The Aviva Community Fund supports small charities with forward-thinking ideas across the UK with funding, vital support and resources all year round.
This year the Aviva Community Fund has teamed up with online fundraising platform, Crowdfunder, to give eligible causes in the Fund the chance to learn valuable crowdfunding skills and inspire support from Aviva employees and the public.
PramaLife have applied for support for their Telephone Friendship Groups. Working with older people & carers, it is important to continue developing these support groups, which help tackle loneliness and social isolation.
Prama currently have a network of 11 telephone support groups, supporting 140 older people, including specific communities which experience disadvantage, and people with specific needs e.g. people with dementia and carers.
Chris Wakefield, Fundraiser for PramaLife explained the importance of the groups:
"The telephone support groups build strong relationships in and across communities, developing resilience amongst vulnerable older people and carers. They bring people together, especially those who find it difficult engaging with others, whether because of long term health needs, the pandemic, or caring responsibilities. The timings of the groups are based upon the availability of the participants, including when they are most lonely. We have enabled peer support groups to develop at their speed, where participants share their experiences, offer solutions and problem solve together".
He continued:
"We are exploring how we can link people up from particular communities of people e.g., BAME people, who are separated geographically. A lot of people are unable to access online support due to it being too expensive, or they just don’t want to go on the internet. We are finding that some people are still wary of leaving their homes or coming back to our groups in person. Telephone support groups offer a flexible alternative to ensure that participants are not socially isolated, and still have contact with other people".
You can help support PramaLife with their application via their Aviva Community Fund page.