Scheme Name:

Green Living Project - "keeping older people active" (pilot)

Key objectives of scheme:

The primary aim of the projects is to support healthier lifestyles for older people in South Tyneside's sheltered accommodation schemes. Groundwork have four main aims for the residents of participating schemes:

· improved social well-being and psychological health

· reduced isolation

· increased voluntary and community group activity

· increased physical activity

The project contributes to two objectives in South Tyneside Homes' strategy for older people's supported housing, two of the seven priorities in South Tyneside Council's master service plan "Performing Together" ("Independent and healthy lives" and "Housing, environment and transport") and two of South Tyneside's top ten Local Area Agreement priority outcomes including "improving the health and well-being of older people".

Approximate costs involved in scheme:

Funding for the pilot and Year 1 projects totalled just over £53,000 - the costs include materials and staffing and represents an average of £7,500 per sheltered scheme.

Partners organisations involved:

Groundwork, South Tyneside Homes, Age Concern, South Tyneside CVS (Council for Voluntary Service), GoodFund, BTCV and South Tyneside Council.

Length of time scheme has been running:

The schemes last for one year. The pilot scheme shown in the film took place in summer 2008. Six full 'Year 1' schemes ran from October 2008 to September 2009. A further six 'Year 2' schemes are started in October 2009 and are ongoing.

Key Benefits of Scheme:

The project has successfully created explicit links between South Tyneside Homes' actions as a housing management organisation and wider local health priorities.

Health checks have been carried out at various stages of the project - including measuring blood pressure - and referrals to GP's have been made as a result.

Cases of improved health and well-being and increased physical and community activity have been recorded by resident case studies.

Open mornings and trips to garden centres have allowed residents to tailor each project to individual needs and aspirations.

Scheme Managers describe the project positively seeing it as a 'plus factor' and a 'selling point' and they have given feedback on residents:

· sanding down and painting garden furniture

· watering and tending to planting

· growing their own fruit and vegetables

· organising garden parties and BBQ's

· cooking with the herbs they are growing

· getting involved when they have never been before

· using the activities to help reduce their weight

· helping neighbours take care of their gardens

To resource the Year 1 projects two volunteer staff were engaged and one has since secured full time employment with Groundwork.

Any other relevant information:

South Tyneside Homes is an arms-length management organisation (ALMO) managing 18301 homes for South Tyneside Council.

South Tyneside Homes has 1186 sheltered accommodation units in 36 schemes across 34 sites. Out of these, 27 have second storey flats, none of which has direct access to the green spaces surrounding their accommodation.

http://www.southtynesidehomes.org.uk/

Groundwork is an organisation dedicated to working closely with local residents to make environmental improvements that meet their needs now and in the future.

http://www.groundwork-stan.org.uk/

South Tyneside has an ageing population. By 2031 the 65+ population is expected to have risen by 40% on 2008 levels. The 85+ population is expected to have risen at twice the rate of any other age group in the 65+ bracket and will see an 83% rise. In little more than 20 years the over 65's will therefore represent 25% of South Tyneside's residents - increased from 18.2% in 2004.

Potential for replication

Resident involvement in decision-making and evaluation has been central to our success in developing this project into one whose flexible nature makes it suitable for use by a wide variety of housing providers and / or the agencies working with them. There is also the need however for a sound understanding of the business case for such a project as its contribution to addressing health inequalities in South Tyneside and to a wide range of targets, strategies and priorities is certainly a factor in its ongoing success.

Contact name for further information:

Hannah Hoskins, Policy & Projects Officer

Contact telephone number:

0191 426 8375

Contact email:

hannah.hoskins@southtynesidehomes.org.uk