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A £39,000 grant from the Kellett Fund at Community Foundation North East supported Gateshead Older People’s Assembly’s ‘Never Too Old to Rock’ programme. The organisation exists to improve the health, wellbeing and independence of people aged 50 and over across Gateshead, with a particular focus on reducing loneliness and social isolation and improving physical health.
The latest grant continued a long-standing relationship between the Kellett Fund and Gateshead Older People’s Assembly, demonstrating how sustained philanthropic support can give community organisations the stability and confidence to develop their work, respond to what local people want and try new approaches.
Pete Barrett, Senior Programmes Advisor at Community Foundation North East, said:
“Multi-year funding can make an enormous difference to the charitable organisations we work with. It gives them greater stability and the space to listen to the people they support, learn what works, and develop activities that respond to their communities over the longer term.
Our relationship with Gateshead Older People’s Assembly shows the value of that approach. The Kellett Fund has supported the organisation over many years, helping it continue vital work to improve health and wellbeing while also giving it the confidence to think differently about what older people want from later life.
By providing sustained support, our donors can help trusted organisations put down stronger roots in their communities and create benefits that continue well beyond the lifetime of an individual grant.”
The programme has given older adults the opportunity to come together through music, learn and develop their skills, form bands and perform. In doing so, it has helped shift perceptions of the activities older people want to take part in to keep themselves well and connected.
While traditional activities such as bingo and knitting remain popular, Never Too Old to Rock has shown there is also an appetite for opportunities that meet the changing needs for older adults, particularly those that grew up in the 1960s and 1970s.
The impact has lasted beyond the organised sessions. Participants have formed friendships and bands, meeting independently at buskers’ nights and rehearsal rooms. Inspired by the programme, Gateshead Older People’s Assembly is also planning a smaller weekly guitar group at its centre, allowing more people to benefit in the future.
Craig Bankhead, Chief Executive of Gateshead Older People’s Assembly, said:
“Never Too Old to Rock has shown us what can happen when older people are given opportunities that are exciting, ambitious and perhaps a little unexpected.
Having long-term support from the Kellett Fund has been incredibly important. It has allowed an idea like Never Too Old to Rock to establish itself and evolve, while giving us the confidence to keep listening to older people and challenging our own perceptions about the opportunities they want.”