Lottery boost for Sheffield project tackling isolation in old age

Age Better in Sheffield (ABiS) has been awarded the cash for a 12 month extension of its work to cement the city’s Age Friendly status from the World Health Organisation.

The new investment will allow the organisation to grow its partnership network and share the lessons learned from its five year programme to create communities which are better connected and healthier at every stage of life.

Programme delivery manager Edyta Bancer said: “We are so excited that an investment of this size has been awarded to us – it’s huge news for everyone who calls Sheffield home.

“We can’t wait to keep building on all the incredible things that are happening in and to connect with people across the city and beyond.”

She added: “We’re so proud to be flying the flag for Sheffield as an Age Friendly City and to be leading the way with an important movement that priorities health and wellbeing as we all age.”

Since 2015, ABiS has worked to improve the lives of people aged 50-plus by addressing loneliness and developing opportunities for them to become actively involved in their local communities.

The work has been delivered by organisations such as Age UK, Ignite Imaginations, SOAR, Sheffield Mind, Reach South Sheffield, The Lai Yin Association and PWLC.

From Burngreave to Firth Park, and Woodhouse to Beauchief and Greenhill, more than 2,000 people a have been involved in projects focusing on therapeutic interventions, financial inclusion, creative engagement, confidence with transport, innovative start-up groups, and dealing with life after loss.

Juliann Hall, co-director of care and wellbeing at the partnership’s lead organisation South Yorkshire Housing Association, said: “There has never been a more critical time for our work or a more important time to make our city age friendly.

“Covid-19 has impacted on every aspect of our lives - social, emotional, physical and economic, and we are excited to have the opportunity to work alongside older people in Sheffield to reimagine what our city could look like in the future.”