Funding from a centuries-old charity is continuing to provide practical support for older Londoners experiencing poverty and hardship across the capital.
The Emanuel Hospital charity, administered by the City of London Corporation, has awarded £400,000 to Friends of the Elderly to extend its work providing support for older Londoners over the next four years.
The funding allows Friends of the Elderly to issue grants to older Londoners facing severe financial difficulty. These grants help cover essential costs such as household appliances, unexpected bills, and basic needs including food, clothing and energy. This targeted support for older Londoners is designed to reduce financial pressure and help people remain safe and comfortable in their own homes.
The new funding follows more than £345,000 awarded by the Emanuel Hospital charity over the previous four years. That earlier support for older Londoners reached 773 individuals across London, offering assistance at times of acute need.
The origins of the benefaction date back to the late sixteenth century. Emanuel School is one of five schools administered by the United Westminster Schools’ Foundation and was established through the will of Anne, Lady Dacre, dated 1594. Lady Dacre, the daughter of Sir Richard Sackville and widow of Gregory Fiennes, 10th Baron Dacre, set out that the purpose of her foundation should be “for the bringing up of children in virtue and good and laudable arts so that they might better live in time to come by their honest labour.” Her benefaction led to the creation of Emanuel Hospital, originally comprising almshouses and a school in Westminster, supported by a charter drawn up during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Chair of the City Corporation’s Emanuel Hospital Management Sub-Committee Alderman Gregory Jones KC said:
“Although the grants Friends of the Elderly make with our funding may be small, the impact on the lives of older people across London is huge, lasting and transformative.
“Something as simple as having a working washing machine or a carpeted floor, or being able to pay off unexpected bills, reduces stress and worry and enables older people to live happier, healthier lives.”
Rachel Hill, Chief Executive of Friends of the Elderly, said:
“We are absolutely thrilled to have the continued support of the Emanuel Hospital charity, which has made a huge difference to hundreds of older people across London.
“Thanks to this funding, we know that every London pensioner who meets our criteria and comes to us asking for financial assistance, can receive a grant, which is incredible.”
Over the past year, grants delivered through this scheme have provided direct support for older Londoners in a range of situations. Awards included £400 for a dishwasher for an 88-year-old woman in Newham with severe arthritis, £1,000 to a 78-year-old woman in Wandsworth to help cover funeral expenses for her son, and £600 for an iPad for a bedbound 81-year-old woman in Hammersmith & Fulham to support communication and stimulation.
Further assistance included £368 for a new bed for a 68-year-old woman in Southwark undergoing intensive cancer treatment who had been sleeping on the floor. Each example highlights the immediate impact that focused support for older Londoners can have on daily living conditions.
Older people who may benefit from a grant can be referred to Friends of the Elderly by recognised referral agents, including community centres, housing associations and advice organisations.
