LinkAge Bristol

Lead service provider/commissioner

Name:

Bristol City Council

Type of knowledge

Type of knowledge:

Project evaluation

Type of evaluation:

Outcome evaluation

Prevention service description

It is run, and funded, by a partnership of Bristol City Council, St Monica Trust, the Anchor Society, Bristol and Anchor Almshouse Trust and Redcliffe Care. The organisation takes a community development approach to its work, raising the profile of what is already taking place within communities and helping to make it successful and sustainable, as well as operating as a broker and a catalyst to fill gaps in provision.

Throughout the city, hubs offer a wide range of activities including archery, choirs, cooking, holistic therapies, golf, IT, ping pong, walking football, and yoga. Local What’s On guides are used to show people what is available in their community. LinkAge also supports the development of more friendly, cohesive and empathetic communities through its intergenerational work, by celebrating cultural diversity and by challenging age stereotypes. Volunteers are the keystone of the organisation and LinkAge has seen ‘virtuous circles of volunteering’ where people start by attending activities, but later become volunteers.

Intervention/service type:

Befriending, mentoring and peer support; Information and advice; Community capacity building

Target client group(s):

Older people