Member Article

Warwickshire Charity Receives a Welcome Boost to Help Combat Loneliness Thanks to Bursary Win

A south Warwickshire charity providing essential transportation, group activities and clubs to the area’s elderly and most vulnerable people can recoup some of its losses due to the pandemic thanks to a £1,500 cash boost from CALA Homes Midland’s community bursary scheme.

VASA (Voluntary Action Stratford-On-Avon), based in the town, supports around 3,800 local people each year by running one of the country’s largest community transport services to promote positive health and wellbeing and reduce loneliness. Additionally, the charity also runs dementia groups, community allotments and provides respite for carers.

Over lockdown, VASA extended services take people to their vaccinations, deliver medication and food parcels as well as carrying out welfare calls.

Kirsty Holder, VASA’s Charity Manager, said the funds from CALA Homes Midlands will go a long way to helping them meet new demands arising from the pandemic.

Kirsty commented: “These funds will go towards us offering new and increased services to some of the most vulnerable in our communities.

“We want to recruit 50 more volunteers and these essential funds will help us train them to run our groups and services which help alleviate pressure on Social Services and the NHS by improving the lives of Warwickshire residents.”

The Community Bursary initiative invites charities, voluntary organisations and community groups to apply for a share of funding from CALA, with more than 300 worthy causes now having received over £300,000 since CALA launched the initiative in 2016.

The scheme was paused in 2020 as a result of the March lockdown but was re-launched earlier this year to support groups and charities in need, particularly those which have been impacted by the pandemic.

Other local organisations receiving a share of the fund in Warwickshire included: • Parenting Project • Fill the Gap • Leamington Lions Girls Football Club • Pawprints Dog Rescue • Stratford Literary Festival.

Andrew Dicker, Regional Managing Director, said: “The last 12 months have been particularly hard for the charity and volunteering sectors, with many seeing reduced funding at a time when local communities need their services most.

“CALA aims to make a positive and lasting contribution to the communities in which we build and that’s more important now than ever. We know that this year’s Bursary means a great deal to VASA and the other charities selected and we can’t wait to follow their progress and see how the donations will make a real difference to local people.

“We would like to thank everyone who took the time to apply to the CALA Community Bursary this year and congratulate each and every one of them on the fantastic work they are doing within their communities.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by CALA Homes .