Service name: Lunch and Wellness Service
Service description
Hammersmith and Fulham Council funds The Asian Health Agency to run social and health activities for local older people from their base at The Shanti Centre. The service includes lunch and takeaway service, yoga and mediation, health awareness sessions and social and cultural events.
Funding start date
1 December 2014
Annual funding level
£12,000
Annual performance December 2014 to December 2015
Number of residents supported
Target: 340
Actual:395
Use of volunteers
Number of volunteers involved: 10
Number of volunteer hours delivered: 468
Value of volunteer hours provided: £4,399
Outcomes being achieved
- 39 disabled users took part in health education and health promotion awareness sessions and 100% reported improved awareness of personal health conditions or improved ability to better self-manage /control personal health conditions.
- Exceeded the number of lunch and takeaway meals issued to users (although it is not clear if all the users reported are from the target cohort of users).
- Over 250 individuals have attended more than one cultural/social activity to help to reduce isolation and increase social contact.
- 100% of the older people participating in the yoga classes have reported feelings of improved personal physical and mental wellness. 100% also indicated that it helped them relax and feel less stressed.
- 58 users accessed Shanti's FareShare Food Scheme run every Thursday as part of Shanti's effort to alleviate the impact of food poverty and encourage older people to access and eat healthier foods. Of the 36 users who were surveyed, 80% reported increased access to affordable and or healthier foods and fresh fruit and vegetables.
- 27 users benefited from the healthy cooking/food preparation/healthy diets activity.
- 77% (21 users) reported increased knowledge of healthy cooking/food preparation/diet and / or have begun to adopt better eating habits
- The luncheon service also secured a 5 Star Food Hygiene Rating from the Food Standards Agency
- 95% of luncheon service users reported that using the service at the Shanti service helped them feel less isolated, meet other people and / or have better/increased contact with others from diverse communities
- Seven local older people were supported by Shanti to volunteer at the centre and join users' group meetings. All have reported more confidence as a result.
Funding raised
£3,212 generated through external fundraising (does not include income from food sales, catering etc.)
Comments, achievements and future plans for the service
The lunch service has been extended to cater and deliver food to local community and voluntary sector organisations, charities, local authorities and businesses.
The Asian Health Agency plans to set up an evaluation chart/system which can measure outcomes on a Star rating with 5 points to measure levels of personal achievements within each activity area.
It recently launched a new Support4Carers Service in Ealing and acts as lead agency for a consortium which includes Centre for Independent Living/Age UK Ealing, Southall Day Centre and The Centre for Armenian Advice and Information and has secured funding over 3.5 years starting in October 2015.
The charity will work with this partnership to look at ways of supporting older people in H&F and giving users extra choice through linking up with these partners as well as exploring new funding opportunities to benefit local residents.