Lottery grant for project tackling isolation

The grant is part of the Awards for All programme and will fund the new Show You Care project.

Volunteer training will be provided to young people aged 16 to 25 from marginalised and hard-to-reach backgrounds on the coastal strip from Brighton to Bognor Regis.

Through the year-long project, which will launch in August, the young people will gain new skills, supporting them to carry out regular visits to isolated older people.

Blueprint 22 is a not-for-profit organisation which gives young adults the opportunity to design, develop and run their own projects, as well as get one-to-one support for any issues they might be having in their lives.

Veronica Carver, director of delivery, said: “The Show You Care project was an idea from youth board member Shannon Colbourne.

“She wanted to do something to show the older generation that young adults can and do contribute to society. Shannon wanted to run a project which helped socially isolated young people do something to help isolated older people.

“Show You Care will give two generations of people who are both experiencing similar feelings of isolation and social exclusion the opportunity to meet one another break down some of the barriers which are causing them to feel isolated.

“For the young adults this will be evident in giving them the skills they need to actively engage with other sectors of their community and reach out to older people who may be physically unable to take action themselves.”