Cotswolds Friends received a grant of £2,500 from GCF’s Poverty Hurts fund to support older and vulnerable people through the cost of living crisis.

Cotswolds Friends has an amazing team of dedicated staff, who care about the local community and who take the time to listen and understand the challenges facing older people. They work to find individually tailored long-term solutions for people and provide ongoing support through a range of community services. Alongside advice, they provide practical help, as they know advice is not enough for those older and vulnerable people who have lost confidence and who feel alone and anxious.

This is the story of one of the older people they helped through the cost of living crisis:

“Mr A lives on his own in a small flat. He is reliant on his weekly benefit as he was involved in a burns accident that has led to long term medical disability. Since the cost of living crisis, he has really found life difficult and must be careful with every penny. He came into Cotswold Friends and said he was really struggling, and that he had 0.13p left on his gas metre. He would not get access to any money until Thursday. He felt very cold and is unable to have a hot shower. He said he had used all his emergency gas. Cotswold Friends were able to give him £20 out of their Hardship Fund, allowing him to top up his metre until Thursday. Mr A was very grateful.”

Cotswolds Friends continued working with Mr A, supporting him with a referral to Citizens Advice, a foodbank voucher, an application for funds to a local grant giving organisation, and accessing help for new white goods to replace broken items that he could no longer use.

Mr A is one of 2,300 people who use the support services of Cotswold Friends, which include befriending, independence, hospital and carer support. These services all aim to reduce poverty, alongside supporting people who may feel isolated and lonely.