Funding enables AmbaCare to continue supporting those who really need it

“The guidance provided has put AmbaCare in a fantastic position to continue supporting people living with dementia in communities that can sometimes be hard for us to reach. Warwickshire County Council is committed to supporting all our communities...this is a major step in us doing that.”

A community support company has been awarded grant funding worth around a quarter of a million pounds to support people primarily, but not exclusively, from minority ethnic communities living with dementia.

AmbaCare Solutions Community Interest Company (CIC), based in Shustoke, has been awarded £230,000 spread over five years to fund its dementia community operations after launching a successful bid to the National Lottery’s Reaching Communities Fund.

The company specialises in facilitating the development and implementation of health, social care, and housing solutions, and uses health coaching to deliver projects which enable people throughout Warwickshire to improve their health and resilience.

The funding is being used to provide information and support services within local minority ethnic communities to improve the experiences of people living with dementia, their families, and carers, through AmbaCare’s Dementia Diversity Programmes – established to ensure that people affected by dementia can live their best possible life through the sharing of lived experience, knowledge, and skills.

AmbaCare received the funding thanks to support from Coventry and Warwickshire Co-operative Development Agency (CWCDA), which provides free business guidance to social enterprises and community organisations in the region.

CWCDA, which supports more than 65 local community businesses with funding and planning every year, first assisted AmbaCare with an initial bid to The National Lottery to establish its Dementia Diversity Programmes.

The agency, which is funded by Warwickshire County Council and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), is also assisting AmbaCare with investment readiness preparation in support of their plans to develop culturally appropriate extra care housing that will enable self-care and independent living that includes access to AmbaCare’s health and wellbeing initiatives.

Dr Jay Chauhan, CEO of AmbaCare Solutions CIC, said: “The expert business advice and professional support provided by CWCDA has been vital in AmbaCare securing much-needed seed funding. Despite Covid-19 restrictions, the funding has enabled us to scale up our various health and wellbeing programmes and successfully bid for new contracts. Our delivery programmes are being rolled out to multiple minority communities across Warwickshire. With the continued input of CWCDA, AmbaCare is on course to achieve medium to long term financial viability.

“AmbaCare is committed to contributing to enhancing and enriching the lives of people in Warwickshire. Our heartfelt thanks to CWCDA for your contribution.”

AmbaCare Solutions was established in June 2015 to benefit communities in and around Warwickshire living with long term health conditions. Its target beneficiaries are primarily, but not exclusively, individuals and communities from minority groups.

Services include a Living Well Passport, therapeutic activities, Wellbeing Buddies to tackle social isolation, digital skills training, Health and Wellbeing at Work, ‘6 Steps to Shaping up 4 Surgery’, ‘Peer Assisted Learning’ Support Groups, and a range of interventions that address the needs of people living with dementia, their families, and caregivers.

Cllr Kam Kaur, portfolio holder for Economy and Place at Warwickshire County Council said: “The grant funding that AmbaCare has received is a great testament to the excellent work that CWCDA does with organisations in the local area. The guidance provided has put AmbaCare in a fantastic position to continue supporting people living with dementia in communities that can sometimes be hard for us to reach. Warwickshire County Council is committed to supporting all our communities. This is a major step in us doing that.”

For more information on the services provided by CWCDA or to book an appointment call 02476 633911 or email info@cwcda.co.uk

For more information about AmbaCare Solutions visit www.amba-uk.org or email admin@amba-uk.org