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| Age Concern Kingston's agenda newspaper wrote to all the local parliamentary candidates for the three main parties asking about their proposals for older people. You can read the full text of the responses from those who replied below. | |||||||||||
Helen Whately - Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Kingston and Surbiton |
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Susan Kramer – Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston |
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Happy to volunteer for Age Concern Kingston Age Concern Kingston recently carried out a survey to find out what their 140 volunteers thought about volunteering for them. The results where overwhelmingly positive, with all volunteers being satisfied or very satisfied with their experience and believing that it makes a real difference to their lives. The majority commented that they found the experience enriching and rewarding and made them feel that they were giving something back to their community. Here are some of the comments from the survey: ‘I feel like a proper grown up now with a job! I have learnt a lot of new skills which makes me feel more confident.’ ‘It has enabled me to meet people from other walks of life, to get to know younger people. It’s good to be doing something positive for the community.’ ‘I think volunteering is a new challenge and I am finding it very rewarding.’ ‘Thank you for giving me the opportunity to volunteer and also gain valuable work experience.’ |
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Volunteers are involved in all aspects of ACKuT’s work, including intergenerational projects; helping out at its two day centres, Raleigh House and the Bradbury; adult safeguarding; advice work; and admin support. They make an invaluable contribution without which the organisation would not be able to carry out its work to support and improve the quality of life of older people in the community. In fact, many of the volunteers at ACKuT are older themselves – over half are over the age of 65 – and find that volunteering helps to keep them active and provide a structure to their lives in their retirement. Thus volunteering provides the double benefit of helping others while also making a difference to the lives of volunteers themselves.
ACKuT is proud to have a diverse community of volunteers of all ages from all walks of life who together contribute to making it the dynamic and community-spirited organisation that it is. |
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| To read the full results of the survey, click here. | |||||||||||
To find out more about the benefits of volunteering with ACKuT visit our volunteering page, or contact us. |
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Age Concern Kingston has received several letters protesting against the proposed changes to bus services in the Borough, in particular the planned withdrawal of the 514 service between Hersham and Kingston. This is a bus service which many older residents, especially in the Lovelace area of Surbiton, rely on to get around, and its termination will severely reduce their ability to access vital services such as health, shopping and leisure facilities, thus greatly diminishing their quality of life.
On the council website, on 13th November 2009, when the consultation on changes to local bus services began, it was written that:
‘Surrey residents have asked the County Council to review the subsidised bus service as they are concerned about the level of empty buses travelling around Surrey. The cost of subsidising the bus service has more than tripled in the last eight years; more than £11 million will be spent to run it this year alone. The aim is to provide a better, fairer bus service for users where it is most needed, whilst delivering maximum value for money for all Surrey taxpayers.’
We understand the reasoning behind some of the changes to bus services but the 514 is not a service with ‘empty buses’ – in fact, we have had complaints about the infrequency of the service as it is in such high demand – and by axeing it, the council would be achieving the opposite of its aim of providing a ‘better, fairer bus service’, instead providing a reduced service to the detriment of older residents.
One suggestion, if the axeing of the 514 service is to go ahead, is for the current 515 service, which we hear will continue, to be diverted to go down Lovelace Road and Gardens instead of Balaclava Road, as the Lovelace area has a much greater residential density.
Age Concern Kingston strongly urges Surrey County Council to reconsider these proposals and has written to them voicing its concerns.
If you would like to have your say, write to the council at Bus Review, Passenger Transport Group, Room 312, County Hall, Penrhyn Road, Kingston KT1 2DY or email busreview@surreycc.gov.uk.
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| Advice for older people during severe weather conditions | |||||||||||
Age Concern Kingston operated as usual during the recent cold weather snap. Both our centres, Raleigh House in New Malden and The Bradbury in Kingston opened as usual offering hot lunches and the First Contact telephone helpline operated as normal. Our First Contact telephone help line 020 8408 8170 opened as normal (10.00 am to 12 midday). Our Advice Team can help ensure older people are claiming all the financial support they can to help with heating bills. Download further advice on staying safe and well during winter here.
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| Mayor's Christmas visit to Raleigh House | |||||||||||
On Monday 21st December, his worshipful the Mayor of the Royal Borough of Kingston, Councillor Ian MacDonald, and the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Shiraz Mirza, came to Age Concern Kingston’s Raleigh House Day Centre in New Malden for their annual Christmas visit. The Day Centre Manager, Cathy Weight, gave them a tour of the centre, showing them the kitchen and dining area, coffee lounge and arts and crafts room. They observed the activities taking place, including games and carol singing, which the Mayor enthusiastically joined in. |
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| The Mayor and Deputy Mayor with Centre Manager, Cathy Weight | |||||||||||
Both the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor introduced themselves individually to each of the day centre members, wishing them a Happy Christmas and New Year. The Mayor was surprised and delighted to see Rita Dorey, a member who had been his cub leader when he was a child, and they happily exchanged stories and memories. The Mayor and the Deputy Mayor sat and had a cup of tea and chatted to the day centre staff and volunteers before leaving the members to have their Christmas Lunch. The visit was much appreciated and enjoyed by members and staff alike. |
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| Age Concern Kingston receives award for advice work | |||||||||||
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| Linda Needham, Tom Bell and Mary Macan with the CLS Award | |||||||||||
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Age Concern Kingston’s Information and Advice Service has been awarded the Community Legal Service Quality Mark Standard for General Help for Casework with Older People following an audit in October. The General Quality Mark enables members of the public who are in need of a whole range of advice on issues affecting older people to receive a quality assured service.
In the audit report, the auditor stated that he was impressed by the calm professional atmosphere in the office and the courtesy and patience of the staff interviewed. He commented that the organisation clearly knows its community and the needs of its clients very well and is in high demand from clients, many of whom are generated by word of mouth, for its valued and respected service, reflecting the positive public perception of Age Concern Kingston.
The auditor highlighted the expertise and life experience of staff and volunteers as well as their passion and dedication to helping older people. He commented that there was a real feeling of teamwork, mutual respect and willing co-operation and support. He was also impressed with their commitment to confidentiality and the importance they place on the interests of clients and client satisfaction, which is taken very seriously, not simply in terms of feedback to the organisation but in terms of outcomes for the client.
The quality of the service the advice team provides can be illustrated through two examples of successes they have had recently:
They supported a client to take her claim for Attendance Allowance to a benefits appeal tribunal where she was awarded high rate care. The client had been on the point of giving up with her claim over the 10 months it took to get to the tribunal but because we supported and encouraged her to take it all the way, she did and she won. She will now be able to apply for other income related benefits, which will improve the quality of life for both her and her husband and just in time for Christmas too.
They have also acted for a client recently who had purchased a mini oven just over a year ago. He contacted the advice team when he had tried to get it repaired under warranty as he was no longer able to read the temperature dial (the numbers had rubbed off). When he approached the shop, he was passed on to the manufacturer, who said it was out of warranty. He then contacted the team and they contacted the shop and pointed out that the oven was not fit for purpose and a health hazard as he could no longer read the right temperature to set the oven. The shop contacted the client and swiftly delivered a new replacement oven to him. He is delighted.
The award is testament to the work of Tom Bell, Community Service Development Manager, and Mary Macan, Advice Team Co-ordinator, and her staff and volunteers.
Contact Age Concern Kingston's advice team here.
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| agenda answers call for more accessible information | |||||||||||
Age Concern Kingston has responded directly to a call for more information to be made available to older people. |
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In 2004 the Royal Borough of Kingston drafted a document entitled ‘An Active Ageing Strategy for Kingston 2004-2007’. It outlines plans to improve the health of older people by starting with action for all people over 50. Various issues were raised by older people during the consultation for the strategy and are discussed in depth. Consultations also highlighted the provision of information and its accessibility as major issues. It is clear that, while there are a number of good initiatives locally, older people are not always aware of them. 71% of respondents to a survey thought that a newsletter for older people in the borough would be the best way to provide information to older people. Age Concern Kingston has taken up this challenge and has re-launched its agenda newsletter as a 12 page tabloid newspaper. As well as promoting the issues, concerns and interests of older people, we will also be promoting the positive contribution older people make in the Borough – a role often ignored by the local media. Click here to read the first issue.
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Cuts to door to door transport services mean more exclusion and isolation. |
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Age Concern Kingston upon Thames is hugely concerned about the state of local door to door community transport services in the Borough. |
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Two services are directly under threat: the Borough’s Capital Call service and the Kingston Enterprise Scheme. At exactly the same time, a review of door to door transport provision in Kingston is taking place, which will not report until February 2010. Access to affordable door to door transport is a lifeline for many. The most isolated members of our community depend on door to door services such as Dial a Ride, community transport buses and the Capital Call scheme. The Capital Call scheme , which provides subsidised transport in minicabs to older and disabled residents, is due to be axed in June and funding of the Kingston Enterprise scheme has ended. These schemes provide a critical service to older people and their demise will only increase isolation and erode people’s ability to live independently. While the transport review continues, the Kingston Enterprise service should be resourced. It would be a tragedy for this scheme to disappear only for the transport review to conclude that it is exactly the type of service that should be provided. Access to services which enable independence and continuing well-being is at the heart of any inclusive society. We urge anyone who cares about the issue of older people's exclusion and isolation to lobby the London Mayor’s office over the demise of Capital Call and lobby their local representatives over the poor standard of local door to door transport services. You can sign an epetition here: Kingston Petitioning. For enquiries about ACKuT's stance on community transport, please contact Shane Brennan, Chief Executive.
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| Overwhelmingly positive feedback from our members about The Bradbury. Click here to read the survey, and our response to members' comments. | |||||||||||
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Keeping in touch | Keeping well | Keeping independent |
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An exciting new health and well-being initiative and collaboration for Kingston.
The Stay Well Programme.
Every year hundreds of older people attend their GP surgeries, the Accident and Emergency department, or go into hospital as a consequence of becoming ill or being isolated at home, or having a fall or accident.
AGE Concern Kingston and initially three GP surgeries (Churchill, Central and Fairhill Practice) are working closely together to develop and provide a ‘preventative’ service, which by working alongside the person concerned, aims to prevent and reduce the number of these incidents. The Programme is currently being developed on a one year pilot basis funded by Kingston PCT.
For more information on this initiative, please contact the Programme Coordinator, Tulloch Kempe at AGE Concern Kingston, on: 020 8942 8256. |
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