The Pavers Foundation has donated £11,000 to award-winning charity, The Avalon Group.
Natalia Kelly, Assistant Accountant at Pavers Head Office in York, applied for the grant to support the charity that her partner works for.
The Avalon Group support adults in the local area who are living with learning or physical disabilities, dementia or are suffering from mental health problems. Avalon help these individuals to live fulfilling lives within their own communities. Lately there has been an increased demand for supporting adults with mental health needs across York, through The Avalon Groups shared lives scheme.
The grant will be used to a fund a project to develop learning resources and information to help carers and families identify and support mental health needs in people over the age of 16.
The Avalon Group - Shared Lives Scheme
“Imagine if instead of staying in a residential facility, or being supported by a team of Support Workers, you could choose to become part of a real family. That is the essence of Shared Lives.”
The Avalon group work with Shared Lives Carers across the North of England who are specially trained to provide support for individuals. Shared Lives Carers open their homes to adults in need of support, enabling them to stay with them either short or long term, and welcoming them into their family.
The Avalon Group work to carefully match up the carer and family with the individual in need of support, which has proved to be a very successful model, designed to promote and sustain a positive mental health.
Avalon's Shared Lives team is currently made up of 51 Carers. Many of these carers have been in their role for over 10 years, supporting people with a wide range of disabilities, just like Ben Troy and his Shared Lives Carers, Denis and Linda Birkin.
To find out more about the great work The Avalon Group do please visit www.avalongroup.org.uk.
