The Cabinet Office has announced a new fund worth up to £1m, managed by Hospice UK, which will supply grants to organisations that support people at the end of their lives, and their families.
The Social Action End of Life Support Fund focuses on existing projects that provide compassionate support. It is available for charities and other organisations to help run social action projects which provide befriending, peer support and enhanced support networks.
Hospice UK, which rebranded from Help the Hospices earlier this week, will run the fund and help projects to grow and widen their reach, build capacity in communities to support people at the end of their life, and evaluate the project’s impact.
Minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maude (pictured), said: “Many people who are dying have complex needs, yet sometimes all it takes is a friendly face or a hand to hold to brighten someone’s day. Even help with small but important tasks like doing the washing, fetching someone’s groceries or helping people stay connected to the community can make a huge difference to a person’s life.
“That is why today we are announcing more support to help people live with dignity and compassion towards the end of their life. I’m urging organisations with the skills to provide support to vulnerable people and their families to apply for this new £1m fund.”
UK registered charities, charitable and NHS hospices, hospitals, care homes, public bodies, and social and community enterprises can all now apply to the Fund.
Hospice UK said that there is no maximum or minimum grant size, but it expects grants to be £50,000 or more. Funding will be provided until December 2015.
