Legacy
Legacy
Please note: this post is 125 months old and The Cares Family is no longer operational. This post is shared for information only
It's hard to believe that it's almost three years since North London Cares launched amid rioting in August 2011. During those 36 months, you - our amazing volunteers - have hosted 440 Social Clubs in Camden and Islington, created 28,000 new interactions and shared 3,400 meals with older neighbours, most of whom live alone in an anxious, rapidly changing world.
In doing so, you've invested some 7,500 hours into the community, including 1,200 hours of one-to-one time. You've delivered 3 major projects, year after year, to help keep older neighbours warm, active, healthy and connected during those most isolating winter months. All told, you've connected to some 900 older neighbours on our doorsteps.
That's amazing - we're so grateful for all your time, energy and commitment, and we'd love you to join us and other volunteers at our birthday party next Friday, August 8th at our home in Camden Town for a summer beer to mark our birthday.
As we reflect on those achievements of the past three years, we're also re-motivated about the future.
In particular, we're really grateful and excited about the new support we're receiving from Nesta and the Centre for Social Action Ageing Well fund. Through this major investment of £131,000 over the next 18 months we plan to grow our programmes, to build a powerful evidence base to show how our methods are helping people, todiversify our income, and to consider and plan for new opportunities. That means we'll be developing lots of new ways of working - so stay posted.
This is Cabinet Office money and we've had to work really hard to secure it. Naturally, we're proud of the endorsement of our model from a major government department and partners in the third sector, and we can't wait to hire new colleagues and get started on the work.
And we're especially excited that it unlocks even more potential in our brand new baby sister charity, South London Cares.
So if you know people below the river who'd like to give a little extra time, practical support, social connection or human companionship to help tackle loneliness and isolation in Lambeth and Southwark, and to help improve the lives of older neighbours there, please encourage them to visit southlondoncares.org.uk, @SouthLDNCares and the SLC Facebook page.
In the meantime, if you haven't already, we hope you'll volunteer to support an older neighbour in Camden and Islington through NLC very soon. A list of activities and more information on how you can get involved can be found by clicking here.
Onwards.
