A 400-year-old charity founded in Elizabethan England is providing a £400,000 boost to help older Londoners facing poverty and hardship live with comfort and dignity.

The Emanuel Hospital charity, managed by the City of London Corporation, has awarded the funding to Friends of the Elderly to support older people across the capital over the next four years.

The grant will be used to provide vital financial assistance to pensioners in severe hardship, helping cover essential costs such as household appliances, food, clothing, energy bills and unexpected expenses.

The latest award builds on more than £345,000 given by Emanuel Hospital over the past four years, which helped 773 older people across London at times of acute need.

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.”

The Emanuel Hospital charity was founded in 1600 after a bequest by Lady Anne Dacre to set up an almshouse in Westminster to provide homes for 20 older people.

Rachel Hill, Friends of the Elderly’s Chief Executive, 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.”

Emanuel Hospital was founded in 1600 following a bequest from Lady Anne Dacre, who established an almshouse in Westminster to provide homes for 20 older people. More than four centuries later, the charity continues to support older Londoners most at risk of financial hardship.

Over the past year, grants funded through the scheme have included £400 for a dishwasher for an 88-year-old woman in Newham living with severe arthritis, £1,000 to help a 78-year-old woman in Wandsworth cover the sudden funeral costs of her son, and £600 for an iPad to support speech recovery and stimulation for a bedbound 81-year-old woman in Hammersmith & Fulham.

In another case, £368 was awarded to a 68-year-old woman in Southwark undergoing intensive cancer treatment who had been sleeping on the floor, enabling her to buy a new bed.

Older people in need can be referred to Friends of the Elderly by organisations such as community centres, housing associations and advice services. Further information is available at http://www.fote.org.uk/grants

Photo by Andreas Lehner, Wikimedia commons.