London ,
14
October
2015
|
16:59
Europe/London

Elderly carers in Barking and Dagenham given a helping hand

Carers of Barking and Dagenham, has received £105,000 from the City of London Corporation’s charity, City Bridge Trust to improve support for older carers.

The grant which will be over three years will ensure that carers over the age of 65 can access support, advice and respite, as well have greater awareness around benefits, finance and housing rights.

Figures from the Office of National Statistics shows that 15 % of men and 13% of women over 65 are carers. With people living longer with complex issues such as dementia and cancer, informal caring arrangements have proliferated and older carers can find themselves struggling to balance their own health needs with that of their loved ones.

The charity’s early support aims to alleviate the stress that many carers feel, by giving them access to services that make their role more manageable. In addition, they will be given opportunities to take part in social and leisure groups to boost their sense of wellbeing and reduce social isolation.

The grant from City Bridge Trust will directly benefit over 300 carers in the borough.

In the past 20 years, The City of London Corporation’s charity, City Bridge Trust, has awarded grants totalling a third of a billion pounds to charitable organisations tackling disadvantage in Greater London.

For more information visit http://www.carerscentre.org.uk/ 

Notes to editors:

Media enquiries: Rachel Tooze, Media Officer, City of London Corporation

T 020 7332 1528

E rachel.tooze@cityoflondon.gov.uk

About the City of London CorporationThe City of London Corporation has three roles: we support London’s communities by working in partnership with neighbouring boroughs on economic regeneration and skills projects. The Corporation supports education - with three independent schools and three City Academies – plus a primary school and the world-renowned Guildhall School of Music and Drama. We also help look after key London heritage and green spaces including Tower Bridge, Museum of London, Barbican Arts Centre, City gardens, Hampstead Heath, Epping Forest, Burnham Beeches, and important ‘commons’ in south London. And – with its heart in London’s Square Mile - we also support and promote the ‘City’ as a world-leading financial and business hub, with outward and inward business delegations, high-profile civic events, research-driven policies and a long-term approach. See www.cityoflondon.gov.uk for much more on our uniquely diverse role, including the City of London Police, etc.

The City Bridge Trust (CBT), London’s largest independent grant-maker to charities, is to increase its annual giving to c£20 million in each of the next three years (up from c£15 million pa currently). More information can be found at www.citybridgetrust.org.uk.