£2.1m grants fund to help older women from racially minoritised groups


Independent Age has launched its latest grants fund – the Older People’s Fund. The first round will award £2.1 million to organisations that provide support to older women from racially minoritised groups.

This comes just after the announcement earlier this month that Independent Age has awarded funding to 19 advice-based organisations to improve access to advice services for older people.

The Older People’s Fund follows a recent report from Independent Age – The hidden two million – which identifies six priority groups of older people who are more likely to be in financial hardship. Women and people from racially minoritised groups are two of these groups, with older people who are part of both these groups particularly at higher risk of living in poverty and financial hardship.

Grants from the Older People’s Fund will be for a three-year period and eligible organisations will be able to apply for a minimum of £60,000 (£20,000 per year), up to a maximum of £120,000 (£40,000 per year).

The fund is intended for organisations whose work is helping older women from racially minoritised groups improve their lives through addressing issues with income, costs or housing. In future rounds, the Older People’s Fund will focus on organisations helping different groups at risk of poverty in later life highlighted in the Hidden Two Million report, such as older private renters, carers and disabled people or those with long-term conditions.

Applications will be held in two stages, starting with an Expression of Interest (EOI), open from the 12th September 2024. The closing date for submissions for the EOI is 5pm on Thursday 26th September 2024. Successful EOIs will then be invited to submit a more detailed application for the Independent Age grants panel to consider. 

To find out more about the Fund, including eligibility criteria, FAQs and how to apply, visit: https://www.independentage.org/grant-making/older-peoples-fund

Hannah Lison, Head of Grants and Partnerships at Independent Age, said: “Our research has shown that certain groups of older people are at higher risk of poverty, and when these groups overlap there is an even higher risk.

“By making this fund available to organisations helping older people who are part of two of the groups identified, older women and older people from racially minoritised groups, we will be able to extend our reach and contribute to incredibly valuable work being delivered by trusted local experts in local settings.

“The ambition of this fund is to improve the quality of, and access to, support for those facing financial hardship in later life. For example, we know that many older people are not accessing all the financial support they’re entitled to such as Pension Credit or are living in inadequate housing. There are lots of organisations doing great work out there, and this £2.1 million is intended to help them continue the good work.

“If you know of an organisation that might fit the criteria for this grants fund, please visit our website or get in touch with our Grants team to find out more.”

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