You may have seen posters recently in local
shops announcing that a column on matters of interest to older
people will appear monthly in the Times.
Sean Bryson, a volunteer with Sixty
Plus, a Kensington & Chelsea agency for the older
person came to realise that older people often do not know
of rights and benefits they are entitled to and that the public
generally is also largely unaware of the difficulties or for
that matter the achievements of older citizens.
He contacted the editor of the Times and he agreed to include
a column to raise the profile of this group. I have been asked
to do it as I have been involved in producing a similar weekly
column in the Ealing Gazette for some three years.
We hope that you, the reader, whether a private individual,
or on the staff of agencies for the older person will write
to us about any difficulties you may have or good news you
would like to share, information you want to pass on or to
raise local or national issues for consideration. In addition
I'll bring news from visits paid to organisations, conferences
or to other centres for senior citizens.
Mention was made of Sixty Plus in the first paragraph - how
well is it known ? It is a project of the Notting Hill Social
Council (An advisory body for new charities) concerned with
meeting the needs of the older people in the Borough to enable
them to be as independent as possible. It sprang from Pensioners
Link, now defunct. it has three full-time staff and a number
of trained volunteers who provide a range of valuable services
- they have a welfare rights advisor on the staff who covers
benefit claims, pensions, council tax, disability and housing
benefits, advice on budgeting and debt counselling.
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If you are housebound the worker will visit you at home,
but ring first on 081 969 9105.
There is a volunteer Befrienders scheme when someone will
visit you regularly to alleviate loneliness and help you
get out and about more.
There is a possibility of a Professional Decorating Service,
part of the borough-wide scheme to provide low-cost decorating.
Sixty Plus also runs a weekly shopping trip and gentle keep-fit
classes, an outing in the summer and, last but not least,
a grand Christmas party for 100 housebound pensioners with
a full dinner and a whole day of entertainment. There is
a volunteer car scheme in the borough to get you to the
shops, your doctor, or to visit a relative, this is if you
have difficulty using public transport.
( All visitors carry identity cards ) The agency also produces
an excellent guide to activities and services for pensioners.
This agency which does so much to enable the older person
to remain independent sorely needs more volunteers. If you
would like to help contact Sixty Plus on 081 969 9105 .
Their address is 7 Thorpe Close, the green door facing portobello
green, under the Westway, just across the road from Ladbroke
Grove station.
Please send contributions to Helen Zach, The Third Age,
c/o London Weekly Times, 134-136 The
Broadway, London W13 OTL
Ms Helen Zach can still be contacted via Age Concern / Ealing
135 Uxbridge Road, London W 13 tel 020 8567 8017 |
