What kind of help do we give?

Our grants are often used to attract more funds from other sources, or to buy a vital piece of equipment like a replacement cooker, tables and chairs or a specially adapted minibus.

There is a high demand for our funds, and we may not be able to support your project financially. However, we may be able to offer you guidance on areas such as:

• setting up and developing your project;
• identifying fundraising sources;
• drafting policies and procedures;
• applying for funding;
• project management; and
• local promotion and marketing.

Who has benefited from Help the Aged's grants and guidance?

During 2007-08 we supported 485 groups through our main grants programme, as well as giving small grants to many more groups.

We have worked with projects in the following areas:

• Specialist care services such as day care centres, hospices, and services for homeless people.
• Projects which enable older people to keep their independence, such as home visiting and befriending, meals on wheels and home security.
• Projects offering information and guidance to older people.
• Providing better access to venues where social activities take place. 
• Transport services.
• Projects which assist people in remaining active, such as leisure, arts and exercise programmes.
• The Speaking Up For Our Age programme, which encourages older people to set up forums as an effective way of influencing local and national policy.

What kind of projects do we support?

We target our support towards projects that provide services for the most disadvantaged older people, including the poor, the disabled, those with mental health problems, the homeless, older people from minority ethnic groups, and those living in isolated rural communities.

Any project we support with guidance must:

• come from a formally constituted organisation or be working towards that status;
• demonstrate that it is used mainly by older people and their carers;
• be managed by voluntary organisations or those working towards that status;
• target vulnerable or disadvantaged older people;
• involve older people; and
• meet a clearly defined gap in services and opportunities.

For more information on funding, please download the Community Support Programme document from the right hand side of the page.

How do I apply?

Please send a brief outline of your project's work and the type of support you need to the following address:

Regional Distributions
Help the Aged
207-221 Pentonville Rd
London N1 9UZ