Happy Living

Mutlu Yaşam Project

The Happy Living Project was a program funded by the Big Lottery Community Fund Trust through Connect Hackney CVS. It was part of the Ageing Better Programme, aimed at improving the well-being of people aged 50 and over by preventing loneliness and isolation. The project specifically targeted the Turkish-speaking community in Hackney. The project ran from 5th August 2019 to 31st October 2021, for a total of 26 months.

During the first year of the project which ran from 5th August 2019 to 20th December 2020, for 15 months, It involved conducting 40 surveys among the Turkish-speaking community and collecting data, which was evaluated by an independent research company. The project also organised social and leisure activities, such as regular weekly tea clubs, 2 coach trips to Birmingham for the Christmas market and Isle of Wight, photography sessions, and 4 gardening activities. However, some activities had to be cancelled or modified due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The last tea club took place on 11th March 2020, just before the COVID-19 outbreak in the UK began. Subsequently, due to the pandemic, the project had to adapt its approach and rely on remote communication methods such as WhatsApp, video calls, and Zoom to stay connected with participants and provide support. We offered assistance with mental health, welfare, and food supplies to vulnerable individuals within the Turkish-speaking community. We continued to deliver the project remotely, teaching digital skills to members and organising virtual meetings.

In the second year of the project which ran between 1st February 2021 to 31st October 2021, for 9 months, we continued to address isolation among the over 50s Turkish community. However, many sessions had to be cancelled or moved online due to COVID-19 restrictions. We conducted 28 surveys throughout the project. We asked participants to fill out a survey and the collected data evaluated by an independent research company – Ecorys (with Brunel University London and Bryson Purdon Social Research of the overall Ageing Better programme). As part of the programme we facilitated some social and leisure activities and facilitated collection of data via surveys from the Turkish speaking community; analysed by the University of East London researchers carried out local evaluation to publish a report.

We met in public at cafes as we were still socially distant. Only one coach trip was organised during this period.

We then delivered 30 tea sessions.

The Mosaic Art activity couldn’t be delivered due to people’s lack of confidence in working in close contact with each other during the pandemic. However, a Vegetable Growing Workshop was successfully carried out, where participants planted tomato and pepper seeds in pots provided by the project.

On 20th May 2021, as part of Mental Health Awareness Week, We organised an event to raise awareness about mental health and planted seeds with Sevim Ozturk.