OLDER men living in care homes will be going on fishing trips, thanks to a new project.

Residents from homes in Winterbourne, Thornbury and Frenchay will be heading off to Bitterwell accessible fishing lake, near Coalpit Heath, for a spot of angling later this month.

A community transport initiative and a charity have collaborated to provide the days out, thanks to a £1,000 donation from a Bristol housebuilder.

Green Community Travel, based in Yate, and Alive received the donation from Persimmon Homes Severn Valley as part of its Community Champions Scheme.

Alive is a charity which aims to enrich the lives of older people in care.

Its project, Making Pals, works to connect care homes with their communities.

Alive will be working in partnership with Green Community Travel, who will be providing transport, as well as to reaching out to isolated men living in the community.

The £1,000 will be used for a number of fishing trips to Bitterwell accessible fishing lake.

Jenny Bright, of Green Community Travel said: “It is a well-known fact that men suffer more acutely from social isolation and are often underrepresented.

"They rarely get to spend time with other men or take part in activities tailored to them, especially when living in care homes.

"That’s where we come in."

Simon Bernstein, Alive’s CEO, said, “In Alive’s consultations with care home residents, they told us they desperately want to get outdoors more often.

"Our projects are helping older people to do just that.

"We know the health and wellbeing benefits of outdoor activities are huge, but these activities are also enabling older people to socialise, make friends, pursue their hobbies and feel connected to the world around them.”

Emma Dyer of the Alive- Making Pals project said: “We asked more than 200 care home residents what they’d like to do if they had the chance, and a large proportion of the men said fishing.

“Persimmon Homes’ donation means we can provide around five trips for ten men each time.

"The staff at Bitterwell lake have been very generous too.

"They have let us use the necessary equipment free of charge.

"We’re hoping that this will kick-start the project and that it can become a regular social group for men.”

Persimmon Homes Severn Valley gave the cash to the charity after they applied for the housing firm’s Community Champion scheme.

The initiative is a national programme where community groups and clubs, charities and other good causes can apply for funding up to the value of £1,000 to match money they have already raised themselves.

Carly Spear, head of sales for Persimmon Homes Severn Valley, said: “It’s projects like this that are exactly what our Community Champions initiative was created for – bringing the local communities together.

“We know it can be difficult to get out and socialise when people go into a care home.

"This project is a great idea to bring people together, doing something they love.

“We’re delighted to be giving this donation to such a worthy cause.”

For more information on the Community Champion scheme, visit: persimmonhomes.com