A new charitable fund has launched to help older people in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin who are struggling with the cost of living, providing small, practical grants to support people aged 70+ who are experiencing financial hardship.
The Grace Cares Hardship Fund is delivered through the Community Foundation for Staffordshire and Shropshire, helping to ensure support reaches individuals who need it most. Successful applicants will be able to purchase essential items, as they define in their application.
The fund offers grants of up to £350 to support eligible older people with essential living costs. Grants are targeted to those in greatest financial need.
To be eligible for the programme, applicants must be aged 70 or older and reside within Shropshire or Telford & Wrekin. Financial criteria also apply, requiring that an applicant’s income does not exceed 25% of the Minimum Income Standard (MIS). Additionally, household savings must be below the threshold of £3,000 for a single adult or £6,000 for a couple.
If a grant is awarded, recipients will be asked to provide receipts showing how the funds were spent and to share a short piece of feedback on the difference the support has made.
Leanne Macpherson, Head of Programmes at the Community Foundation for Staffordshire & Shropshire said:
“The Community Foundation works with many partners across the county and wider region who want to see their charitable giving have a substantial impact.
“They want to see that their funding is making a real difference where it is needed most, and they want to see that support is immediately available, when people need help the most. We are really pleased to be working with Grace Cares, a national charity who specialise in supporting disadvantaged people, and particularly older people.
“They wanted to ensure that different areas across our region had access to the same level of support, and that the help they provide gets to the most appropriate place. We’re delighted that they’ve chosen to work with us and look forward to building that relationship over time.”
Joe Palmer, Programmes Officer for the Community Foundation for Staffordshire & Shropshire, who delivers the programme, said:
“This is a fantastic programme that is designed to support some of our most vulnerable residents, and we want to ensure we get as much support as possible out to the people that need it most.
“Although we are based in Shrewsbury we understand that not everyone may be able to travel to us, and so we are happy to offer support online on our website, shropshire.foundation, or people can call us on 01743 295900. I want to make sure that we do all that we can to support older people in need across the county.”
Applications can be made throughout 2026.
