Partner Article

Midlands housing association lands lottery funding

Midlands Housing AssocIation, Nehemiah UCHA has secured a substantial investment from the Big Lottery Fund’s Reaching Communities programme.

£136,324 will be used to help older residents in the association’s five retirement schemes in Birmingham, Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton, to learn new IT skills and become more active through planned exercise programmes.

The three year funding will be put to use for the association’s Silver Surfers and Supple Project.

Lucy Hales, director of housing and care services for Nehemiah UCHA, said: “The Big Lottery Fund grant is great news and we are delighted to receive this for our Silver Surfers and Supple Project.

“Our residents are looking to developing their cyber skills to keep in touch with friends and family, order shopping online and surf the net as well as using Wii Console’s like their grandchildren to exercise.

The scheme is also intended to help elderly residents pay bills online, search for energy suppliers and use email.

Chief executive, Llewellyn Graham, added: “This grant will play an important part in the role our retirement schemes play in combating isolation and loneliness and will be working hard to drive up inclusion and integration among older people in the communities in which we operate.

“Thanks to this project, a new wave of older people will now be able to learn how to use computers and engage with digital technology as well as taking part in physical activities which will help with their health and well being.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .