An innovative scheme to help vulnerable people stay warm, safe and comfortable this winter is reaching out across the community thanks to backing from Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust.
Image: Angela Corry, Charity Campaign Manager for BCHC, with Clare Haines, Grants Manager at SCCT.
The scheme, which has been run by Birmingham Community Healthcare Charity since 2022, delivers much-needed winter support bags filled with essential items to vulnerable individuals across the city, including Sutton Coldfield.
Now, thanks to a grant of £4,995 from SCCT, the charity is looking forward continuing this support for older adults in need.
Angela Corry, Charity Campaign Manager for BCHC, explained how this wonderful programme got started.
She said: “Back in 2022 when Birmingham City Council declared the cost of living crisis, we realised there was a real need for this project. Since then, we’ve created around 2,000 bags thanks to charitable funding, including the generous grant from Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust.
“The idea originally came about as our NHS Chief of Nursing and Therapies heard through the district nurses that patients were very worried about their finances so weren’t putting their heating on or only heating one room.
“We have 500 district nurses across Birmingham, carrying out 69,000 contacts per month. In Sutton Coldfield, we have nurses stationed in Boldmere, Walmley and James Preston Health Centre, but these stories were coming in from across the city.
“Some of the nurses told us they were having to buy food for patients who had none, while others talked about how sedentary patients who had just left hospital were getting very cold because they couldn’t move around much – something which is an even bigger problem now with the rising cost of heating.
“Their stories inspired us to do something to help, and informed us on what we needed to include in the support bags.”
The support bags are given to people identified as vulnerable by district nurses. They contain essentials including a hat and scarf, a fleecy hot water bottle, a flask with soup and chocolate and a fleecy blanket, plus colouring books and pens to alleviate boredom and promote mindfulness.
Clare Haines, Grants Manager at SCCT, said: “This is a great example of a project that has potential to reach lots of people in quite a straightforward way, based on need. It means that vulnerable people are identified early rather than waiting for them to reach crisis points. It also helps reduce hospital admissions by introducing support at an early stage.
“The winter support bags can make such a difference to people who might be very isolated, and just those few items can make a massive change.
“These are the first bags supported by the Trust, and it’s a pleasure and a privilege to support this wonderful cause.”
Angela said: “BCHC is a small NHS charity which pays for enhancements that statutory funding doesn’t cover. We are grateful to our volunteers who help us deliver projects like the support bags.
“Our NHS offers cradle-to-grave services across the city, and we work with older adults from many different community groups. They get to know who we are, and we get to know them.
“We get to see the impact our support bags have, and have had so much positive feedback. We’re really proud of the difference we’ve made with this project.”
