Caring UK Weekly February 8

The weekly online newsletter for the care sector

Homecare CEO spells out scale of sector crisis

INCREASED demand, a recruitment crisis, poor pay and repeated failures to meet the needs of the most vulnerable members of society are some of the major issues hampering the provision of homecare, according to a leading figure in the sector.

Dr Jane Townson, CEO of the Homecare Association, fears people are being ‘neglected in the community’ because of problems impacting the sector.

In an interview with Newcross Healthcare’s Voices of Care podcast, Jane outlined some of the challenges facing the sector. These include;

n Growing demand for homecare provision.

n Carers leaving the sector in their droves.

n Delays in discharging from hospital due to lack of available support at home.

n Poor pay, terms and conditions hampering recruitment.

n People’s needs not being met due to an increase in 15-minute visits.

n Failure to make the most of digital developments.

She added: “We’ve got a population aging with multiple long-term conditions, and obviously the preference of most people is to stay at home surrounded by people that they love in familiar surroundings and able to do what they want when they want.

“But we’re seeing staffing issues translate into problems discharging people from hospital.

“Nuffield Trust reported that one in four people who are stuck in hospital are waiting for homecare and then, at the front end because people are being neglected in the community, they’re deteriorating, ending up in ambulances in A&E when, with some support at home, we could keep them safe and well in their own homes.”

Recent research from the Homecare Association found that the average price being paid by public organisations for home care in England after April 1, 2022 remains significantly below the cost of recruiting and retaining a skilled workforce and delivering high-quality, sustainable home care services.

Meanwhile, the podcast heard how the pay rate for someone in care was once higher than someone in retail or sales, but is now much less, making the sector unattractive to those looking to decide their careers.

Jane added: “So many councils still purchase home care by the minute. So that puts such a lot of pressure on the care workers.

“They feel that they’re rushing from one place to the next and they’re in it because they want to make a difference to people’s lives, and they want to meet people’s needs. But it’s really stressful when you can’t do that.”

Azalea House in Bedford has been given an excellent report following a visit from the local borough council. It was rated excellent in five areas including personalised care and support, care and welfare of service users and respecting and involving service users. The service was evaluated using the Provider Assessment and Market Management Solution online assessment tool. Manager Donna-Maria Masters said: “It is a testament to how hard our team work with the individuals we support to make Azalea House not just a care home, but their home too. We will continue to keep our high standards and excellent quality levels, and look forward to welcoming the local authority back to see us again in the future.”

Group launches dementia service

ORCHARD Care Homes has opened a fourth Reconnect community to support people with complex dementia care needs at Paisley Lodge in Armley, Leeds.

Paisley Lodge’s Reconnect Community embraces dementia care practice and a training programme for its care team.

The operator seeks to re-frame dementia care through its ‘Dementia Promise’ initiative, launched last month, by focusing on people’s strengths, abilities and what they can meaningfully achieve in their lives, instead of focusing on their diagnosis and difficulties.

Dementia lead Hannah Miller said: “As we have seen from the success of our three other Reconnect Communities, the need for specialist, people-focused dementia care is essential.

“We strive to ensure people continue

to have a sense of purpose, maintain and enhance independence, whilst embracing the new research and resources available.

“Our aim will always be towards reconnecting people as far as possible; both to the world around them and to their own identities.”

With the capacity to care for 18 people, the Reconnect community will provide care for people living with complex needs arising from their experience of living with dementia, who often experience heightened levels of psychological distress.

The service will aim to reduce the dependence on psychotropic medication; through support focused on who the person is, striving for people to live life to the full.

Carers recognised in GEM Awards for ‘going extra mile’

‘GOING the extra mile’ to beat some stiff competition, the winners of the January GEM Awards at a Norfolk home care company have been announced.

Carer Tracey Sanchez took the honour at the Horsham St Faith office of Extra Hands, following a nomination from the family of a grateful service user.

And in Heacham the winner was Amanda Hathaway.

Both winners said they were surprised when the award-winning family run home care company set up almost 30 years ago revealed the first winners of the year.

Tracey, who celebrated 15 years with Extra Hands in July 2022, was praised for her ‘caring support’ in the nomination.

“Tracey has been my aunt’s carer for all of the year and has been a constant daily carer looking after her.

“She has provided support and general well-being assistance, carrying out daily checks, cleaning and checking on her health.

Importantly, she has managed the regular food orders, ensuring my aunt has all the provisions for the week.

“I know my aunt is most appreciative of Tracey’s support and care, and, from the family, we wish to thank Tracey for her caring support,” said the nomination.

Amanda received two glowing nominations for the accolade.

One described her as ‘considerate, caring and dedicated’ and said she ‘comes out very well in all areas’.

The other nomination called Amanda ‘bubbly and funny’ and ‘a breath of fresh air’, as well as referring to her as a ‘total Godsend’ and a ‘rock’.

London home retains ‘Outstanding’ rating

NIGHTINGALE Hammerson’s Nightingale House has again been awarded the rating of Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission following a recent inspection.

Nightingale Hammerson provides residential, nursing, dementia and palliative care to the Jewish community at Nightingale House in Clapham and Hammerson House, Wohl Campus in Hampstead.

who have enabled our provision of innovative and outstanding care.”

The CQC report states that residents:

n are truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.

n passionately supported and encouraged to be part of their local community.

It continued: “She is a very devoted and caring carer and gives her all. She knows how to give you confidence to get through the most difficult of circumstances.

“A thoughtful, considerate, caring, dedicated carer that will go above and beyond for those she cares for – there cannot be more appropriate attributes to possess in the caring industry.”

Group promotes openness and support with new partnership

A RESIDENTIAL care provider has launched a new partnership to provide a confidential ‘speak up’ service to more than 750 staff across its homes.

The partnership has been initiated by Borough Care, which has 10 care homes in Stockport and two in Staffordshire, as it continues to promote and grow a culture of openness and support across its sites.

Speaking at the launch, Borough Care CEO Dr. Mark Ward said: ‘Our partnership with Say So will give everyone at Borough Care the opportunity to speak up about any issues and will help us continue to create a healthier, safer and fairer workplace for all.

“We understand that even in well-managed workplaces there still remains some barriers to open communication.

“It is very important to us as an organisation that everyone has the opportunity to be heard, so this is an incredibly positive step for Borough Care to take.’

The operator has launched the partnership with Say So with the goal of obtaining all information possible from staff to keep people safe.

Say So will give everyone at Borough Care a platform to raise any concerns, or make suggestions for improvements, about work, completely anonymously through

free phone lines and online reporting tool.

Since the start of the pandemic, Nightingale House is the only care home with nursing in London to retain an Outstanding rating following a full inspection.

It also continues to be the only Outstanding care home serving the older Jewish community in the UK.

Chairman Melvin Lawson said: “Our last CQC inspection was in 2018 and, despite the challenges of the pandemic, to retain the highest possible rating of Outstanding from our regulator is a great achievement.

“I thank our dedicated care teams and wish to acknowledge their immense hard work. My thanks also to our volunteers and donors

n at the end of their lives received exceedingly compassionate care. Their wishes were detailed and recorded when people wished to share this including their preferences and choices for end of life care.

n benefited from research-based practices such as ‘Namaste care’ which was designed to give one to one comfort and pleasure to people through sensory stimulation, especially the use of touch and scent in a relaxed environment.

n and that the leadership was exceptional and distinctive. Leaders and the service culture they created drove and improved high-quality, person-centred care.

Tracey Sanchez

Pictured from the left are Nightingale House registered manager Clemence Muchingaguyo with Nightingale Hammerson chief executive Jenny Pattinson and director of care Nuno Santos Lopes.

its

Amanda Hathaway

Borough Care staff members Abbey Langley, Michelle Spencer and Mary Burke.

A Dorset woman who has been a resident in Bournemouth’s Muscliff Care Home for nearly seven years has celebrated her 105th birthday. Dorothy Majorie Menday, who was joined by her niece and namesake Dorothy, enjoyed a cake and balloons on her special day. She was also given flowers and cards from family and friends. Dorothy said: “I’ve celebrated my birthday here since I turned 99, and the staff always go out of their way to make the day special. I’m already looking forward to my 106th.” Dorothy had lived in Bournemouth for four years when she moved into Muscliff. Before that she lived in Croydon, where she was born. Widowed by her husband William, Dorothy loved to travel and put New Zealand and Canada at the top of her places to visit.

Care home shakes off the January blues by putting the kettle on

A KENT care home shook off the January blues by celebrating ‘Brew Monday’ with its residents, setting up a fun and tasty tea sampling to get people talking.

Donation drive to support domestic abuse victims

A DONATION drive which was launched with the aim of supporting women and children at Harrogate Women’s Refuge has proven to be a huge success with £305 raised and countless toys donated.

The successful initiative was launched in late December by Jessica Williams, a care supervisor at Bluebird Care Harrogate.

She said: “I am delighted with how the initiative has gone.

“I think it has been a real success and it’s meant a lot to me to know that the donations from this drive will make a real difference to the lives of other people going through what I know is such a difficult time.

“This is a cause which is very close to my heart, and I hope my story, and the generous donations, will go a long way towards helping other women and children.”

Jessica’s selflessness and dedication to supporting the Women’s Refuge follows her own personal experience of a women’s refuge back in 2018 after she was the victim of domestic violence by her ex-boyfriend on the night England lost in the World Cup.

For Jessica, her experience of domestic violence led to her being placed in a women’s refuge in Northallerton.

While she was hours away from her home and family, it was here she was

able to re-build her life and regain her confidence, with the help of the Independent Domestic Abuse Service and their team.

However, during her time at the refuge she also met numerous women who had arrived with their children, with little to no belongings after being compelled to move quickly for their protection.

Amidst a growing cost-of-living crisis affecting people across the UK, and inspired by these moments in her life, Jessica decided to launch a donation drive in a bid to play her part, give back to the community that helped her to get back on her feet, and support others going through a similar experience she did.

Sam Mortimer, registered care manager at Bluebird Care Harrogate, added: “We were delighted to offer our support to Jessica after she told the team about her desire to support a charity close to her heart, as well as stories of the incredible work they do.

“We were quickly inundated with donations at the office.

“The Harrogate community has really pulled together to support this important cause, and it has been very heart-warming to meet so many people who are willing to give donations and toys to support women and children receiving support from the Women’s Refuge.”

Grove Care Home in Kemnay has announced the appointment of new manager William Narvaez. Grove Care Home, part of the Meallmore Ltd group, is a 40-bed facility caring for residents with a range of conditions and needs including dementia and palliative care. William started his career at Meallmore four years ago and returns with a wealth of experience after a two-year hiatus. He first joined the care home company as charge nurse at Kynnaird House Care Home in Fraserburgh, and then worked as deputy manager at Bayview Care Home in Cruden Bay. Since then, William moved to the Highlands area of Scotland working as care home manager of another care group. In his new role William will oversee the management for Grove Care Home.

Fairways, a branch of ACI Care that specialises in residential, respite and dementia care, decided to ignore the dreaded ‘Blue Monday’, supposedly the most depressing day of the year, by celebrating Brew Monday instead – a day dedicated to reaching out for a cuppa and a catch-up with the people you care about.

While Blue Monday accounts for January’s worsening weather, lapsed New Year’s resolutions and the joy of Christmas fading, Brew Monday helps to combat these negative feelings by enjoying a hot beverage and socialising with loved ones.

Residents were treated to four different teas: Peppermint and Liquorice, Mixed Berry, Blackberry and Blueberry Infusion and Ginger Green Tea, with the latter coming out the firm favourite.

Registered manager Alison Yarnley said: “We always like to have something for our residents to look forward to and our fun activity schedule promotes that.

“The staff have been proactive with each resident, which has contributed to their wellbeing and enhanced their daily lives.

“Afternoon tea at Fairways was a fun treat for all, residents enjoyed socialising, interacting with each other and reminiscing about their memories of afternoon tea throughout their lives.

“Brew Monday was something simple and engaging that the residents looked forward to, just one of the many activities that create a joyful atmosphere and uplift the wellbeing of our residents and staff within the home.”

Brew Monday is just one of the many activities the staff at Fairways organise for their residents, to help bring variety to their days and encourage them to socialise together.

The home has a busy schedule planned for the rest of January too, celebrating the upcoming National Popcorn Day, National Hug Day and Australia Day.

The activities regularly put on within the home offer a host of benefits for residents including the opportunity to socialise and form friendships, help keep the mind active, and alleviate feelings of isolation and loneliness –all of which can occur in care home residents who may miss being in their own homes with partners and family.

The Brew Monday campaign started in 2020 and was set up by mental health charity Samaritans. It encourages groups of friends to stay in touch, share their troubles, and to dismiss the myth about Monday being ‘blue’ and instead start a conversation over a brew.

Manager Rachel French and the team at Hunters Creek in Boston were thrilled to find they had been rated overall ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission following a recent inspection at the home. She said: “Managing a large care home can be demanding but the rewards outweigh the challenges. Our aim is to make a positive difference to the lives of our residents, each and every one of them is at heart of all we do. We are delighted the CQC inspection recognised the excellent work carried out by our team. Hunters Creek is an amazing care home, our CQC rating is a true reflection of our happy, inclusive community of residents, relatives and staff.”

The Bluebird Care Harrogate team with donations. Jessica is one in from the left.

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104-year-old home resident obtains a student certificate

YOU’RE never too old to learn something new. That’s what 104-yearold resident Irene Muggeridge has just proved at Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh Court in Wokingham.

The care home recently joined the Unit Award Scheme, which allows student residents to engage with learning and have their achievements formally recognised.

Under this scheme, resident Irene took up arts and crafts lessons to create her own woollen pom-pom, an accomplishment that came with an official certificate.

“I enjoyed making the pop-pom and using a new piece of equipment I had never used before. It was hard to start with, but I soon learnt how to use it,” she said.

When Irene was presented with the certificate she added: “I am so pleased to get this. I cannot believe I have this lovely certificate. My son Alan will be so happy to see it.”

Despite her age, she is now the first resident at Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh Court to become a UAS certified student.

“I don’t think of my age. I put it out of my mind. I don’t think about me being over a 100,” she said. “You are only as young as you feel, and I feel young. Even at my age, I am happy to have a go at anything.”

The care home joined the Unit Award Scheme so residents could build up a portfolio of certificates to evidence their skills, knowledge and experience.

“This boosts their confidence, increases their engagement and improves their motivation,” said Sharon Fletcher, one of the home’s activities coordinators and Irene’s teacher for this Unit Award.

“I am excited to lead this new initiative within the home and this vision of ‘life long learning’ shows how flexible, confident and courageous our residents are. We encourage them to make progress on their lifelong learning journey.”

Residents at Prince Philip Duke of

Suite honouring the late Queen opens at home

THE grand opening of The Jubilee Suite has taken place at Abbot Care Home in Harlow.

Edinburgh Court now have an even wider range of activities to choose from. These cover many subjects: life skills, arts and crafts, outdoor activities and related learning linked to the experiences they’ve had in life.

Sharon added: “These activities are fully inclusive for all abilities and ages, so everyone, including staff members at the home, now have the opportunity to participate.

“We will continue with this ‘life long learning’ at the care home to develop new skills and experiences, but most importantly to enjoy all we do.”

To be able to enter in the scheme, the care home registered as a centre for the Unit Award Scheme. The Association of Friends of Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh Court, an independent charity that works closely with the home, provided the necessary funding for this new adventure.

“The next step “is to help residents and staff utilise their newly obtained skills to engage with communitybased projects,” Sharon concluded.

Named in honour of the late Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee celebrations last year, the suite is a modern, luxury care suite that offers compassionate, person-centred residential, nursing and dementia care.

Relatives, family members and people living locally attended the opening, where they had the opportunity to explore the suite, experience some live entertainment, and enjoy canapes and bubbly.

Councillor Andrew Johnson cut the ribbon to officially declare the Jubilee Suite open.

“This is a very exciting time for the people living and working at Abbot as we announce the opening of our new luxury care suite,” said home manager Ruth Halls.

“Everyone has worked so hard to ensure the Jubilee Suite is a place where people feel welcomed, loved and supported. We hope this came across to the guests that we welcomed at the opening.”

The new, purpose-built suite has been expertly designed by Excelcare with kindness, compassion and dignity at its heart, with the individuals who live there at the forefront of their minds.

The design of the suite promotes a meaningful lifestyle of confidence and independence, featuring clear signage to support people who live with dementia.

The Jubilee Suite is a place to spend time engaged in exciting activities, or relaxing in the multitude of bright, airy living spaces.

The team at Abbot share more than 350 years of combined experience in dementia and nursing care so they are experts when it comes to integrating with families and providing tailored support.

The friendly and professional team were on hand throughout the opening ceremony to answer any questions and provide more information about life at Abbot.

The team also handed out gifts to thank guests for taking the time to look around the Jubilee Suite.

Care provider unveils its engagement app

NATIONAL Care Group has unveiled its new employee engagement app in partnership with Engage Solutions Group.

The ‘Engage’ app will be rolled out to 2,400 colleagues working across 150 sites in England and Wales –forming part of a wider digital project that has operational and cultural cohesion at its heart.

People director Claire Leake said: “The app presents us with the opportunity to create one digital world for National Care Group, removing the barriers that come with distance, the absence of corporate email for our frontline colleagues, and reliance on analogue processes.

“For the first time, we can connect every single colleague not just to the National Care Group brand and to central support, but to each other too, regardless of location, creating a community experience and collaborative culture.”

Colleagues can now check the latest news and updates, book

holiday, check their payslip, read and acknowledge new policies, tap into wellness resources, and even ‘preboard’ as a new starter – all via the digital app.

Role-based groups for sharing best practice can be generated on-thego, whilst colleague recognition and support is able to be shared through in-app ‘Thank You’ cards highlighting National Care Group’s core values. Suggestions and feedback will form a continuous two-way dialogue between users and app managers.

Claire added: “With one app we can move closer towards achieving our mission of unlocking the potential of those we support and our colleagues.

“It’s great that the technology is so easy to use and manage; but even more so the collaborative relationship we have established with Engage will support us not just to launch the app, but drive the project to develop further capabilities, strengthen our internal community and empower each National Care Group colleague.”

Irene Muggeridge

Councillor Brian Black joined staff and residents from Windmill Manor in Oxted to officially open the home’s new Windmill Way wing, which will offer nursing care alongside its existing dementia provision. General manager Ellie Lyons said: “We’re so excited to officially open our new nursing wing which will allow us to help more members of the community in Oxted that need our care.”

Care team leader’s double celebration

ITA Graven from Elizabeth House care home in Parkstone enjoyed a double celebration recently when she not only turned 80 but was surprised with a special afternoon tea to commemorate her 48 years of continuous service.

Care South’s chief executive Simon Bird joined the team to celebrate the occasion and personally thank Ita for her dedication to the company and all the residents she has cared for over nearly half a century, with Ita currently caring for residents younger than herself.

Achievements celebrated at champion awards

CARERS from across the North West and Midlands have been celebrated at the annual Belong Champion Awards as the dementia specialist recognised the outstanding achievements of its teams in their everyday work supporting older people to live an active and fulfilling later life.

Colleagues at Belong’s care villages, and their corresponding home care service, Belong at Home, picked up their trophies at the dazzling ceremony, hosted at Peckforton Castle, and attended by teams from across Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Staffordshire.

With more than 300 nominations from across the not-for-profit organisation, the winners in 10 categories were determined by an independent judging panel, Dementia UK, the National Care Forum, Skills for Care, The Bluecoat, Ready

Generations and Total People, as well as Belong customers, who conducted a series of interviews as part of the rigorous assessment process.

Belong chief executive Martin Rix said: “We’ve had a fantastic evening celebrating our colleagues’ hard work and success. Congratulations to all of our finalists and winners.”

Winners: Newcomer – Siobhan Coleman, receptionist, Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme and Harry Crawford, IT support engineer, Central Services; Mentor – Laura Rideout, senior support worker, Belong Atherton; Leader – Andrew Shield, business manager, Belong at Home; Team – Belong at Home Wigan; Compassion – Trulea Greensmith, salon manager, Belong Crewe; Innovation –Kathryn Pimblett, host, Belong Wigan; Belinda Jones dementia champion – Stacey Wright, lead senior support worker, Belong Crewe; End-of-life care – Jemma Sharratt, lead nurse, Belong Atherton; Central services – property team; Community engagement – experience day team, Belong Crewe.

Residents create videos reading bedtime stories

RESIDENTS from Care UK’s Cavell Court in Cringleford created videos of themselves reading famous children’s stories for youngsters – all to ensure no child goes to bed without a bedtime story no matter if they have someone to read to them or not.

After practicing their lines and perfecting their characters’ voices, residents took to the home’s lounge where the team had created a ‘storytelling throne’.

Equipped with blankets, puppets, cuddly toys and a good cup of tea, residents filmed their special stories.

Home manager Karen Curle said: “We all remember fondly the stories told to us as children, and the quality time spent reading family favourites with loved ones.

“Unfortunately, we know not every child is lucky enough to have their own grandparents to read to them, and the residents were keen provide them with an alternate experience to enjoy.

“It has been heart-warming to see the residents practice their lines and read their favourite stories out loud over the last few weeks.

“Nurturing a love of reading from an early age is so important in developing a child’s imagination and

communication skills, while in older age reading can also help to improve concentration and reduce stress.

“From Cinderella to Jack and the Beanstalk, each of the residents’ four videos include something for all children to enjoy and are available for any family to view online.

“We hope children in Norfolk and beyond enjoy each of the stories and where they take their imagination.”

Included in the videos are residents, Peta Cremer, 78, who reads a retelling of Cinderella, Nihal Goonetilleke, 81, reading The Three Bears, Brenda Burman, 87, and her retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk, and Nancy Thompson, 86, who reads The Three Little Pigs.

Ita works a care team leader, which she says is the most rewarding period of her career.

“Being promoted to care team leader was a real highlight for me and something I worked hard to achieve,” she added.

“The memory will always stick with me. The 48 years have gone by in a flash. I love the work; every day is unique, and I’ve made a good living out of doing something I enjoy.

“I have always said you don’t know your home until you know the residents and that when you know your residents, you know your home.

“Elizabeth House is a home-fromhome for me, and I really appreciate all the effort that has been made to make my celebrations so special.”

Ita started her care career in 1974 at Draper House, a residential care home, when it was owned by Dorset County Council. She chose to continue working for the service when the hospital transferred over to the Dorset Trust

and Care South, until Draper House closed.

Ita then transferred to another Care South care home, Queensmead, before finally moving to Elizabeth House.

Simon added: “We are lucky to have lots of long-term team members who have stayed with us well in excess of 25 years, but Ita’s 48 years is really quite incredible, and there certainly seems to be no stopping her with her energy and enthusiasm.

“Ita has cared for hundreds of residents in our care and really is the perfect example of someone that was made for a career in care with absolute empathy and devotion to caring for everyone she meets.”

Residents to benefit from new boilers thanks to grant

A £34,000 grant from the Wolfson Foundation has enabled the installation of two new boilers at Abbeyfield House, Brecon.

Abbeyfield House is a sheltered housing scheme located near the centre of Brecon and managed by charity the Abbeyfield Brecon Society.

Over the next few months Abbeyfield Brecon will install the two new condensing boilers in place of the current 30-year-old gas ones and will provide heating and hot water for the 12 residents’ rooms, as well as the communal and staff areas, including the kitchen and laundry facilities.

The purchasing of a new control system, water cylinders and pumps to upgrade the entire heating system will help to reduce the house’s use of gas by up to 25 per cent, contributing towards its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and the reduction of heating bills – a saving that will be passed on to the residents.

Abbeyfield Brecon chair of trustees Penelope Weston said: “We are delighted that the Wolfson Foundation has provided us with the funding needed to complete this important energy-saving project.

“The modernisation and improving the energy-efficiency of the house is one of our key objectives for this year, and the installation of the two new boilers will contribute immeasurably

to achieving our sustainability targets. Building on the installation of solar panels in 2019, a more efficient heating and hot water system will, we hope, make the home more comfortable for our residents, whose wellbeing is our highest priority, while reducing their bills.

It will also provide a better working environment for our staff and volunteers, and a more welcoming one for visitors.

“Similarly, the new boilers will have lower running and maintenance costs for the house to bear.

“As a not-for-profit organisation, any savings we make will be put towards further enhancing the quality of life for our residents.”

The grant is the second successful application that Abbeyfield has made to the Wolfson Foundation’s Sustainability Fund, following the awarding of £13,500 in July 2022 to enable the installation of automated meter reading technology in nearly 100 of Abbeyfield’s houses and homes nationwide.

The Foundation’s Sustainability Fund supported a variety of organisations to undertake basic refurbishment and maintenance works that enhanced the sustainability of buildings, improved energy efficiency and reduced ongoing costs.

Ita Graven