Registered
Public benefits
The direct benefits flow from the purpose of reduced social isolation and loneliness, promote health and prevent ill health and assist them in living independently in their homes for as long as they can, improvement of the quality of life for those in need, reduce levels of stress anxiety and mental health issues, connecting older people to live a
healthier, happier and longer life. Provide opportunities to gaining support either directly by COAST, signposted by COAST or referral making through COAST i.e. poverty support, winter warmer packs ,food banks, benefit checker, Good Morning Service, home security measures, nuisance call blocking devices, volunteering opportunities, social groups, keysafes and grabrails. We empower older people to plan their own health & wellbeing in a way that centres responsibility with them, think about the positive aspects of life and how to strengthen and reinforce these, think about any difficulties they may be having and how they might address these, Identify any steps they might need to take to improve their health and wellbeing. Family members also benefit as they have a peace of mind their loved one is being supported through various services and aren’t feeling isolated. Provide annual social events to bring together older people to hear about the services that are available to them and have the opportunity to speak one to one with organisations, ask questions and make self-referrals. Support older people groups through sharing of resources, networking events sharing information on funding available to them & provide talks on safety, promote physical activity, good nutrition, improve physical and mental health and promote services that are available to them. The benefits are evidenced through the on-going assessment and evaluation of both beneficiaries and the projects. Evaluations and feedback from programmes and services we provide, which is conducted by questionnaires, surveys, follow up phone calls and focus groups. COAST hold people forums throughout the year to listen to their needs and issues reporting back to relevant bodies. Through beneficiaries feedback we plan for future funding to best support these needs of older people. COAST hold quarterly Partnership meetings to gain feedback from Statutory and voluntary & community organisations to ensure no duplications are being made. A COAST handyperson Feasibility study has been completed with both community and beneficiary consultation to ensure we are meeting the needs of older people. Our ‘Connected Age’ project is monitored and evaluated by the funder annually and an external independent evaluator every 2 years. We will launch our new Strategic Plan in September 2023. There is no harm arising from any of the purposes. The charity's beneficiaries are those aged 60+ living in the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough. There is no private benefit flowing from any of the purposes.
... [more] [less]What your organisation does
Causeway Older Active Strategic Team (COAST) is a local Charity supporting people aged 60+ across the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area. We are an interagency partnership, with over 30 partners, which aims to improve the health and well-being of those aged 60 and over by ensuring the voice of older people is heard and promoting sharing
of resources and strategic collaborative working across the Causeway area. We have recently launched our four year 'Connected Age' project in September 2023 which supports older people connect back into their local community through three home visits, completing a personal wellbeing plan to establish strengths in their lives and how to reinforce them. During the visit the wellbeing plan officer discusses groups & activities in the local area and make relevant referrals to outside agencies to support the safety and wellbeing of the service user. Through this project we support two Good Morning Services, support local older people’s groups to enable them to support local older people. This can be in the form of funding, organisational advice or signposting to relevant services. Through networking events we bring together a range of organisations and older people to share ideas and best practice to best meet the needs of older people, and hold older people forums to discuss issues affecting older people, responding to consultations, lobbying local councillors and MLA’s. COAST provide a safe home service for older people who have been a victim of crime or who have a fear of being one. We carry out a free home security assessment and fit equipment as needed. We also refer onto a wide range of other agencies to give the person the support they need. Our handyperson service delivers low level maintenance tasks around the home to keep older people safe. Some of our most popular jobs include fitting nuisance call blockers, power washing slippery paths, fitting curtain poles/pictures/mirrors and other odd jobs.
... [more] [less]The charity’s classifications
- The relief of those in need by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage
Who the charity helps
- General public
- Older people
- Voluntary and community sector
How the charity works
- Advice/advocacy/information
- Community development
- Community development
- Grant making