Hundreds of volunteers are needed to help shape a project that will make independent living “achievable and sustainable” as people grow older in Moray.
The Blackwood Peoplehood Project is a pioneering concept that will allow residents to live “healthier and happier for longer”.
Buckie is one of the three Scottish neighbourhoods the £12.5million project focuses on. It was chosen after research revealed residents found transport and WiFi accessibility a challenge in the rural area.
The three-year project will develop a future-proof model for independent living by creating age-friendly homes with safe outdoor spaces for people to remain active.
Free tablets and WiFi will also be given to participants to help them connect digitally, and e-bikes and electric cars will also be delivered according to demand.
More than 350 volunteers have already signed up to support the scheme in Buckie, Charleston in Dundee and Cardonald in Glasgow.
The project is looking for a further 650 volunteers to help shape the project by giving their “vision, insight and skills”.
Volunteers will be involved in ‘co-creating’
Fanchea Kelly, chief executive of Blackwood Housing and Care, which is leading on the delivery of the project, said this is a chance to “completely transform” how communities are shaped.
She said: “Peoplehood is an exciting new programme designed to give older people a life in their own homes that feels easier, happier and healthier.
“The volunteers who take part are absolutely essential as they will shape how initiatives look and work in each community according to what the people living there need and want.
“At no stage do we tell them what they are getting. Instead, they will tell us what local people want and they will be involved in co-creating every aspect and every project from the ground up.”
Anyone living in the three neighbourhoods can sign up to take part. They will spend time working with the project team in various ways, such as taking part in interviews or focus groups, testing new systems or services, and potentially joining co-design workshops.
Peoplehood received £6million in funding from UK Research and Innovation as part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and Healthy Ageing Challenge. It is the only project in Scotland to win funding, it has also received a further £6.5million from Blackwood and its industry partners.
People looking to get involved in the project can find out more online, or by e-mailing getinvolved@blackwoodgroup.org.uk