An Edinburgh charity has received funding to increase its support for elderly and vulnerable South Asian communities during the coronavirus pandemic.
Milan was awarded £5000 by Foundation Scotland, which allows them to provide more hot meals and food parcels across the city so older people and carers can self isolate safely.
83 projects have been funded in Edinburgh and the Lothians, totalling £323,338. The fund is distributing money raised through the National Emergencies Trust (NET).
Milan was founded Edinburgh in 1991 and offers an outreach service to reduce social exclusion experienced by older people, targeting those ‘at risk’ who are housebound, hospitalised or socially isolated.
This enables elderly South Asian communities to feel ‘connected’ within their community.
The charity also provides information and advice services for people aged 50 plus, elderly day services and a support group for carers to maintain and sustain their caring roles.
Since coronavirus lockdown, the charity is now providing alternative services to support people. They started with approximately 20 meals per week and within weeks our deliveries have risen to around 100 hot meals and 40 food parcels per week. This includes people that are shielding, vulnerable and frail with lack of support, older people living in hostels without kitchen facilities and from last week also started delivering to our clientele in care homes.
The charity is also providing information and advice work remotely – dealing with complex matters such as loss of income, housing issues, people stuck abroad and businesses collapsing and require income support.
Milan has also supported older people and carers with regular telephone support, video conferencing calls group activity sessions online including exercise, yoga and general group support through chats. As well as starting a dedicated Youtube channel including recipes, yoga, and information videos all in community languages.
Manager Sophia Latif said: “Milan Senior Welfare Organisation is very thankful to Foundation Scotland for supporting us during the pandemic with such urgency enabling us to provide critical support to vulnerable older people with limited awareness due to language barriers. Through this project we have also been able to provide hot meals and food parcels city wide in Edinburgh to ensure that older people and carers self-isolating remain safe and healthy indoors”.
