OCS and Nesta hand out £2.7m to engage new over-50s volunteers

The Office for Civil Society has awarded £2.7m to 13 organisations, including St John Ambulance, FareShare and Volunteering Matters, to help them recruit more volunteers aged 50 and over.

The Second Half Fund was launched by the OCS and Nesta in September 2016, as part of a £4m-package to engage more older people in volunteering projects.

OCS said it expects that over 6,500 volunteers will be found through the projects being supported.

Nesta will document the organisations’ progress and publish findings on its website in autumn 2018.

The largest grant, £284,970, went to Home Start – Greater Manchester to grow a programme supporting parents with mild or moderate mental health issues.

Tracey Crouch, minister for sport and civil society, said: “These projects will benefit hugely from the wealth of talent and experience that older volunteers bring. By volunteering in later life, people can share their valuable skills, build new friendships and help transform lives within their community.”

Full list of grantees

FareShare, £177,500: FareShare works with volunteers to distribute thousands of tonnes of food classified as waste by the food and drink industry to charities and community groups. Already helping to feed 500,000 people each week, by mobilising the time and talents of 1,053 over-50s they aim to support 800,000.
Volunteering Matters, £225,000: Matches young care leavers with a ‘grandmentor’ – a volunteer aged 50+ - to support good mental and emotional health, positive relationships and independent living skills. They will replicate their model in five new local authorities, supporting 500 more young people during the lifetime of the Fund.
Aesop Arts and Society, £246,919: Dance for Health uses dance techniques to help in fall prevention. The organisation will grow their programme from six to 35 locations across the country, with the support of over 583 volunteers aged 50+.
Access Project, £83,500: Volunteers tutor disadvantaged students weekly to boost grades and improve access to top universities. The Access Project will expand their work through mobilising the time and talents of at least 150 new 50+ volunteers.
BuddyHub, £115,000: A new tech‐enabled befriending service aimed at older adults considered at high risk of loneliness and social isolation. The funding will help it grow in North London and mobilise 228 50+ ‘Friendship Buddies’.
St Joseph’s Hospice Hackney, £233,844: Will replicate its Compassionate Neighbours programme, which encourages and equips volunteers to support vulnerable neighbours who are in the last years of life, to eight other hospices across London and the South East, mobilising 420 people aged 50+.
Eden Project Ltd, £136,811: Will mobilise the time and talents of 150 volunteers aged 50+ to support grandparents and their grandchildren (aged 0-5) to explore and learn together - improving school readiness. Particular focus will be with local families where grandparents are taking on a significant caring role or need additional support.
The Reader Organisation, £270,000: The Reader pioneers ‘shared reading’ as a way of improving wellbeing, reducing isolation and building community resilience and connectedness. The Fund will help it to make the transition from a staff-led to volunteer-led model by recruiting 474 new 50+ volunteers and establishing 213 new groups across the north west of England.
Home Start - Greater Manchester, £284,970: HomeStart will grow its Baby Bond programme, which supports parents with mild or moderate mental health issues, from Tameside and Glossop to nine other areas of Manchester. 505 new 50+ volunteers will support at least 370 new families.
Spice Time Credits 50+, £247,260: Will grow their Time Credits approach - which offers local rewards for volunteering - to adult social care and recruit isolated, low income and over 50s with poor health to volunteer. The model will be rolled out in Westminster, Kent and Greater Manchester, working with at least 1,000 new recruits aged 50+.
Family Action, £249,900: Will launch a new virtual and telephone helpline and one-to-one befriending service, staffed by 350 50+ volunteers, which will aim to improve emotional and mental well-being of parents and children.
Volunteer It Yourself, £201,000: 14‐24 year old NEETS learn practical trade and building skills by committing to fix local youth clubs and other community buildings. Will recruit 500 over 50s to volunteer their time as mentors and help young people gain qualifications and access to employment and further training.
St John Ambulance, £249,993: The First Aid Community Advocates initiative will raise awareness of the importance of first aid in target communities - such as carers, those in deprived areas, older and vulnerable groups, - and recruit and train 593 50+ volunteers.