Scots are being urged to check on elderly relatives, friends and neighbours over the festive period
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon visited Age Scotland’s offices in Edinburgh yesterday and spoke to staff and volunteers who work on the Silver Line Scotland helpline for older people. Continue reading A caring Christmas
Enjoy afternoon tea at Friday’s Big Chinwag and help raise money to combat loneliness
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.
Have your say on making Police Scotland service centres work for you
Age 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.
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)
The Big Knit 2014: It’s the final countdown!
There 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
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.
Age Scotland is calling on older people in North Edinburgh who feel lonely or who face difficulties over the Christmas holiday to make use of Silver Line Scotland, a new free* national helpline offering information, friendship and advice.
0800 4 70 80 90
The service, which is delivered in partnership by Age Scotland and Esther Rantzen’s charity The Silver Line Helpline, will be taking calls all day and every day during the holiday period, and throughout 2014.
Age Scotland Chief Executive Brian Sloan said: “Loneliness can hit hard at this time of year, with older people who live alone, or who have caring responsibilities, being particularly vulnerable. Callers to Silver Line Scotland will be greeted by someone who is friendly and helpful, and who understands that there’s no shame or stigma in admitting that you feel lonely. But the service is also there for older people, and their friends, families and carers, who just want practical advice and information.”
Topics that Silver Line Scotland can assist with include welfare benefits, community care, home safety and repairs, accessing health services and information about local groups and services for older people.
The Charity also publishes ‘Hot Tips,’ a free 2014 calendar that offers information and advice to help older people stay safe, well and comfortable all year round. Calendars are available in libraries, GP’s surgeries and from some MSP’s constituency offices.
An innocent pastime – get knitting!
Knitters in Edinburgh are invited to help older people by knitting wee woolly hats to adorn innocent smoothie bottles. The be-hatted smoothies will be available in stores from November, and for each sold innocent drinks will give 25p to Age Scotland.
The Charity will use funds raised to develop services including theAge Scotland Helpline and local support for older people’s clubs and groups.
To register for the Big Knit and to get free basic and creative knitting patterns call 0845 833 9315 or visit www.agescotland.org.uk.
Hats can be sent to Age Scotland, 160 Causewayside, Edinburgh, EH9 1PR, up until 27 September.
Age Scotland fundraiser Alison Payne says: “This year in celebration of 10 years of the Big Knit challenge we’re offering a £50 book token prize for the most creative hat. We’re thrilled that one of Scotland’s most exciting new playwrights, Sylvia Dow, has agreed to judge our entries.”
Sylvia Dow, who wrote her first play at the age of 73, says: “’ I’m delighted to lend my support to the continued success of the Big Knit, which is a great way of raising funds to help older people while flexing your creative muscles.”
James Peach, innocent drinks, said: “It’s a fantastic way to get creative, knit a little hat to adorn a smoothie bottle and raise money for Age Scotland to help older people. We’re massively grateful to everyone who joins in and helps make this year’s campaign a huge success.”
North Edinburgh residents are invited to nominate their local champions for older people for the Age Scotland Awards 2013. The Charity is looking for individuals, groups, partnerships and services that are inspirational in making a difference to older people.
The Awards will be presented at the Scottish Parliament on 1 October, the UN International Day of Older Persons – with 30 August the closing date for nominations.
Nominations are invited in five categories: campaigning and influencing, partnership working, services for older people, volunteer of the year and Age Scotland member group of the year. These are sponsored respectively by McCarthy and Stone, Raeside and Chisholm, Specsavers at Home, David Urquhart Travel and Solicitors for Older People Scotland. Details on how to nominate are available online atwww.agescotland.org.uk/awards or by calling 0845 833 9334 to request a postal entry form.
Brian Sloan, Age Scotland Chief Executive, said: “Through the Awards we aim tochallenge popular myths about later life and our ageing population, demonstrate the vibrancy of older people’s voluntary action, and inspire others to follow the example of Scotland’s best services for, and by, older people. So if you know of, or are, an individual, group or service in north Edinburgh worthy of wider recognition, whether in the public, private or voluntary sector, a nomination from you will be warmly welcomed.”
