Lantern Light (360G-CheshireCF-A466172)

Warrington Photographic Society provides an environment which serves to encourage development of its members skills/interest in producing, developing and manipulating photographic media; photographic images are viewed, enjoyed and critiqued via competitions and exhibitions. The project reaches out to older people who do not currently take part in other activities - or access services, by providing a cultural and social outlet for them, helping to reduce the likelihood of their needing to access other support services. The project centres around older club members getting involved in the enlargement of the club's ongoing ‘lantern slide project’, which captures many images of Warrington from years gone by. By taking part in this project, this helps to improve physical and mental health and well being of members, by the unique blend of creative/artistic/computer skills in photography being very positive for mental health. The grant itself will be used to pay for the digital scanning of 204 recently acquired historic lantern slides and a new digital projector to enable these images to be seen by new audiences- including older people in six care home settings in Warrington over the course of 12 months.