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Small amounts of money could soon be transforming lives, thanks to a £10,000 fund launched jointly by Lancashire's Champion for Older People and Help The Aged.
Lancashire Lease for Life will make small grants to groups of older people through an application process that has been designed to be as quick and simple as possible.
The Lease for Life fund was launched this week at a Better Government for Older People conference hosted in Preston by Lancashire County Council.
County Councillor Dorothy Westell, Lancashire County Council's Champion for Older People, said:
"We expect these grants will typically be £300 to £500 - small amounts of money that will go a long way in terms of benefiting local groups.
"Larger grant applications are very bureaucratic and that can deter people from applying. Lease for Life will be as simple as possible to encourage local groups to make bids.
"The fund is intended for things of social benefit, things such as musical instruments, books, games or even paying for speakers. Public bodies spend millions of pounds on older people but, quite often, it is small things that really get appreciated."
Similar funds have involved Help The Aged in other parts of the country.
Sue McCann, Help The Aged regional development officer, said:
"The voluntary sector and local government already work together and the Better Government for Older People meeting is taking that work further.
"The Lease for Life fund offers great value for money in terms of the benefits that people will gain.
"We had one group elsewhere in the country that just needed new knives and forks. It was a small grant but made a large difference to their lives."
For application forms and further information on Lease for Life contact: David Halpin, Better Government for Older People, East Cliff Council Offices, Lancashire County Council, Preston. Tel. 01772 534358.
For media equiries only please contact: Neil Graham on 01772 531095
neil.graham@css.lancscc.gov.uk
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