Central Government talks about improving the lives of older people but we need to ask if this is just rhetoric aimed at the ‘grey vote’?

Does our Government know how isolation, even in some of our towns, impacts on the lives of some older and vulnerable people?

Do they understand how much is being done by local people in their own communities to improve the situation, and how little it can cost to address social isolation if resources are used well?

A recent survey highlighted that per cent of older people feel lonely all the time and a further 31 per cent feel lonely some of the time. In addition, up to 17 per cent% felt socially isolated.

In Westmorland and Lonsdale alone we have almost 26,000 residents aged 65 plus; this number is likely to increase over the coming years. What is being done to improve their well-being and ensure that they have local opportunities to socially engage with others, and have a quality of life they value?

Throughout South Lakeland groups of dedicated local volunteers are making a huge, positive impact on the lives of isolated and vulnerable people.

Cumbria County Council and the NHS channel funds through the Cumbria Community Foundation to support NCI (Neighbourhood Care Independence). This enables local people to run a variety of groups and projects to help people to get out, make new friends and remain as independent as possible for as long as possible.

With Government Ministers talking in millions or billions of pounds, do they stop to consider what £500 and a group of dedicated volunteers can achieve?

NCI Small Grants, administered by Cumbria CVS, has enabled almost 30 groups, over the last two years, to access up to £500 each to make a real difference. These small amounts of funding have, in some cases, made all the difference to isolated older people.

For many older and vulnerable people local statutory services are (and should be) taking care of their immediate health and social care needs, but for many nothing has been done to truly counter their feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Via the NCI programme I have worked with a number of local groups who, in a quiet and professional manner, each play a vital role in ensuring that some of our most vulnerable citizens are supported.

The variety of activities is staggering - from weekly lunch clubs to art groups and even IT groups helping older people to use their computers and therefore keep in touch with family members elsewhere via e-mail and Skype plus learning how to order items such as shopping on-line.

In the 100-year anniversary of WW1 we funded two afternoon teas for local older residents. This not only brought more than 200 people together for an afternoon of song and dance but it also enabled them to learn about other local, regular activities they may want to access, and for well under £500 on each occasion.

Another project brought older people in to a local primary school, working with the pupils on the history of the area. This worked so well that the head teacher offered a room for the older people to use once a week for a textiles group, and school pupils are engaging with the activity.

Surely our older and vulnerable neighbours deserve local services that enable them to combat loneliness and isolation? They deserve, in my opinion, a variety of services locally that meets their needs and complement statutory service provision.

I fervently hope that the next government, whichever party it may be, will stand up and declare its intention to support older people, not with rhetoric but with a clear mandate to fund meaningful local services.