Celebrating 40 years of the Uniting Church in Australia
Celebrating 40 years of the Uniting Church in Australia
Dear Uniting Church Congregation, To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Uniting Church, the Board of Resthaven Incorporated has generously donated $250,000 to the Synod of South Australia. The donated funds are to be used by congregations, faith communities and mission networks to contribute to positive ageing of older individuals in the congregation and community. Resthaven has had a long and close relationship with the Uniting Church. It was established by the Methodist Church in 1935 and today is a separately incorporated organisation associated with the Uniting Church SA. Resthaven provides a comprehensive range of services for older people and their carers across the metropolitan area and in rural centres in South Australia which support the positive ageing of seniors in our community. What is positive ageing?* Positive ageing is a term used to describe the process of maintaining a positive attitude, feeling good about yourself, keeping fit and healthy, and engaging fully in life as you age. Ageing is often associated with many rewarding experiences. It is, however, also a time when significant changes might occur. For example, some people experience changes in physical functioning, social networks, employment, and bereavement can become more common. Keeping a positive attitude toward ageing is particularly important as it allows you to continue to feel good and have a sense of control as you face another part of the life cycle. As people age it is natural for them to move in and out of periods of positive ageing. Those who age positively live longer and healthier lives, and enjoy a good quality of life. A survey conducted by the Australian Psychological Society (APS) found there are many common challenges experienced by older people. In the sample of older Australians the common difficulties were around: maintaining health and fitness, maintaining social networks and activities, feelings of sadness and loss, ensuring financial security, decreases in mobility, and an increased reliance on others. How people manage, think about and cope with these sorts of challenges can affect how well they cope with getting older. * excerpt from the APS website: https://www.psychology.org.au/publications/tip_sheets/ageing/
Lots of congregations already have programs which enhance the lives of seniors. This grant program is a way to further develop those opportunities or to implement creative new initiatives. We hope that your congregation will strongly consider applying for a grant. Applications will be accepted and assessed on a continuing basis from 15 October 2017 until 30 March 2018. In the following pages you will find more information and an application form. If you would like some more specific examples, please contact the grant administrator, Julianne Rogers as listed on the application overleaf. As a Church, we gratefully acknowledge the generous donation from Resthaven and their work to better the lives of older individuals. Yours in Christ,
Rob Brown Associate General Secretary
Celebrating 40 years of the Uniting Church in Australia
40th Anniversary Ageing & Wellness Grant Grant ideas Excellent ideas for grants are all about helping people to embrace a new season in life. Some ideas include but are not limited to helping people to: • think positively about life • keep their brains active • explore spirituality • serve the community • keep fitness levels up/eat well • manage stress or stressful life situations • socialise (outings, social groups, etc) • intergenerational activities • learn a new skill or activity • attend appointments • use technology Projects focused on building improvements or provision of equipment may also be considered. Grant Requirements 1. All Uniting Church congregations, faith communities and mission networks are invited to make application for projects which are able to demonstrate: • benefits to older people • positive ageing • wider community benefit • links to any existing programs (either within the Uniting Church, Resthaven or the broader community) Examples may include: exercise programs for seniors, access ramp equipment, training in pastoral care, initiatives for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people or CALD communities (cultural and linguistic diversity), forums to provide information regarding seniors’ services. 2. A risk assesment must be carried out and attached to the application. Please contact Julianne Rogers (details below) if you require more information or assistance with the risk assessment process. 3. Successful applicants must agree to provide a report and photos or video to share the positive outcomes of the initiative across the church. This is something with which we may be able to assist. 4. At the conclusion of the project, an evaluation form will be forwarded to all successful applicants. If any project or part of a project is unable to move forward for any reason or any funds are left unspent at the conclusion of the project those funds are to be returned to the Synod so that they can be re-allocated. Applications will be accepted and assessed on a continuing basis from 15 October 2017 until 30 March 2018.
Please forward enquiries and completed applications (attached) to: Julianne Rogers (Grant Administrator) 8236 4233 jrogers@sa.uca.org.au Uniting Church SA GPO Box 2145, Adelaide SA 5001
Celebrating 40 years of the Uniting Church in Australia
40th Anniversary Ageing and Wellness Grant Application Applicant information Congregation/ Faith Community/Mission Network Postal Address Suburb
Postcode
Contact person/ project coordinator Phone Email Project information Project name Project detail - include target group, how it fits the requirements (benefits to older people, community connection, etc), implementation dates and anticipated outcomes, project budget including expected date(s) of expenditure. Please attach an extra page if required.
Project funding Funds requested
$
Other funding sources
$
Provide details of those sources Total cost of the project
$
Risk Management Please fill out and attach a Uniting Church Risk Assesment form. This form can be found on the Uniting Church SA website. Please use the following link or send an email to jrogers@sa.uca.org.au to have it emailed to you. http://sa.uca.org.au/documents/whs/General-Risk-Assessment.pdf Evaluation How will you evaluate both the outcome and benefits to demonstrate the success or otherwise of the project particularly how it has contributed to positive ageing experiences for those in the congregation/faith community and/or the wider community?
Endorsement Is this project in accord with the congregation’s/faith community/mission network’s mission or business plan? Yes No Please provide details:
This project is endorsed by the Church Council or other governing body.
Yes
No
Privacy Statement All information collected on this form is managed in accordance with the Uniting Church SA Privacy Policy 2014. It has been collected for the primary purpose of administrating the Resthaven Positive Ageing Grant by the Presbytery and Synod of South Australia. It may also be used in relation to any authorised activities of other Synods or the Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia. If you need clarification about what constitutes an authorised activity or you have any other privacy related queries, please contact Malcolm Wilson on (08) 8236 4206 or privacy@sa.uca.org.au
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