Anonymous Donation Will Help to Enhance Age UK

In Norfolk, Age UK recently had the good fortune to receive £300,000 from an anonymous donor. The donation is to be spread over the next three years, in the form of £100,000 every year.

The charity will apply the money to a new project to improve the services and support provided to older people in the Norfolk community. One of the phases of Project Transform is to change the Age UK community support centres into hubs, where the existing information and advice services will be expanded and coordinated.

The community hubs will enable residents who look for information or advice to be connected to the correct person or agency to help them immediately. If a person within the agency is not available or able to help, external service providers will be available for help.

In this way, the community and agencies will work together to make the most of the donation. It will be a much more coordinated service than the charity had been able to provide in the past.

According to a report in the Newmarket Journal, the hubs will create links between Age UK and local service providers. Residents will be involved in the development of the organisation, creating easy access to services for older people in the area. This will create a truly coordinated effort between the community, service providers, and service recipients.

The chief executive for Age UK, Hilary MacDonald, said: "We're all delighted with the news especially coming at a time of economic uncertainty and obvious funding challenges.”

With the increasing demands for care and the constraints of the economy, the donation is welcome indeed. Ms MacDonald also indicated that, with the funding, Age UK will now be able not only to respond to the demand, but also to individual choice and requirements.

The project is to launch in October 2011 in celebration of Older People’s Day. The first steps will be to provide information, advice and advocacy. Community development and new technology will also be at the heart of the project, according to Age UK.

In addition to the new services, the donation has also enabled the charity to create new ways of becoming sustainable. New projects are being created to raise money so that community activities for older people can be arranged.

Even if the donation money has been applied and spent for its various purposes, this will enable the longevity of the organisation.

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