Jewish Care’s plan for 2026-30, named "Altogether Stronger”, aims to raise £100 million in voluntary donations in order to “strengthen [their] existing services and deliver new services where the community most needs them.”
“We will lead in three critical areas: dementia care, mental health support, and end-of-life care, and reach as many as one in five in the Jewish community through families and carers,” continued Lord Michael Levy, life president of Jewish Care.
He said that the number of people supported by the charity would double in the next half-decade, in part due to the country’s ageing population. By 2031, it is estimated that one in five people in Britain will be over 65.
Another factor is the fact that “younger people are asking for earlier mental health support”, said CEO Daniel Carmel-Brown, as “26 per cent of our community now experiences mental health challenges.
“Families are balancing care, work and financial pressures,” he continued. “At the same time, Jewish identity is more diverse and expressed in many different ways. Growing antisemitism means that our Jewish community services are even more important to help people feel supported and connected to their personal identity and community.
“From our care homes and community centres to our Helpline, social work teams and the Holocaust Survivors’ Centre – we are adapting to meet the needs of people in our community today and tomorrow.”
Jewish Care chair, Marcus Sperber, said that “the need for care, connection and community has never been greater”, and that Altogether Stronger elucidates “how we will reach more people in the Jewish community so they can live with dignity, purpose, and connection”.
Testimony from within the Jewish community illuminates the charity’s importance.
Sean, a member of The Zalman and Ruchi Noé Centre at Jewish Care’s Sandringham care campus, said that “if the place wasn’t here, it would be a lot of people missing friendship, which I think to a lot of older people, like myself, is very important”.
And Carole, whose husband attends the Dennis Centre for people living with dementia, said: “Without the centre, life would be very much more difficult and dull. It really is the most wonderful place. [My husband] loves going there, enjoys all the activities and he comes back a different man. He’s vibrant, and happy.”
John, who is supported by Jami – Jewish Care’s mental health service – said that he “probably wouldn’t be alive today” without their services.
“Jami’s peer support workers have listened to me, helped me, and been a comfort to me,” he continued. “But, most of all, it has given me hope for life, hope for the future and hope to my family that I’ll be around for many more years to come.”
Jewish Care is the largest health and social care charity for the Jewish community in London and the South East, supporting more than 12,000 people weekly. It employs upwards of 1,300 staff.
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