Funding available for groups supporting older residents to get active

Richmond upon Thames based groups and organisations are invited to apply for up to £250 of Full of Life funding to host events and activities throughout October. These activities should support our older residents to live healthier and more active, social lives.

Back for its third year, the Full of Life Fund programme sits alongside Richmond Council’s annual Full of Life Fair and National Day of Older People (1 October) and aims to connect older residents with activities and groups that can support their health and wellbeing, conveniently available to them in their local area. 

Cllr Piers Allen, Lead member for Adult Social Care and Health and Chair of the Richmond Health and Wellbeing Board, said

“We’re very excited to bring back the Full of Life Fund for its third year running and are hoping to use this opportunity to make the October programme of free events for older residents bigger and better than it’s ever been. 

It’s really important to us that we’re able to use both the main Full of Life Fair and the wider programme of Full of Life Fund events to not only celebrate our older residents, but make them aware of the wealth of opportunities that exist in their communities to help them stay physically active, socially connected and fully supported to live healthy, happy lives.”

To apply, organisations and groups need to outline how they plan on using the money to celebrate, and how these celebrations support wellbeing through getting people moving more, improving social connectivity and contribute to overall healthier living.

Ideas for events include:

• Organising activity ‘taster’ sessions that your organisation typically offers, to display the range of options available for older people in our communities
• Encouraging people to get active in their local community by hiring a yoga or dance instructor
• Hosting a healthy cook-along, highlighting how food and nutrition relate to overall health
• Organising a group walk around local parks and nature trails
• Hosting a party with food and drink to bring people together
• Hosting expert-led workshops on how to safely maintain physical health, even with limited mobility
• Organising a trip to a local museum, theatre, or art gallery
• Organising taster sessions that support older residents to get digitally connected in a safe way

Funding will then be decided upon based on key criteria being met and ensuring there is an even spread of events across the borough. Events will need to take place between 1 and 31 October, around the time of this year’s Full of Life Fair, which will be held on 13 October at the RFU Twickenham Stadium. More information about the main fair and how to register will be released at the end of August. 

The deadline to apply for the Full of Life Fund is 10am on Monday 14 August. Successful applicants will be informed no later than 25 August.  

Local groups and organisations who regularly run activities for older residents and would like one or more considered for advertisement in the Full of Life programme without applying for funding can do so as well.