Foundations Independent Living Trust :: Introduction From Sir George Young

Introduction From Sir George Young

Welcome to the Foundations Independent Living Trust...

Our sole purpose for setting up this Trust is to help vulnerable people live with dignity in their own homes. We know what the problems are. We can see some solutions. We need your help to achieve them.

What are the problems?

We are an ageing population.

More and more vulnerable people, elderly and disabled, are living on low incomes in their own homes.

Most people want to continue to stay in their own homes and live independently.

And yet:

Many must go into hospital or into care homes, purely because they aren’t able to keep their homes in good repair.
Many, already in hospital or care, can’t get home because they aren’t able to get the work done to make their home suitable, safe and secure.

Isn’t there help for them already?

Yes there is - and it is very welcome... but it is not enough.

There are home improvement, adaptation and disabled facilities grants; and there are opportunities for loans or equity release.

But these are for some people only, and others, often the most vulnerable, fall through the net:

The funds can come through too slowly and too late.
The conditions of the funds don’t cover all they need.
The grants aren’t available in their particular area.
Or they want so little that the funding systems can’t or won’t consider them!

What we need is a Fast Track Hardship Fund

This is the first priority of Foundations Independent Living Trust - to set up a fund that will catch these people before they fall.

We are well placed to do it. We have access to a countrywide network of locally based, not-for-profit Home Improvement Agencies, through their national co-ordinating body, Foundations.

The bread and butter of these Agencies is helping vulnerable people to maintain and adapt their homes so that they can stay in them healthy, safe and secure.

Last year they organised home improvement work worth almost £75m for vulnerable home owners. But there were others they could not help because the funding streams weren’t there.

With the Fast Track Hardship Fund, they can help someone today, and stop them from being in hospital or care tomorrow.

How can you help?

Please read the other pages on this website. They tell you more about the Trust, the Trustees, Home Improvement Agencies, the Fast Track Hardship Fund, and most importantly, about the people we can help with this Fund.

If you would like any more information about the Trust, or would like to discuss how you can help the Hardship Fund, please contact Foundations, the Fund Administrators, at the address below. In the first instance, Samantha Collins (Communications Manager) will be happy to help you.

Finally, I hope you will welcome any application or further contact from Foundations Independent Living Trust in the future.