VINCI UK Foundation supports St Martin’s Centre Partnership

18th Mar 2021

St Martin’s Centre has expressed their thanks for the £2k funding received from VINCI UK Foundation at the start of the pandemic.

The centre is based on the border of Byker and Walker in the east end of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and supports families in two of the most deprived wards in the country. This funding has contributed towards outreach activities, which ran initially from July to November 2020.

The activities focused on vulnerable older adults, many of whom were shielding in their homes and were without any family support and families with young children. Outreach support included the weekly delivery of home-made meals, provision of food parcels, supply of activity packs for both children and older adults and weekly wellbeing calls to the most vulnerable older adults and families in need.

The funding from VINCI UK Foundation contributed to the following outreach activities:

• 457 home-made meals with dessert delivered to older adults
• 138 food parcels delivered to older adults and families with young children
• 103 activity packs containing fun and educational items to children and 10 to older adults, with a further 101 Christmas activity packs to older adults, some who were bored, resulting in low mood or feelings of frustration
• 101 Christmas hampers to older adults to improve feelings of wellbeing
• 147 older adults contacted through befriending service (including weekly calls to 20+) – for many this has been the only social contact for days at a time
• Family Support Worker who maintained contact with vulnerable families to ensure they have remained supported through the pandemic

St Martin’s Centre said: “We would like to take this opportunity to express how grateful we are for the grant and to highlight that it has helped make a real difference to the lives of local people in these difficult times”.

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