Revival North Yorkshire celebrate after receiving huge lottery award

Revival North Yorkshire CIC, is today celebrating after being awarded £132,000 of National Lottery funding to support its work over the next 3 years.

The Community Interest Company, which is based in the Esk Valley, will use the cash to provide help and support to older and vulnerable people in rural villages through their Community Support Workers.

Revival has been running since 2015 and has 7 part time staff and 25 volunteers. It was founded by Debbie Swales after she realised the huge enjoyment older people and volunteers had had making the Living Memories Films in 2014.

Debbie identified the lack of opportunities for older people to get together and set up Memory Lane Lunches and other social gatherings to help prevent loneliness in moorland villages.

Revival North Yorkshire is now in regular contact with over 120 older people many of whom have health issues, memory problems, no transport, no family living locally, are lonely or have a combination of these issues.

During the Covid-19 pandemic Revival staff and volunteers have made over 2000 phone calls, carried out more than 900 doorstep visits, provided 503 food shops, collected 112 prescriptions and taken 961 Lunch on Legs (hot meals) to the people's doors.

In addition they have developed their own In Touch magazine, set up virtual activity groups and given support, information or signposting on over 160 occasions.

The funding from the National Lottery will enable them to continue to provide the services to people who would otherwise have no other local support organisation.

In addition, as lockdown is lifted, Revival will organise small group get-togethers and hope that by September they will be able to resume their Memory Lane Lunches, Memory

Lane Music and Good Old Days reminiscing sessions that people enjoy so much.

Revival’s aim is to provide help and support to enable older people in rural villages on the North York Moors to live in their own homes as safely and happily as possible for as long as they wish.

Debbie Swales, founder of Revival says: “We’re delighted that The National Lottery Community Fund has recognised our work in this way.

"During the pandemic, our staff increased from 1 full time to 7 part time staff and we are mindful that we still have a lot of work to do in order to find the money to pay for the wonderful staff we have now.

"However, thanks to National Lottery players this funding will help us enormously to continue to support our older people with the services they need and the activities they

enjoy .

"This is important because in addition to practical support we can help to prevent people feeling empty, alone, and unwanted.

"Instead of feeling lonely our older people feel part of a caring community."