
The new name for Age Concern Kingston upon Thames
The Stay Well at Home service works in partnership with GPs to target older people at risk of losing their independence and helps them plan and make lifestyle changes. With great feedback from people who have been helped, Stay Well also saves money – an independent evaluation showed that in twelve months it saved the public sector £268,000, with a total social return on investment of £11 for every £1 spent.
Stay Well provides ‘that little bit of help’ that people need to help them stay independent, and well, in their own homes – where they want to be. Stay Well had already achieved national recognition – two years ago it was praised in a parliamentary report on housing and care for older people.
The award adds to Age Concern Kingston’s winning history. Two years ago the charity won The Guardian Award for Care of Older People for its successful Fit as a Fiddle project, and Chief Executive Shane Brennan was shortlisted for a Charity Times award for outstanding leadership.
Commenting on the news Shane said: ‘It’s fantastic to win the award, but what really matters is that the Stay Well service makes a real and measurable difference to older people’s ability to stay independent and enjoy good quality of life. This accolade is a real tribute to the dedication of the staff and volunteers who deliver the service.’
The Charity Awards are widely recognised as the Oscars of the charity sector, representing some of the finest examples of best practice and success from organisations big and small. Stay Well at Home was selected from amongst hundreds of entries in the social care and welfare category. Projects have to evidence how they meet ten ‘hallmarks of excellence’, including innovation, leadership, effectiveness and accountability.
Age Concern Kingston was judged against stiff competition by an 11-strong panel of experts across a variety of fields, including the chief executive of the Charities Aid Foundation Dr John Low; founding director of the Clore Social Leadership Programme Dame Mary Marsh; Danielle Walker Palmour, director of the Friends Provident Foundation, and Sir Christopher Kelly, chair of the King’s Fund. The judging panel was chaired by Andrew Hind, editor of Charity Finance.