Match funding scheme makes your donation go further

EVERY pound you donate to us can now make even more of a difference!

A new match funding initiative means the kind donations we receive will be doubled at no extra cost to you.

As a charity our arts projects supporting older people and those with dementia are reliant on funding and people’s generous contributions.

And we’re delighted to announce that after a successful application every pound you donate will be matched by Catalyst’s Evolve Fund.

You can text EART16 £4 to 70070 and we’ll receive £8 towards our programme of activities supporting older people to express themselves through creativity.

Just £5 a month will help provide arts materials enabling older people living in care to take part in creative opportunities to help reduce loneliness and improve wellbeing.

Or you can give £10 and help fund weekly arts sessions in the community for people living with dementia.

Joycelyn, 81, attends Equal Arts’ Creative Age sessions in Sunderland. She said: “It has been marvellous. Coming here and being creative has made me realise that when you get down this is the sort of thing you should be doing and I had stopped because I was not well.

“Instead I was concerned about remembering to keep things tidy and not forgetting how you do things. Now I know if there is something you like doing, then that is more important. It has helped me turn back to the things I used to enjoy. I had just stopped but now I have that enthusiasm back.”

The successful application to Arts Council England’s Catalyst fund was the result of a consortium between Equal Arts, GemArts and The Lawnmowers.

All three charities are based in Gateshead and deliver arts projects across the North East with marginalised or social excluded individuals and communities.

Douglas Hunter, co-director of Equal Arts, said: “Being successful in this bid gives us the fantastic opportunity to broaden our ambitious and inspiring programme of work with vulnerable older people.

“Every £1 donated by the public will be match-funded, providing a great number of older people, including those living with dementia, the opportunity to benefit from creative activities.”

You can support us now by texting EART16 £4 (or another amount up to £10) to 70070.