Solihull Together Fund Recipients

Twelve groups benefitted from Solihull Together fundraising efforts during 2009. Each received a small grant to help them cope with the financial impact of the recession. The case studies below present a flavour of some of the work that the generosity of local people and businesses is helping to continue.

Young at Heart

Young at Heart is a social club for the over 60s in and around Kingshurst that runs sequence dancing sessions and trips when funds allow.

“The money will pay for a coach so we can go for a Christmas meal and dance and hopefully a day out in Weston-super-mare in August too. Receiving a grant keeps activities affordable for our members, as most of them are pensioners and we can’t ask them for any more than £10 per trip.”

Our members love to get away. Most live on their own and if it wasn’t for the club they wouldn’t go anywhere.” Ann Sheriff, Coordinator

Moving On Club

“Solihull’s Moving On Club is one of the small community groups to benefit with a grant from the Solihull Together Resilience Fund. The Club has been going for seven years: its original grant came in 2003 from the After Dementia Millennium Fund when it was set up to provide social interaction and companionship to people who had previously cared for someone with dementia. In recent years it has had funding from Awards for All, Comic Relief, Grassroots and local donors such as the Birmingham Airport Community Trust, but its major grants ceased in 2009.

The recession was not the only factor in drying up the funding, as much now goes to youth work and sports-related projects. But thankfully, the Resilience Fund grant will now pay for the rent of a room at the Oliver Bird Hall where we hold our coffee mornings and plan our monthly outings. Our success was recognized by the receipt of a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service last year – the first in Solihull – presented by her Majesty’s representatives in the Council Chamber in the presence of the Mayor, Councillor Norman Davies. The crystal award, with its citation, is now on display in the foyer of the Civic Suite.” Jane Moss, Secretary

Solihull Shopmobility

A Solihull Together grant of £250 has helped Solihull Shopmobility pay for a full page advert in Retired and Living in Solihull and Birmingham.

At Solihull Shopmobility we are very conscious that there are many people with mobility problems that would benefit from our service but who haven’t signed up with us. For instance, at the last count there were 12,000 blue badge holders in Solihull.

We are, therefore, quite keen to use targeted advertising to tell key groups, such as the elderly or people using the NHS, about what we have to offer.

The Solihull Together grant has allowed us to publicise what we do without putting any further strain on our general fund.

David Williams, Manager