Celebrating Age Wiltshire has won a £385,500 grant from the National Lottery Community Fund to fund its five-year programme.

The project, through cultural activity, is intended to increase the support for the county’s older and more vulnerable people, including those who are socially isolated or vulnerable due to dementia, reduced mobility, ill health or caring responsibilities.

Artistic director James Slater said the project was vital and he was thrilled at the award.

Wiltshire Music Centre is heading up the Celebrating Age Wiltshire project with Pound Arts, Wiltshire Creative, Age UK Wiltshire, Wiltshire Libraries, Community First Wiltshire and the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre.

The scheme, which is free to attend, has been running since 2017.

In that time it has served more than5,000 people across Wiltshire.

But with this funding there are hopes it will reach at least 10,000 people with in excess of 100 events every year.

The funding will allow Celebrating Age Wiltshire to expand from existing schemes in Trowbridge, Calne, Amesbury, Corsham, Salisbury and Royal Wootton Bassett.

The aim is to host events in South West Wiltshire, Melksham, Warminster, Chippenham.

Mr Slater told the Wiltshire Times: “We believe in the power of culture and heritage to bring people together and transform people’s lives – Celebrating Age Wiltshire is evidence of just how important and effective this is for older people.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to receive funding from the National Lottery Community Fund to enable this vital project to continue and grow, to improve the wellbeing of lonely and isolated older people in our communities.”

“Saying that out loud gives me goosebumps because I’ve seen the potential of this project over the last three years and we now have the endorsement of what is a serious national funder, and Wiltshire Music Centre has been helped by them in the past.

“There are 10 specific areas across Wiltshire we’re looking at because there are lonely, vulnerable or isolated people. They aren’t all urban settings, this is outside those and taking it into the heart of communities where people have identified there’s space for this

work.”