Clarion launches up to 60 wellbeing spaces with £525,000 donation from the Rothesay Foundation
Phil Miles, Director of Clarion Futures, and James Dickson, Chair of Trustees at the Rothesay Foundation
Clarion Futures, the charitable foundation of Clarion Housing Group, has expanded its partnership with the Rothesay Foundation to launch a new wellbeing spaces programme.
Building on Clarion’s warm spaces programme, which ran over the last two winters to support people through the cost-of-living crisis, this new initiative will offer activities to support physical and mental wellbeing alongside a chance to save on energy bills.
Thanks to a donation of more than £525,000 from the Rothesay Foundation, the charitable foundation of the UK’s largest pensions insurance specialist, Rothesay, and funding from Clarion Futures, it is expected that 60 wellbeing spaces will open their doors across England.
These wellbeing spaces will be open to people of all ages experiencing hardship and social isolation, particularly older generations who are often hardest hit. Most will be located in Clarion’s community centres, with others located in neighbourhood hubs run by partners, and funding will be provided for up to 12 months.
The aim is that these wellbeing spaces will create a sense of belonging, bringing people together to access emotional support and share experiences to tackle loneliness and isolation. Activities on offer will include low-intensity physical exercise, chances to learn new skills such as arts and crafts, cooking, painting, and gardening, and playing games that improve cognitive health.
Partners will signpost to advice on issues such as housing, health, education, money management, and digital skills, and those attending will be able to access the wide-ranging support available through Clarion Futures. A pilot will also see specialist advisors visiting wellbeing spaces to provide free benefits checks, helping to ensure those in need are receiving all the financial support to which they are entitled and tackling barriers such as lack of digital access.
The funding will also enable items such as electric blankets, draught excluders and air fryers or slow cookers to be distributed, ensuring that support reaches beyond the wellbeing spaces themselves and helps people to keep their energy bills lower at home.
Last winter, Clarion Futures and the Rothesay Foundation doubled the number of warm spaces supported to 53, generating more than 43,000 visits and distributing more than 1,150 warm packs.
One of the wellbeing spaces supported by Clarion Futures and the Rothesay Foundation through the first round of funding is run by Communities 1st at the Farriers Way Community Centre in Borehamwood. Open each Thursday from 10am-2pm, and Fridays from midday until 4pm, the wellbeing space provides a welcoming place for local people to come together and enjoy hot drinks and biscuits, as well as a wide range of activities designed to help tackle loneliness and isolation and encourage intergenerational connections.
Phil Miles, Director of Clarion Futures, said:
“As winter begins to bite, the impact of the cost-of-living crisis continues to be felt nationwide. Cuts to winter fuel payments and stubbornly high fuel poverty rates are adding to this challenging context, but we’re committed to doing all we can to help our residents weather the storm.
“Our new wellbeing spaces won’t just be a place to keep warm and save on energy bills, but will offer activities to bring people together, tackling loneliness and isolation and helping to improve physical and mental health. We’re grateful for the support of the Rothesay Foundation, which will enable us to fund more wellbeing spaces, making a real difference for people living in our communities.”
James Dickson, Chair of Trustees at the Rothesay Foundation, said:
“We are pleased to renew our partnership with Clarion Futures to fund the expansion of their vital wellbeing spaces across England, especially as we head into the winter. Our Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life for older people, many of whom continue to experience financial hardship and social isolation. We hope that as a result of our renewed funding, the spaces will be able to help even more older people living in need by providing financial support as well as warmth and a sense of belonging and connection with their local community.”
Helen Ives-Rose, Deputy Chief Executive of Communities 1st, said:
“For local people, this wellbeing space is so much more than just a place to keep warm – it’s a place where they can meet new people and forge new friendships, as well as trying out all sorts of fun activities. Without the support of Clarion Futures and the Rothesay Foundation this simply wouldn’t be possible, so we’re hugely grateful for their support and look forward to welcoming people through the doors through the winter and beyond.”