Tag: Age Scotland

Getting together, making a difference: free event for North Edinburgh’s older people

MONDAY 16th APRIL 10am – 2pm

Royston Wardieburn Community Centre

Come and join us!

Lonely this Christmas

People in Scotland are being encouraged to look out for their elderly neighbours, friends and relatives over the Christmas period. Social Security Minister Jeane Freeman has sent out a Christmas message, asking everyone in Scotland to remember to include older people in their festive plans. Continue reading Lonely this Christmas

Port of Leith Housing Association welcomes First Minister

Tenants of Port of Leith Housing Association’s (PoLHA) Jameson Place development welcomed a special guest on Monday when First Minister Nicola Sturgeon paid a visit to the Generations Project for their Christmas festivities. Continue reading Port of Leith Housing Association welcomes First Minister

Over 65? Come for tea – and bring a pal!

Enjoy afternoon tea at Friday’s Big Chinwag and help raise money to combat loneliness

LOOP Big Chinwag

We’re joining the mother of all natters this Friday to raise money to help lonely older people in Scotland and hope people aged 65+ can join us! 

We all enjoy getting together for a good chat with friends, family or colleagues, but sadly 1 in 6 people over the age of 65 in Scotland feel cut off from society. Many older people can go for a month without seeing or speaking to anyone and this just isn’t right.

Please come along to Out of the Blue at The Old Drill Hall on Friday for our afternoon tea and natter – it will be great fun and you’ll be helping Age Scotland tackle loneliness in later life. 

Thank you so much and hope to see you all there! 

£3.50 entry, everyone welcome.

Police Scotland – Your Say, Your Way event

Have your say on making Police Scotland service centres work for you

Your say Your WayAge Scotland has been contacted recently with information about events that Police Scotland are hosting across Scotland. The purpose of these events is to engage with the community to talk about contacting the Police through their call centres. They want to know what barriers there are and how we can improve things for everyone.

The main focus of the event is for people with communication needs that prevent them having equal access – for example:

·         British Sign Language users

·         people who are hard of hearing

·         people without speech or who have issues with their speech

·         people for whom English is not their first language

·         people who have a physical disability that causes issues when using the phone / email systems to contact the police

·         people with learning disabilities

·         people with mental health issues

(Please note these are only some examples)

The Edinburgh event will take place on Monday 2 March (see poster, below) at Norton Park from 11am – 4pm.

PD_Invite_A5

Sorry for the short notice on this. Please can you circulate this invite to all your contacts / service users / staff and encourage them to attend.

This is a great opportunity for them to have their say on the way they prefer to communicate with Police Scotland both in an emergency and non-emergency situation.

There are a limited number of spaces at each venue please can you encourage people to book now to ensure their space is secured.

If you have any questions about the events please contact :

Constable Stephanie Rose A462

National Safer Communities, Equality and Diversity

Scottish Crime Campus

Craignethan Drive, Gartcosh G69 8AE

01236 814710 

Laura Dunkel

AGE Scotland, 

Community Development Officer (Edinburgh and Lothians)

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Hat’s the way to support older people!

The Big Knit 2014: It’s the final countdown!

Big KnitThere are just three weeks remaining to help Age Scotland create as many little woolly hats as possible for Age UK and innocent’s Big Knit 2014 and to help older people stay warm and well in the winter.

For over a decade, budding milliners across the UK have been supporting Age Scotland and innocent’s Big Knit by knitting funky little hats as part of Age Scotland’s Spread the Warmth campaign. With over a decade of support from knitters up and down the country, The Big Knit has raised vital funds to support local and national winter projects to help older people keep warm in winter.

Knitters in Scotland are being called upon to create little hats to adorn innocent smoothie bottles, which will be sold in stores nationwide from February 2015. For each be-hatted smoothie sold, innocent will donate 25p to help Age Scotland fund national and local winter projects. Age Scotland is calling on local knitters to get as many hats as possible to them by 6th November 2014

Last year alone, more than a million hats were lovingly created by knitters up and down the UK, with designs including a giant squid, fruit, soldiers, peas in a pod, cupcakes and an ice cream cone topped with a classic flake.

Alisdair Caulfield, Fundraising Manager at Age Scotland said: “There’s just four weeks left to send us your hats for Age UK and innocent’s The Big Knit and we’re calling on all local knitters to get crafting! We’re extremely grateful for all the hats we’ve received already, which will raise money to help older people in local communities across Scotland.”

Jamie Sterry, innocent drinks, said: “Thanks to everyone who has got involved in The Big Knit so far but with just one month to go, we’re calling on all knitters and those wanting to give it a try to join in too! Each little hat that adorns an innocent smoothie bottle will raise money for Age UK to help older people stay warm in winter, so your support will make a difference.”

Knitters can contact Age Scotland to get a free hat pattern. For those who don’t fancy making a hat themselves, a £3 donation can be made to Age Scotland by texting ’KNIT14’ £3 to 70070.

For more information on The Big Knit contact Age Scotland on 0845 833 0200 or log onto www.agescotland.org.uk. Please send completed hats to Age Scotland at The Big Knit, Causewayside House, 160 Causewayside, Edinburgh, EH9 1PR

AgeScotland

Nominate your champion in Age Scotland awards

carer

Age Scotland is asking people across Scotland’s communities to nominate a champion in their annual awards.

The Charity, which is dedicated to helping people in Scotland enjoy a better later life, is looking for nominations for the Age Scotland Awards 2014, which will be presented in the Scottish Parliament later this year.

The Awards celebrate the groups and individuals that have made a significant contribution to the lives of older people.
There are six categories in the awards:

· Volunteer of the Year Award (sponsored by Solicitors for Older People Scotland)

· Employer of the Year Award

· The Jess Barrow Award for Campaigning and Influencing (sponsored by McCarthy & Stone)

· The Patrick Brookes Partnership Award (sponsored by Specsavers)

· Service for Older People Award

· Member Group of the Year Award (sponsored by David Urquhart Travel and open only to Age Scotland member groups)

The Employer of the Year Award has been introduced for the 2014 awards because, with the scrapping of the mandatory retirement age in 2012, we now have more older people in work and it is vital that employers respond to this positively.

Brian Sloan, Chief Executive of Age Scotland, said: “Too often we hear negative messages about older people such as the ‘demographic time bomb’. Age Scotland’s Awards are our way of challenging these perceptions and celebrating later life.

“We want to demonstrate how older people embrace civic and social responsibilities and showcase the depth of talent and experience amongst our older generation.

“If you know someone who’s making a real difference to the lives of older people then tell us about them. And remember, if you know of an employer who has exemplary age friendly practices, please nominate them for our newest category of award.”

The nomination form can be downloaded at www.agescotland.org.uk/awards or can be requested by calling 0845 833 0200.

Nomination forms must be received no later than Friday 29 August.

AgeScotland