Charity arm of Churchill Living partners with Hourglass to promote safer ageing in the UK
The charity arm of national housing operator Churchill Living has announced a major new long-term partnership with Hourglass (Safer Ageing), the only UK-wide charity dedicated to calling time on the harm, abuse and exploitation of older people.
The partnership, which was celebrated at an official launch event at Churchill’s Austen Lodge in Basingstoke recently, will see the Churchill Foundation donate £200,000 to Hourglass in 2025, along with a commitment to donate a further £200,000 over the next two years.
This significant new funding will help strengthen Hourglass’ essential services – including its 24/7 helpline and network of frontline teams – enabling the charity to deliver life changing support for older victim-survivors, as well as their families, care professionals and wider communities.
As a specialist in providing housing for the over 60s, Churchill states that it has an understanding of the challenges older people often face. Its charitable Foundation shares the core aims of promoting health and wellbeing for the older generation, and reducing human suffering, which, it states, makes Hourglass the perfect partner for this new long-term project.
Hourglass is committed to tackling all forms of abuse of all older people and supporting communities and individuals across the UK to overcome the barriers to mainstream provision.
Every year, one in six people over the age of 60 experience financial, physical, psychological, sexual abuse or neglect, according to the World Health Organisation. This amounts to 2.6 million people and Hourglass deals with the very worst of these cases.
The new partnership and funding will enable Hourglass and Churchill to work together to pursue key goals over the coming year. These include strengthening Hourglass’ 24/7 Helpline by ensuring the sustainability of the team and maintaining its frontline service staff provision across England.
The partnership will work to increase awareness of the issue of abuse of older people through community-based educational activities and partnerships and it will look to recruit new Hourglass staff members in priority counties.
It hopes to also expand its Community Response service into the North of England so that older victims here have the same levels of support and protection as those in the South.
Spencer J McCarthy, Churchill’s Chairman & CEO, said: “We originally created the Churchill Foundation to help focus our efforts on giving something back to the communities where we operate, and to make a real difference for charities that share our common goals.
“Hourglass is the only UK-wide charity dedicated exclusively to preventing the abuse and exploitation of older people, a huge and fast-growing part of our society who are all too often neglected and ignored.
“We understand very well the importance of looking out for this generation, especially those who are suffering in silence, which is why we wanted to offer Hourglass this unprecedented level of direct support through the Churchill Foundation.”
Richard Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of Hourglass, added: “Our vision is a safer ageing society that truly values older people, and they can live free from abuse and neglect. So often, this is perpetrated by those they trust.
“Our ethos closely aligns with the aims of the Churchill Foundation, and we’re excited by the potential of this new partnership to not only strengthen and expand the vital services we provide, but also to help raise broader awareness of the Hourglass charity and the important work we do.
“Together we can work towards a future where older people are protected and do not face abuse as they age. By investing in these efforts now, we strive to create a safer environment for all.”
