The National Lottery Community Fund has announced that it will provide an additional £14.7 million to HeadStart and Ageing Better in an attempt to support young people with their mental health and also to help older generations with loneliness.

According to the National Lottery, the funding will be used to ‘build on the work they have done during these unprecedented times and continue to support communities significantly impacted by the pandemic’.

Emma Ackerman, Deputy Director at The National Lottery Community Fund, stated: “We are delighted to be able to give further funding to the HeadStart and Ageing Better partnerships in England thanks to support from National Lottery players.

“This extra money comes at a critical time, as we’re aware that there will be people living with the after effects of the COVID crisis. The funding recognises and supports the long-term nature of these programmes, ensuring that National Lottery money will support both the younger generation with their mental health, and prevent loneliness amongst older people to keep them healthy and connected.”

HeadStart is a five year programme started up by The National Lottery Community Fund in 2016 in order to create new ways to improve mental health and wellbeing from people aged 10-16. 

The six local authority led HeadStart partnerships have received a share of £8.7 million in order to continue working on existing projects, whilst also shifting its focus to supporting marginalised youths and pricing better access due to the sudden increase in demand.

Moreover, Ageing Better was set up in 2015 with the intention to improve the lives of people over the ages of 50, with a particle focus on loneliness. In total an estimated 150,000 people have been helped since Ageing Better’s inceptions, spanning across 14 locations.

As a result of the partnership both programs, which were due to expire next year, will be extended in order to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure that these demographics are still looked after during these times.