Wednesday, 28th November 2018
As an organisation, the Trust is recognised for its approach in supporting a diverse range of community projects that have enriched the lives of local people, especially the traditionally hard to reach and vulnerable groups living in the borough’s most deprived wards.
The Goodlife is to receive £196,252 partial funding over three years, from the Big Lottery’s Reaching Communities Programme. This is partial funding and the project now, along with help and support from the local community and organisations, needs to become more sustainable.
The project, based at Hodge House Allotments in Nelson, aims to help integrate isolated and inactive individuals with mild to moderate mental-health issues (older people, ethnic minorities, disabled, carers, young mums and long-term sick and unemployed) into their local community through a combination of social interaction and physical activity.
A progressive four stage programme is utilised and includes socialisation, relationship-building, learning new skills using the natural environment, a Buddying Scheme and volunteering.
Activities include preparing seed-beds, seed-sowing, planting, nurturing, feeding, crop rotation, tool maintenance, essential hygiene, weeding, cooking, bird-feeding, nature-based art sessions, care and development of wildlife habitats, composting/recycling/fertilising, site maintenance and project administration.
The project is also supported by the local Clinical Commissioning Group; Bradley Big Local; Pendle Borough Council; Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Council for Voluntary Services; the Environmental Action Group and Bounceback Safety Surfaces in Colne.
The Trust’s Grant Funding Manager and Goodlife’s Project Manager, Kathy Titterton, said: “This is fantastic news and shows we have demonstrated the success of this project over the last five years and been able to establish the value of the Goodlife in terms of public health benefit and health economics.
“However, there is still more we can do to build on what we are already doing well and develop the project in order to widen its impact within the local community and beyond.”