We've been awarded £85,000 to continue our work tackling loneliness among older people impacted by the pandemic.

Announced today, Equal Arts is among the orgnsiations benefiting from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.

It's a huge boost to the team and will support us to recover from the past 12 months and further develop our variety of projects to keep those we support connected.

Douglas Hunter, our Chief Executive, said: “The past year has been extremely challenging for the older people we support and those living with dementia. It quickly became evident that supporting people and staff in care settings, and those living alone, to access technology was a vital tool in helping them keep connected. We’re excited for the opportunity to grow this area of support alongside our postal art packs and training to help people improve their wellbeing with meaningful and engaging creative activities.”

More than £300 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country including Equal Arts in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today.

The second round of awards will help organisations to look ahead to the spring and summer and plan for reopening and recovery. After months of closures and cancellations to contain the virus and save lives, this funding will be a much-needed helping hand for organisations transitioning back to normal in the months ahead.

Sir John Hall, Equal Arts’ patron, said: “As a person of senior years myself, I know some of the challenges that older people face and particularly over the past 12 months.

“However, as patron of Equal Arts, I’m proud of the hard work, creativity and the enterprise the charity and its team demonstrates in meeting the needs of older people in the North East and across England. Combining support from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund and applying our creative energies, I’m confident that Equal Arts will press ahead and support older people and their communities through the impact of the pandemic.”

This Spring and Summer the charity will be providing outdoor creative activities, bereavement and loss training for care staff, supporting tech in care for residents and developing its postal art packs to people across the North East.

Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts Council England, said: “Investing in a thriving cultural sector at the heart of communities is a vital part of helping the whole country to recover from the pandemic. These grants will help to re-open theatres, concert halls, and museums and will give artists and companies the opportunity to begin making new work. 

“We are grateful to the Government for this support and for recognising the paramount importance of culture to our sense of belonging and identity as individuals and as a society.”

The funding awarded today is from a £400 million pot which was held back last year to ensure the Culture Recovery Fund could continue to help organisations in need as the public health picture changed. The funding has been awarded by Arts Council England, as well as Historic England and National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute.