However, here is a little taster of what we are about. Our services combat isolation and poverty amongst the most vulnerable older people in our society. The help we provide maintains dignity in the face of adversity, whilst engenders security and peace of mind, along with improving older people’s level of independence. We continue to provide lifelong tailored services focusing on befriending schemes and emergency financial assistance. We enjoy the fantastic support of more than 650 volunteers across the UK who enable us to deliver a range of services directly and in collaboration with our partner organisations. At present we have more than 35 such organisations working through the Hard2Reach Forum, which we convene in order to promote and facilitate collaborative working with other organisations.
We provide emergency financial support through direct grant-making to individuals for specific needs. These grants are used to provide vital mobility equipment, to repair or replace faulty household goods or to provide assistance in paying for unaffordable utility bills. Before making any such grants ourselves, we ensure that assistance is accessed from the most appropriate organisation like a better placed local service provider or a statutory organisation with an obligation to provide assistance. We make every effort to collaborate with other organisations so that the value of the financial assistance we give each person is increased.
The remaining support services we provide to our community of beneficiaries includes social events, bedding and thermal slippers to help guard against hypothermia and in winter when we provide food hampers and Christmas gifts.
UBS has been a vital source of support to people in need for 151 years, we want that to continue for many more years indeed provided there remains a need! Government figures show that 2.5 million older people in the UK currently live below the poverty line and with so many living in dire social isolation, UBS will continue its endeavours to expand our outreach.
UBS’ future is encouraging. At present we are helping 1,175 people every day. We continue to be an essential source of regular information, reassurance and friendship that can be relied upon for life. We are providing a more holistic range of services and our beneficiaries are enjoying far more contact with UBS, its staff and its volunteers than ever before. Indeed, in total during 2008 we supported 1,409 people, a record annual figure!
At UBS, we continue to ensure that our operation is effective and efficient. In 2007 [when our accounts were most recently audited] 88% of our money was spent on charitable activities; 11% on fundraising to continue our work; and 1% on governance. Our team across the country consists of just eight staff (three of them being part-time).
In 2008 we managed to raise just over £530,000. There is a huge pressure on our fundraising activities and in our aim is to raise as much each year, whilst developing our services sustainably. The more we can raise, the more older people we can help.
UBS is a lifeline to the vulnerable older people we assist and we must now concentrate on doing all we can to raise the funds required for our work this year. On average we spend up to £500 each year to provide our services to each beneficiary.
If you wish to make a donation, volunteer to help us or know of an older person who needs a helping hand, please feel free to contact us by email at ubs@independentage.org.uk or by telephone on 020 7605 4263.
