A retirement home in Barton Hill that has been hosting weekly music sessions now risks losing what has become the only form of entertainment for some of its residents. When Lincoln Gardens opened in 2008, tenants enjoyed a full programme of entertainment at the Extra Care Housing scheme run by The Guinness Partnership.
Now all the entertainment has been stripped back and other than the weekly music afternoons organised by a community worker from the local church. David Mowat who organises the weekly sessions said that the funding from the church means that he has been able to pay musicians a decent rate of pay for their work.
But from the end of March the funding, which is provided to St Luke's Church in Barton Hill from Bristol Cathedral, is due to be cut by 45 per cent. Mr Mowat who is passionate about supporting older people in the local area hopes that through fundraising he can continue the sessions at Lincoln Gardens.
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The music entertainment sessions have been taking place weekly since 2015 and even during the pandemic they continued from the car park. Now that Covid restrictions have been lifted, residents from neighbouring sheltered housing are also encouraged to join the Wednesday music socials now that they have also seen their funding cut for more than a decade.
Residents and neighbours enjoy some of the regular entertainers like Andy Cousins, who knows everyone's name and plays popular cover tracks. Another regular act is drag queen performer, Mark Darksite who dresses up as popular female singers such as Cher and Madonna.
Mr Mowat said: “The issue is that the older people in this area are the worst hit from the cost of living crisis, cuts to social care and austerity. They used to have a full programme, everyday there were just activities.
"For several years, I’ve been the only thing that’s been provided and it’s not even with Guinness money. There’s nothing else going on other than the two things I do which is the music and trips in the summer.
"Everything has been tightened because of austerity. We’ve had 12 years of austerity and everybody’s fed up.”
Mr Mowat is busy fundraising so that the programme which loses a lot of its funding in March can continue. He is approaching local organisations for donations and setting up a crowdfunding campaign, he needs to secure over £2,000 a year to make up for the loss in funding.
Bristol Cathedral has been approached for a comment
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