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The Application Process to the Jigsaw Foundation was really straightforward and Julie McGlynn was really helpful and supportive.’
The difference the funding has made to our group:
The funding has enabled us to form and facilitate a group of local community partners of which the Jigsaw Homes Neighbourhood Engagement Officer is an integral part. This group meets and communicates regularly and there is a real energy as partners work together on issues pertinent to and needed in the local community; each bringing their own ‘superpowers’ to help each other, thus enabling the group to achieve more together than they would be able to do individually. Connections are being built and developed between local partners so they have more understanding of what each other does and pathways are being formed between partners offering services at the same venue. It’s early days (4 months in) but it feels like we’re getting more interconnectivity and joined up thinking and working in the area.
Jigsaw Homes tenants have been part of focus groups finding out what will help local residents to get out and about and what is currently hindering that. This is feeding into an Age Friendly Carlton initiative with local businesses, shops and local council services and transport working together to make Carlton a more friendly, welcoming and easily accessible place to go, particularly for older residents. Following feedback from tenants, weekly exercise classes have restarted in one of the Jigsaw Homes schemes, helping tenants to be more physically active. These weekly gatherings are also enabling them to build new friendships and become more socially active. As a result they are accessing new activities (eg lunches, coffee mornings, a panto) – one step at a time. The weekly gatherings are also a good opportunity to find out what matters to the tenants and what they need help with eg lifeline alarms, booking and travelling to vaccinations, getting prescriptions and, if there are any issues, to be able to pass them onto Independent Living Scheme Coordinators.
• Participants in the classes have said ‘I used to hate Wednesdays – now I look forward to them – I love meeting up with everyone, having a laugh and the exercises are really doing me some good.’
• And after the focus groups they said – ‘It’s really good to be listened to.’
• The Neighbourhood Engagement Officer has said noted that they are ‘an excellent example of the benefits of the One Step at a Time model.’
The One Step at a Time Co-ordinator is also visiting other local community venues, observing what there is, engaging with the residents, listening to what they have to say, identifying what is working well and why, what isn’t working so well and why and trying to understand what is needed. She is also developing a network of SuperConnectors through whom she can relay key information out to their contacts and also learn more from them about what’s out there and what’s needed.
The funding is therefore enabling us to:
• gain a better understanding of the local area – its partners, residents and their needs;
• develop a feeling of belonging and ownership; and
• build connections so that local partners are proving services and activities that residents want and will therefore access one step at a time.