Trust awards grants supporting older workers and volunteers

Despite bringing decades of experience, older people often face barriers such as bias in recruitment, fewer training opportunities, and rigid work conditions that don’t accommodate their needs.

To address these barriers, the St Monica Trust launched the Volunteering and Employment for Older People Fund, supporting projects that help older people remain active in work and volunteering for as long as they wish.

Supporting local organisations

After a competitive application process, four organisations have been awarded grants to support older people in the workforce. These organisations are:

• Age UK Bath & North East Somerset: Ageing Well: Empowering Through Employment & Volunteering

Age UK B&NES’s Ageing Well B&NES Programme Lead, Ceri Calonmôr, said: "We’re incredibly grateful for the support from St Monica Trust, which will help us expand the Ageing Well B&NES project. This funding enables us to empower older people with skills, confidence, and opportunities in volunteering and employment – while also working with local employers to create inclusive, age-friendly workplaces. Together, we’re building a community where everyone can thrive, whatever their age."

• Age UK Bristol: Age Friendly Employment

Age UK Bristol’s Chief Executive Officer, Kay Libby, said: "We are thrilled to receive this grant from St Monica Trust, to enable us to work with employers and people over 55 years to help make Bristol a city of age-friendly employers.”

• Hub Weston CIC: Age Advantage

Hub Weston CIC’s Director of Operations, Jemma Coles, said: "We're thrilled about the opportunity this grant offers to empower older adults to continue contributing their incredible skills and experience to the workforce or through volunteering. Age Advantage is about breaking down barriers, fostering inclusivity, and helping both individuals and employers thrive together. With this support, we can champion flexible, age-friendly workplaces and provide tailored resources to ensure lasting impact for our community."

• National Centre for Integrative Medicine: Optimum Health in Later Life – Supporting Older People to Live Well, Work and Volunteer

NCIM Founder, CEO and Integrative Medicine Doctor, Dr Elizabeth Thompson, said: “We are so delighted to again be working with St Monica Trust to deliver culture change in organisations across Bristol for people in later life. We have been delivering optimum health in later life for doctors in training and have a special interest in how to activate health and well-being in the workplace with senior leaders, employees and volunteers.”

Charitable Giving

The St Monica Trust has been supporting the lives of older people in Bristol and the surrounding area since it was established more than 100 years ago.

The Trust’s Charitable Giving Team helps tackle a variety of issues by distributing hundreds of thousands of pounds to individuals, families and organisations across Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath & North-East Somerset.

The St Monica Trust’s Head of Charitable Giving, Catherine Robinson, said: “This fund is supporting vital projects aligned with the Trust’s 10-year strategy, which promotes connection, contribution, and choice for older people.

“The projects challenge negative stereotypes about ageing, promote active involvement of older people in both paid and unpaid work, facilitate community integration where older people feel valued, and encourage healthy, meaningful ageing.

“By investing in these areas, the Trust aims to create a society where everyone can live a fulfilling, productive life as they grow older.”