on the success from the Winter Roadshow and take this forward into Spring 2023.

Project description

Livewell Southwest’s Wellbeing Team and Food is Fun CIC to coordinate and facilitate a series of community engagement events to support local communities with healthy lifestyle behaviours under the constraints of the cost of living crisis. Specifically, Food is Fun CIC will provide slow cooker cookery workshops and The Wellbeing Team will offer group based health education and 1:1 brief behaviour change interventions. Livewell Southwest’s Wellbeing Team will be using the grant to commission Food is Fun CIC to support the project and to facilitate the cookery workshop element and to adapt the existing recipe booklet for Spring/Summer.

Slow cookers are one of the cheapest kitchen appliances to use and have been described as a money saving tip this winter by various media and money saving sources. However, through community insights and engagement, it is clear that many people do not understand the cost saving benefits of using a slow cooker. Also, many people only associate a slow cooker with stews or soups. The slow cooker cookery workshop element will promote using slow cookers for different types of healthy, cheap and sustainable meals. The Wellbeing Team will use this opportunity to discuss the benefits of healthy eating and to engage participants with other lifestyle behaviours. For example, smoking, physical activity and alcohol.

This will be a roadshow event style and will take place in different communities across the city. Warm Spaces and Wellbeing Hubs will be used as the primary locations.

Funding needed £5000

What group or groups of people will the project be working with and why?

People living in areas of high deprivation.
Deprivation is linked to poorer health and well-being outcomes.

Health inequalities are multifactorial. A key factor being people living in deprived areas are more likely to have health-related risk behaviours. For example; smoking and diet.

What areas will the project be working in?City wide

The most deprived communities will be targeted based on local knowledge and according to the Indices Of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). This will include, Stonehouse, Devonport, Barne Barton, Whitleigh, East End and North Prospect. Neighbourhoods in the upper middle IMD ranking will also be included.

What is the group or organisations track record? Track record:
Been delivering for many years

How new is the idea? Experimentation:
Been delivering for years

---

Budget

Salaries & peoples time 70%

Project costs 30%

Event/hire/rent 0%

IT spend 0%

Core costs 0%

Capital 0%

Organisations involved

Food is Fun CIC
Livewell Southwest CIC (Wellbeing Team)
Community hubs and Warm Spaces