The Member of Parliament for Eastleigh and former Minister for Loneliness, Mims Davies, has welcomed a grant of £2,500 towards a ‘Natter and Platter’ group organised by Eastleigh’s Live at Home scheme. The group provides a fun and relaxing environment for older people to get together and catch up on the latest news over a cup of tea and some lunch, while also finding out what is going on in and around the local community.
The grant has been provided by the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation (HIWCF), which has awarded over £19,000 in grants from the ‘Heart of Hampshire’ Fund to support nine smaller local voluntary and community groups tackling the issues of isolation and loneliness affecting older people in Hampshire.
Commenting, Eastleigh MP Mims Davies said:
“Groups such as the ‘Natter and Platter’ Group provide a really wonderful opportunity for older people within our community - who often spend hours alone each day – to meet others and make friends over a cuppa and a bite to eat, helping to tackle loneliness and social isolation.
“That’s why, both as Eastleigh’s local MP as well as the former Minister for Loneliness, I know just what a difference this funding will make to the lives of local people in our area, and I want to thank the HIWCF for all of the work that they do in this area, and also the team from the MHA Eastleigh Live at Home Scheme.”
Also commenting, Mark Kirby, MHA Eastleigh Live at Home Scheme Manager said:
“The grant from HIWCF will make such a difference to the lives of the older people we work with and means that we can keep our Natter and Platter group going. Many members of our group have been widowed, which is life changing for them, and making it possible for them to meet together enables them to share experiences. We know from our work in Eastleigh and our Live at Home schemes across Britain that our members take great value from the friendships they have been able to develop through all our activities.”