Newsletter ¦ 10th September

Dear friends

I hope you and your loved ones are well.

It has been a really busy week at the Jubilee Centre and it’s been great to see some of our activities back up and running. We are ending the week with an even busier "Let’s Celebrate Event" on Saturday, which we will tell you about in part two of the newsletter. Happy Reading.

Part One: Coronavirus in Bury

As of Wednesday 8thSeptember, 308.3.people per 100,000 tested positive for coronavirus over the last 7 days – that is an increase of 4% from the previous week. On the same day, the England average was 329.3 people testing positive per 100,000 over the last seven days– an increase of 6% from the previous week’s figure.

We have not beaten the virus yet and it has the potential to return. In reopening our activities and services, we are keeping a close watch on local infection figures, recognising that we may have to close down, if infection levels rise rapidly.

Please help us to stay open by not coming to the Jubilee Centre or our shops if you are unwell. We are asking everyone to use the sanitiser provided and be considerate in giving each other space.

All young people in Bury aged 16 and over are now able to get a Covid jab and get protected against coronavirus. Please urge your young family members to get the jab. Information about vaccinations, getting a test for Covid-19 and links to government advice are now found on our Coronavirus page

Part Two: Our services

Let’s Celebrate!

Our “Let’s Celebrate” community fun day will be on Saturday 11th September, from 11.00 to 4.00.

It’s been a tough time for everyone, so we are holding a celebration of happiness and togetherness at the Jubilee Centre, by Clarence Park Lido. We will have entertainment, stalls, music, food, a bar, activities and fun for the whole family. Our friends from the Bury Model Boat Club will be displaying their magnificent boats.

Weather permitting, there will be free taster sessions for Nordic Walking and Tai Chi between 12 noon and 2.00 pm.

The day will feature a unique Drum-A-Thon by Duncan Lees to raise funds to support older people’s services.

Duncan began drumming as a young soldier during his National Service, following which he formed a band called “The Talismen” in the early 1960’s and played the clubs and pubs in the North-East, appearing with a number of bands, including Clockwork Orange, until work took him to London and silenced his drums for the next 55 years.

At the young age of 83, Duncan returned to his love of drums at the start of the pandemic to keep himself fit. Despite being arthritic in every joint, diabetic and with a knee replacement, Duncan has been practicing daily, much to the delight of his neighbours!.

Duncan was inspired by Sir Tom’s “100 challenge” and with his Doctor’s permission, he is planning to drum his way through 100 tunes to raise awareness and funds for his favourite charities.

All funds raised from Duncan’s Drum-A-Thon will be split evenly between Age UK, Age UK Bury and Bury Lions Club. Please donate at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/sponsored-drumathon

Duncan was featured on Page 2 of this week’s Bury Times and the article is available in this link

Jubilee Centre activities

Next week’s activities at the Jubilee Centre are available in this link.

Our Let’s Do Lunch group meets on Tuesdays. This is aimed at people who would like to meet others to enjoy a chat with lunch. For more details, please see Karen or Shirley at our café.

On Wednesdays, our friends from Bury Adult Learning join us to help people with their digital skills. If you need help with email, shopping, setting up secure passwords or just want to solve a problem you are having with your smartphone or tablet, come along to our café. These sessions are free.

Our Covid-19 Risk Assessment is available in this link (PDF)

We are asking anyone who feels unwell with Coronavirus symptoms not to come to the Jubilee Centre at this time. Such symptoms include a high temperature, a new, continuous cough and/or a loss or change to their sense of smell or taste.

The Jubilee Centre Cafe

Our café is open next week from 10 to 4.00, Monday to Friday.

Our Charity Shops

Our Ramsbottom charity shop is open from 10 am to 4 pm, Wednesday to Sunday and our Bury charity shop is now open on Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm.

We are unable to collect donations at the moment, but we can accept over-the-counter donations if you are able to bring them to the shop. Readers of this newsletter can also bring donations to the Jubilee Centre between 10 and 2.30 and we will get them to the shops.

We are asking our shoppers to wear facemasks and keep their distance from others. We really need our staff and volunteers to stay healthy and our shops to stay open.

Our services

During the pandemic, we are keeping essential support services open. These include:

Part Three: And in other news

Long Covid Experience Survey

As part of the NHS England Long Covid Project, Asthma UK and The British Lung Foundation Partnership have relaunched the Long Covid Experience Survey to help better understand the experiences of people still struggling four or more weeks after their initial infection of Covid-19. The survey is open to anyone who has had, or think they may have had, Covid-19.

Responses will all be anonymised, and the survey will not retain any personal details. Information gathered will be used to inform research, campaigns, and to develop services to support people affected by ongoing symptoms of Long Covid. This will help us all to better understand what is needed to support people experiencing Long Covid.

Here is the link to the Long Covid Experience Survey.

A New Plan for Health and Social Care

The social care system is broken and the Age UK charities, along with many other health and social charities, have campaigned for decades for reform and investment. Since the 1990s, successive governments have attempted to reform the overall approach to funding adult social care but without success.

This week saw the announcement of Building Back Better: Our Plan for Health and Social Care

In response, Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director of Age UK and co-Chair of the Care and Support Alliance said: “If the Prime Minister’s proposals are put into action, he will deserve real credit for breaking a log jam that has held back social care reform for far too long. The intense debate about how to pay for it must not obscure the paramount importance of action being taken now to stabilise and rebuild care, especially after its terrible mauling by COVID-19.” Full statement in this link

Included in the plan is a commitment by the government to publish “a White Paper for adult social care that we will develop with care users, providers and other key stakeholders will focus on proposals for system reform.” At Age UK Bury, we will do our utmost to ensure older people in Bury have a voice in these plans and we will work with politicians in all parties to create a better future for all older people.

The Weekly Quiz

The answers to last week’s Quiz (dated 3rd September) is in the link.

This week’s Quiz brings you another 30 questions to test your knowledge. This quiz is just for you and your friends to enjoy. The right answers will be sent out with next week’s newsletter.

If you have any news to share, please send to news@ageukbury.org.uk

See you this weekend!

Andy and all at Age UK Bury