Lottery funding will help to reach 'easy to ignore' elderly Fife group
Minority ethnic people over the age of 60 in Fife can now benefit from the support of multilingual workers when accessing public services thanks to National Lottery funding.
The Minority Ethnic Older People Project is a new service offered by Fife Centre for Equalities in Kirkcaldy.
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Hide AdIt will ensure that an often ‘easy-to-ignore’ part of our community gets the support it needs after netting £24,659 in community funding.
This has led to the launch of a six month project to support people who are 60+ and from minority ethnic communities.
The project aims to understand their needs and help public authorities and other agencies improve the delivery of services.
Since the beginning of lockdown, the centre’s team has been actively involved in Covid-19 relief work, with efforts focused on contacting and supporting people and individuals who have significant barriers to accessing mainstream services and support.
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Hide AdDuring this time, it found evidence that there is a knowledge gap about how older people from minority ethnic groups access services such as health, social care, foodbanks, employment support, and benefits advice.
The centre showed there was a lack of a co-ordinated approach to reach minority ethnic older people, with problems such as communication barriers, lack of knowledge about different cultures, and geographical challenges.
Nina Munday, centre manager said: “This initiative will help us and our partners to build better connections with minority ethnic older people living in Fife.
“With the support from the National Lottery Community Fund, we have now set up a multi-lingual team who will ensure they have what they need ahead of the winter months.”