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Meet the 2021 ‘Thrive: Solutions for an Ageing Society’ Cohort

Meet the 2021 ‘Thrive: Solutions for an Ageing Society’ Cohort

Written by

Anny Ma

Communications Officer

Diaspo, a venture enabling older people to share their cooking expertise online and Jelly Drops, which tackles the issue of dehydration for those with dementia, are amongst the eight ventures taking part in this year’s Thrive programme.

Thrive: Solutions for an Ageing Society is our flagship accelerator for high-impact and scalable social businesses focused on improving quality of life for people over 50. We know that social businesses have innovative solutions to help support people in later life stay happy, free, fit and healthy - and we want to help them thrive.

This bespoke programme, now in its third year, combines six months of intensive personalised support with the opportunity to access investment and powerful sector connections. This accelerator is designed to give businesses what they need to scale rapidly, delivered by our team of in-house Social Enterprise Support Managers and external specialists.

The predicted healthy life expectancy - the years lived in a healthy and active state - is 17 years less than the average 80 year life expectancy at birth. Across postcodes, the polarisation can extend to as many as 20 years difference - presenting an alarming and urgent social challenge which must be addressed.

We know that older people have been significantly impacted by the pandemic, and social entrepreneurs have been supporting these communities with health, social, and cognitive care.

It is even more urgent to support and help those in later life, and these ventures are providing the products and services that meet their needs and aspirations.

Read more about the social entrepreneurs on this year’s programme in our Thrive 2021 Solutions for an Ageing Society booklet.

The list of winners is as follows: