Grandparents Plus has been funded by NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) to develop a reward scheme for grandparents who spend time looking after their grandchildren.

NESTA’s mission is to find bold and innovative solutions to big social and economic challenges through working with other organisations and partners.  Through their Age Unlimited programme, NESTA want to explore ways of generating new public services for people in their fifties and over.   You can read about the other projects NESTA are funding here.

RICh Rewards
RICh (Recognition for Informal Childcare) Rewards is aimed at recognising and rewarding the significant caring contribution that grandparents are making to family life.

RICh Rewards would be a discount scheme providing grandparents who look after their grandchildren with discounts on services, goods and travel.  They would be able to use the Reward scheme on themselves or their families.  In return commercial providers will reach a growing market in a new, targeted way.

Grandparents spend a significant amount of their own income on their grandchildren, and often reduce their working hours to provide childcare to enable their son and / or daughters to work. This contribution is overlooked by policy makers and service providers.

Through RICh Rewards we are hoping to make both a financial difference to grandparent carers as well as highlighting the important role they play.

The project is in its early stages and we will be testing every stage of the project over the next 18 months.   If you are a grandparent carer and would like to help shape this rewards scheme please contact us here.

Are you a grandparent carer in the Dagenham area? Are you free on 22nd September? Sign up to our workshop. We will pay a fee to participants. Contact Oonagh here.

We will be posting more information on our website as the project progresses.  To discuss the project contact the Project Manager,Oonagh.murphy-jack@grandparentsplus.org.uk