Sunderland North newsletter

Transcription

1 Sunderland North newsletter Autumn 2014 Information and activities for older people in Sunderland North Together, we can help everyone to make the most of later life

2 Introduction Products and services Welcome to our first Sunderland North newsletter We are pleased to bring you the first newsletter for older people in Sunderland North. Helping you to make ends meet Times are tough and everyone is watching the pennies so why not see if we can save you money. At, we believe that everyone should be able to make the most of later life and we think that this newsletter will help people in the Sunderland North area do just that. You will find our newsletter packed with lots of information on activities in your local area and details of where to find support and information for any issues you may have. A thank you to Sunderland City Council, the Sunderland North Area Committee and local Councillors for funding the production of this newsletter. Alan Patchett Director Information and Advice - Are you a pensioner struggling to make ends meet? Unsure which benefits you could get or how to get them? Debt, Employment or housing problems? Age UK Sunderland can help and can offer you independent advice to ensure that you receive the correct entitlements. Please call and ask to speak to one of our Information and Advice Officers. We're here for you are here for you A friend when you need it. Do you or a relative need support but are not sure where to turn? has a dedicated team of staff who can help you or a relative whether it be you need advocacy, you are lonely or are looking for a new hobby or interest. Please contact: Bradbury Centre Stockton Road Sunderland SR2 7AQ t e enquiries@ageuksunderland.org.uk Opening hours 9.00am-5.00pm Monday-Friday. Home visits can also be made by arrangement. Age UK Enterprises offers a wide range of products and services tailormade for the over 50s. Net profits generated from these products and services go directly to support Age UK s charitable activities. These include: Home Insurance Cover you can rely on, with an award-winning insurer*. You can even pay by interest free monthly installments at no extra cost. (0% APR Representative). Car Insurance Great value cover designed with drivers in later life in mind. There is no upper limit and there are no hidden fees. You can also pay by interest free monthly installments (0% APR Representative) Travel Insurance A choice of Single Trip or Annual Multi-trip cover with no upper age limit and cover for medical conditions wherever possible. Gas & Electricity - A tailor-made gas and electricity package developed with and provided by E.ON, which brings great value and excellent customer service. Funeral Plan The Age UK Guaranteed Funeral Plan allows you to pre-pay for a cremation funeral at today s prices. If you re aged 50 or over, acceptance to the plan is guaranteed. Drop in to one of our local offices or call us on to find out more. Home, Car and Travel Insurance are provided by Ageas Insurance Limited. Gas and Electricity is provided by E.ON Energy Solutions Limited. *Ageas Winner Gold standard awards winner, Insurance. Customer care award winner, Post Claims awards Subject to medical screening and acceptance by underwriting and the appropriate premium having been paid. Only available in Mainland Great Britain. E.ON Registered office: Westwood Way, Westwood Business Park, Coventry CV4 8LG, registered in England and Wales number The Age UK Guaranteed Funeral Plan is offered by Advance Planning Limited, a company owned by Dignity Pre Arrangement Limited (a subsidiary of Dignity plc). is a trading name of Services Ltd. Services Ltd is an Appointed Representative of Age UK Enterprises Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for Insurance mediation. ACONE2307V1JUL

3 Things to do Things to do services Here at, we offer a number of services for people in the North of the city. Sunderland North 50+ Forum If you have something to say, then the Sunderland North 50+ Forum could be the place for you. Covering issues including transport, crime and health, the forum is the ideal place to speak up. Working with, we can then take forward these issues and help find solutions to make the Sunderland North area age friendly. For more information and to attend, please contact Derek Liddle, 50+ Forum Support Worker on We look forward to seeing you there. The forum can make sure your voice is heard! Friendly Faces If you are feeling lonely or are isolated, our Friendly Faces service can help you. volunteers can visit you for one hour per week for a friendly chat and cup of tea. Referrals can be made by family members, Adult Services, doctors or even by yourself. To make a referral or to find out more, please contact our Friendly Faces Co-ordinator on ActivAge s ActivAge programme is packed with activities to keep your mind and body busy. Courses include: health and fitness, arts and crafts, modern languages and computing. We have IT facilities and rooms suitable for group activities or classes. To find out more, chat to our ActivAge team on Hospital Discharge Team Our Hospital Discharge team is available if you require support following a stay in hospital. The service is open to anyone who is over 60, lives in Sunderland and are without a care plan. The team can assist for up to 30 days with everything from shopping to meal preparation. To find out more about the Hospital Discharge service call LIFEstyle Our innovative LIFEstyle service can make your life easier and more enjoyable. Whether it be help with shopping, company for a cinema trip or help with light housework, our trained and supportive staff can help you. To arrange an informal assessment of your needs and to discuss pricing, contact our LIFEstyle co-ordinator on Telephone Service Our volunteers at the Telephone Service can provide a friendly voice if you are feeling lonely or are housebound. A weekly phone call could lead to friendship and open up exciting opportunities that you may not have considered before. Anyone can refer a person for this service by calling Sustainable Sunderland Programme The Sustainable Sunderland Programme is available for residents in the Southwick ward who are interested in becoming energy efficient and saving money on their energy bills. Group sessions feature advice on everything from switching energy supplier to carbon foot printing, while a home energy check can provide you with useful, practical tips for saving energy. To find out more, please ring our Sustainable Homes Officer on Day Clubs runs a number of Day Clubs throughout the North area of the city, perfect if you enjoy socialising and meeting new people. With a number of activities and a tasty two course meal available, our clubs can help make your day enjoyable and fulfilling. For more information, please call Day Services Redwood Grove at Silksworth is home to s day service, available to residents from the North. Open since 2005, Redwood provides a welcoming, safe and homely environment with activities and facilities for you to make the most of your day. To find out more, please contact Social Focus If you are suffering from anxiety, stress or depression, then our Social Focus group can provide help and support. Offering a relaxed and enjoyable environment, the group aims to boost individual s confidence and to provide a gateway to other helpful services and activities. For a confidential chat, please ring Advocacy Service Do you ever feel that your voice is not heard or wish you had some help to tackle an issue affecting you? If so, our Advocacy Service can help. Our staff and volunteers can provide support when dealing with bodies such as Health Services, Local government and much more. To find out more, please call or advocacy@ ageuksunderland.org.uk Warm Homes Fuel poverty can affect anyone, but we realise that for older people it is a particular cause for concern. Our Warm Homes team can help you claim grants that could make your home warmer, or inform you about schemes that provide better value gas and electricity. Stay warm this winter, call for more information. 4 5

4 Local activities Dementia Health and wellbeing There are many organisations that provide activities in your area that can help you stay well and active. Dementia support in your local area Have you been affected by dementia or want to learn more about the condition? Find out how we can help. Essence Service Wellbeing Together If you are interested in improving your health and meeting new people, then Wellbeing Together could be for you. This exciting scheme, delivered by HOPS and CEED, features activities such as grow your own gardening, Tai Chi, singing for health and meditation. Free for the over 50s, Wellbeing Together is being launched on 9th September 2014 between 10am and 2pm at the Sensory Garden in Roker Park, Sunderland. For details call or healing-sunderland.org.uk. Alternatively, you can contact or tiscali.co.uk Active Green Living Continuing the green theme, Groundwork North East are promoting a new programme called Active Green Living. The programme can help improve your health through activities such as walking and gardening. Held at public venues such as allotments, the coast and green spaces, there could even be the chance to meet new people. If this interests you, please contact Nichola Hesselwood at nichola. hesslewood@groundwork.org.uk United We Stand Salvation Army Southwick The Salvation Army will be working with its partners in the Southwick Ward to combat social isolation through a variety of activities. Alongside regular activities run at Austin House, the group will be running two additional sessions on a Tuesday and Thursday, where transport and a two course meal will also be provided if needed, for a cost of For more information, please contact Graham Wharton on graham. wharton@salvationarmy.org.uk Wellbeing Together, Active Green Living and United We Stand are all funded by the Sunderland North Area Committee. Sunderland Carers' Centre Do you look after a family member or friend who has a long-term illness, a disability or is frail? If so, you are a carer and Sunderland Carers Centre can help you. The Carers Centre offers a confidential information, advice and support service to carers in the North area of Sunderland. For more information please contact: Sunderland Carers Centre Thompson Park Thompson Road Sunderland SR5 1SF t e info@sunderlandcarers.co.uk Essence Service Essence is a brand new service, funded by the Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group and managed by, in partnership with Sunderland Carers' Centre. The service will provide support for older people recently diagnosed with dementia and their carers. The Essence Service can provide a range of support to those affected by dementia, whether by signposting to existing services, or looking to provide bespoke services. By doing this, we will enable individuals to receive the support they feel they need, to help them to maintain their quality of life for as long as possible. The service is based at our brand new Sir Thomas Allen Centre, which will become a dementia hub for the city. For more information, please contact: Essence Service Sir Thomas Allen Centre Mill Hill Road Doxford Park SR3 2ND t e essenceservice@ ageuksunderland.org.uk Free Dementia Training in North Sunderland There are around 800,000 people in the UK with dementia. One in three people over 65 will develop dementia and two-thirds of people with dementia are women. The number of people with dementia is increasing because people are living longer. It is estimated that by 2021, the number of people with dementia in the UK will have increased to around one million. To increase awareness around dementia, the Sunderland Health Champions programme has developed a dementia course. This FREE half day training course provides up to date information and will improve your knowledge to help the lives of people with dementia. Increase your knowledge and understanding of different types of dementia including Alzheimer s disease Identify the common signs and symptoms Explore local and national support options available for sufferers and their families Myth busting, FAQs and much more! Every month a session will be run in local areas of Sunderland North. To find out more and book your place on a future session please contact the Health Champions Programme on or healthchampions@ sunderland.gov.uk Dementia awareness training is funded by Sunderland North Area Committee SIB Budget. 6 7

5 Volunteering Make a difference and volunteer with us Are you looking to volunteer in your local community? Do you enjoy the company of others and want to help those who need a bit of support in your local community? is looking for volunteers to get involved in the activities we provide to older people in Sunderland North. Volunteering is a great chance to make new friends, get involved in fun activities and make a difference to an older person in local community. Please contact Liz White, our volunteer coordinator, for more information on Thank you to the below partner organisations for contributions to the newsletter Bradbury Centre Stockton Road Sunderland SR2 7AQ t f e enquiries@ageuksunderland.org.uk Registered charity number ACONE2307V1JUL14. IDBB /14