Resources
Grants for Southwark older people
Camberwell Consolidated Charities gives grants to individuals aged 65 and over, whose income is at or a little above the State pension level, living in the former Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell, which includes Camberwell, Dulwich, Peckham and parts of Old Kent Road.
Blind Aid provides grants for essential goods and items that support blind and partially sighted residents in the 12 inner London boroughs, in receipt of statutory means tested benefits, to maintain their independence. Applications must be completed by an employee of a statutory organisation or registered charity. Guidelines and application form downloadable from its website.
Mayor of Southwark’s Common Good Trust provides grants for Southwark residents living with disabilities, learning difficulties, mental health issues, old age, infirmity, or ill health.
Rotherhithe Consolidated Charities provides grants for older people of state pension age (66 plus) that have been resident in The Ancient Parish of Rotherhithe (Rotherhithe ward, Surrey Docks ward, and parts of North Bermondsey ward, South Bermondsey ward and Old Kent Road ward) for a minimum of 5 years and with low income and low savings.
St George the Martyr Charity provides memberships, and grants for items – including white goods, beds and furniture that will improve the quality of life, for the over 55’s on low income who are resident in the former (pre-1965) Metropolitan Borough of Southwark, which includes Borough, Bankside, Walworth and Newington neighbourhoods.
St Olaves United Charity gives grants to individuals resident in the former Metropolitan Borough of Bermondsey who are in need, hardship or distress. No website. Email: st.olavescharity@btconnect.com Tel: 0207 407 2530.
Download our Grants to individual older people in Southwark
Funding guides and tools
**New** Southwark Funding Guide 2025 provides details of trusts that fund in Southwark.
Cost of Living is a new guide by Southwark Council to some of the support available for Southwark residents most adversely impacted by the cost of living crisis.
Grantway by Induct is a free to use searchable database of grants available to community groups and charities.
Lightning Reach is a free online portal that connects financial support from various sources to the people that need it, quickly and securely.
Local listings. Share your event, training, job news and hireable venue space with Community Southwark. Cultural events can also be shared with Southwark Presents.
Pension Credit Calculator. Use the calculator to find out how much Pension Credit someone could get. Pension Credit tops up weekly income to a guaranteed minimum level of £182.60 a week for single pensioners or £278.70 for couples that have reached State Pension age and live in Britain.
Southwark Worrying About Money is a new leaflet by Southwark Citizens Advice and partners, which can make a real difference to individual people facing financial difficulties. For the online version, click here.
Turn2Us has a benefits calculator to check welfare benefits entitlement for individuals, and a grants search to find charitable funds that support individuals.
Age and place-based initiatives
Ageing Well Southwark is a new flexible initiative to help older people and their carers discover and access a range of support and community services available to them in Southwark. The initiative is provided by the Consortium of Older People’s Services in Southwark (COPSINS) partnership – Age UK Lewisham & Southwark, Blackfriars Settlement, Link Age Southwark, Southwark Carers, Southwark Pensioners Centre and Time & Talents Centre – working with Southwark Council.
Community Southwark Older People’s Network
Community Southwark – the Council for Voluntary Services (CVS) in Southwark – hosts The Older People’s Network, an independent forum of voluntary and community groups in the London Borough of Southwark working to make life better for older people. Join today!
You can also access the map of Community Southwark’s member charities and groups based in Southwark here
Southwark Dementia Action Group enables organisations and individuals to work together to make Southwark a dementia friendly community, where people living with dementia have the support they need to live their life to the full and remain a valued part of our community. This is hugely important as the number of older people aged 65 plus in Southwark will increase by 13,700 by 2030 and the overall prevalence of dementia will increase. To join, please contact Fiona McLeod, Community Development Coordinator (Croydon and Southwark), Alzheimer’s Society. Email: Fiona.McLeod@alzheimers.org.uk
The Giving Lab Walworth by The Social Innovation Partnership enabled residents, local organisations and other service providers in Walworth (North Walworth, Newington and Faraday wards) to work together to change how things are currently done.
Made in Bermondsey, an initiative of The Blue Bermondsey Business Improvement District, aims for a people powered regeneration of The Blue Market in South Bermondsey. Read about their plans.
Re-engage provides social connections for older people aged 75 and above at a time in their lives when their social circles are diminishing. Download the ‘We’re Here to Help’ flyer.
Southwark Covid-19 Response
Southwark Charities partnered and pooled funds with other Southwark charitable trusts and foundations to support organisations working with older and vulnerable Southwark residents during the covid-19 pandemic in 2020 (Southwark Community Response) and 2021 (Connected at Christmas). Contact Southwark Charities for the reports.
Southwark Council has a handyperson team that can help Southwark residents that are aged 60 or above, or that have disabilities, with small repairs or adaptions around the home. Amounts payable are dependent on personal circumstances. For more information phone 020 7525 1863 (office hours) or email: handyperson@southwark.gov.uk
Southwark Warm Spaces Programme
Warm Spaces are open across Southwark in each of the Winters since 2022-23. These are places where people can keep warm, have a cup of tea or take part in an activity. In some spaces residents can also get food and advice about the cost of living. The link has full details of opening days and times. Martin Lewis (Money Saving Expert) has produced a guide to setting up Warm Hubs