Member Article

Opal Rural Community Services awarded £500 grant

Opal Rural Community Services has been awarded a £500 grant from the Equilibrium Asset Management Chester Community Support Scheme.

The charity, which provides services to older people living in rural parts of Cheshire, used the £500 to fund an afternoon of entertainment and lunch for their members and carers, giving them the opportunity to socialise and meet new people.

Opal runs weekly clubs throughout Cheshire to give their members the chance to enjoy a home cooked meal and take part in activities with their contemporaries. The organisation, which aims to prevent the social isolation of older people, also offers a GoOnline service which helps members to become confident and proficient online. The charity also provides respite care for the relatives, friends and carers of older people.

Speaking about the grant, Jane Colville from Opal said: “It’s fantastic to have been awarded the grant from Equilibrium’s Chester Community Support Scheme. We work tirelessly as an organisation to provide services to older people in the rural parts of our community, many of whom would otherwise feel the worst effects of loneliness and social isolation.

’‘We feel incredibly passionate about the wellbeing of our members and it was wonderful to have the support of Equilibrium’s scheme. Our lunch was a huge success and we are very grateful to Equilibrium for providing the resources we needed to organise such a memorable day.“

David McKendrick, Partner at Equilibrium Asset Management said: “I am thrilled that our scheme has provided real support to such a worthwhile organisation within our local community.

’‘We were extremely impressed by the work that Opal do. It’s great to hear that Opal’s lunch was a success and we hope they can continue their important work within our community.“

The Equilibrium Asset Management Chester Community Support Scheme is a foundation funded by the firm which enables local charities and organisations to apply for grants to further support the work they are doing in the Chester area.

The Chester Community Support Scheme’s panel meet every quarter to decide on the award of grants, ranging between £100 and £500 to community organisations and charities.

Applications for the first quarter of 2016 are now open. To apply visit http://eqllp.co.uk/the-foundation/chester-community-support-scheme/

Equilibrium Asset Management provides specialist advice on wealth and investment planning, inheritance tax and pensions. The company has offices in Chester, Knutsford and Wilmslow.

For further information visit www.eqllp.co.uk or follow Equilibrium on Twitter: @EquilibriumAM

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Alexandra Murdey .