Street Links was about finding local vulnerableand isolated older people, and gentlyconnecting them with their neighbours and thelocal community. The Project built a chain ofconnections between older people, streetagents (neighbours), Richmond Hill ElderlyAction, statutory and voluntary agencies andthe community culminating in an unbrokencircle of support for their most vulnerable,lonely and socially isolated older people.

The aim was to reach wider across the wholearea and deeper in to each street, supportingneighbourly relationships and offering more,different opportunities and support to serviceusers, volunteers and the community.

●5 new Street Agents includingone who was aged over 50

●148 referrals made to RHEA as aresult of the Street Links project

●The project engaged 248 olderpeople living in Richmond Hill

●237 older people have madecontact with RHEA via a StreetAgent thanks to the project

2017

Street LinksRichmond Hill Elderly Action

The project adopted an Asset BasedCommunity Development (ABCD) approach.However the big challenge was the lack ofcommunity assets in the area. There was alack of community facilities and during thelifetime of the project GP practices closed andeven the local primary school was strugglingwhich impacted on the project’s plannedintergenerational element.

Of those who completed evaluation forms 75%reported a reduction in social isolation.

● Getting the right worker in post, one with acommunity development background,approach and skills, is essential for ABCDwork to succeed.

● Going out to where older people actuallymeet, and when, is essential, as opposedto expecting them to come to RHEA'spremises during opening hours.

● Once contact was made with the WorkingMen's Club, which provided a Sunday lunchto over 200 older people, Street Links reallytook off.

● This approach has generated many morecontracts than the original proposal

whereby one neighbour might makecontact with 5-6 other neighbours.

● The closure of local GP practices, primaryschools on special measures and anabsence of community venues made thetask even more challenging than for otherABCD based projects where there wasmore evidence of community assets.

● Community Development Worker continuedin post, funded by RHEA core funds, atleast until the end of the financial year.

●Work will continue in building links anddeveloping services in the new areas:Saxton Gardens and East Leeds.

● The original Street Agents model struggled.Once a community anchor was found, inthe working men's club, she was able toidentify local older people who haddisconnected from the community.

● Lasting partnerships were made with localcommunity hubs: East Leeds WorkingMen's Club and East Leeds Cricket Club.

● RHEA has also developed a partnershipwith the Prince's Trust which will supportthe continued intergenerational work.

● Centre for Ageing Better ran a focus groupon transport issues at RHEA.

Ethel used to come to the Working Men's Clubevery weekend with her husband.

When her husband passed away she stoppedcoming, she continued to live alone in thecommunity but due to impaired mobility didn’tgo out independently anymore. This made herextremely isolated except for family visiting atthe weekends.

She decided to get involved after a leafletcame through her door to advertise the TimeTo Shine celebration Event to be held at theWMC. She rang the RHEA office to enquire.

The member of staff who answered her callencouraged her to attend the event.

Ethel went and was delighted to be sat,by chance, at the very same table sheused to sit with her husband.

As she was sat alone the project worker askedtwo Prince's Trust volunteers working at theevent to sit and chat with her, who she lovedtalking to because they were young people.

The worker also introduced her to thestewardess who encouraged her to returnagain on Sundays. She went back andcontinued to attend using a taxi for transport.

Ethel signed up to RHEA and their quarterlynewsletter, advertising upcoming events, andcontinued to access RHEA's services.

When Frances moved from London to Leeds,it was all a big change and she did not feelconnected to her new surroundings. She didn'tknow her neighbours and didn't feel confident.Her involvement with Richmond Hill ElderlyAction Street Links project changed all that forthe better.

Frances volunteered as a ‘Street Agent’ whichmeant that she took on the responsibility oflooking out for people on her street, checkingin on those she hadn't seen in a while andgenerally being a good neighbour. With societychanging the way it has and eroding somecommunity connections, projects like StreetLinks help build them back up again.

Not only was she helping others but Franceswas also helping herself. She found the rolevery rewarding and it helped her get out of thehouse more.

When asked what advice she would give topeople who might be hesitating about gettinginvolved with something like this, she said:"Get off your backsides and do it.It's something to get out of bed for in themornings and you feel good knowing you'vehelped someone."

Time to Shine is managed by Leeds Older People’s Forum (LOPF) and funded by Big Lottery Fund’sAgeing Better programme to reduce social isolation and loneliness amongst people over 50.

“You feel

good knowing

you’ve helped

someone.”