Newsletter ¦ 6th May 2022
Greetings from Age UK Bury! We were going to take a week off from newsletters but a whole load of news came in and we had to share it with you all.
This week, Elsie, 77, told Good Morning Britain viewers that she takes buses throughout the day to stay warm. We know from our work that the biggest challenge facing older people in Bury is the increase in the cost of living. On Wednesday, there is a meeting at which older people can come together and begin work with Bury Council to support our community through this crisis. We are also urging people to feedback their experiences to our national partner, Age UK, so we can ensure government are aware of what people are going through.
We include some great news from the National Lottery and four free sessions in support of Mental Health Awareness Week. Happy Reading!
Cost of Living Crisis ¦ Bury Older People’s Network
The next Bury Older Peoples Network will take place on Wednesday 11th May at 10.00 to 12.30 at the Mosses Centre, 48 Cecil St, Bury BL9 0SB.
Bury Council is awaiting details from the government about extra support for older people for energy costs. https://www.bury.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=16775
There is an important role for the Older People’s Network to be involved in the plan for communicating and promoting this new support to older people, ensuring the most vulnerable groups of our community can access this vital funding. There also could be a role for the network to ensure the application process is “age-friendly”.
To begin this discussion, the Network has invited Chris Woodhouse, who is leading on Bury Council’s Anti-poverty strategy, to the meeting and the first hour will be dedicated to this topic.
Please can you share information about this meeting with older people who are affected by the energy crisis and those who want to support older people at this difficult time.
To book your place or for more information, please contact Bury VCFA at networks@buryvcfa.org.uk
Lunch will be provided after the meeting.
Cost-of-Living Crisis ¦ Tell Age UK how the crisis is affecting you
Our national partner, Age UK, wants to hear from older people about how the rising cost of living is affecting you and the sacrifices you are having to make.
If you or an older person you know is worried about the rising cost of living, please complete their short survey. They will use your insight to show the Government how older people are being affected and what needs to be done to support you.
https://campaigns.ageuk.org.uk/page/104756/data/1
Do MPs listen to Age UK? In an important quarterly survey of Members of Parliament, Age UK was named as the most effective charity! Thanks to your support, MPs feel connected to the issues affecting older people.
Thank You to the National Lottery
We are extremely grateful to the for National Lottery Awards for All for supporting our Keeping In Touch Telephone Service with a grant of £9,832. This will ensure we can keep the service running until March 2023.
During the first national lock down, in March 2020, the Keeping in Touch telephone service was set up, responding to the need that people were living in extreme isolation, unable to see their family or friends.
We believed that the need for telephone support would reduce as Covid-19 restrictions were lifted but we have found many people are still struggling with a loss of confidence in leaving their home. Some have lost their partners and friends and have no one to meet up with. Others are experiencing problems with personal mobility, having spent so long at home. We are currently supporting over 150 people a week, making over 200 phone calls.
The feedback we receive from the people we call has made the service worthwhile.
- “It has been a pleasure to converse with everyone over the past year. You have all been brilliant, just to listen to me rambling on, when I have spent so many hours alone.”
- “Helped to relieve loneliness now my husband is in a care home.”
- “Been very supportive in the hard times and helping me cope with all the changes with the pandemic.”
- “Without the calls, I would not be here today. I owe Age UK Bury so much, so when I am better, I would like to help with the calls next year.”
- “It has been a lifeline when you live alone and don’t speak to anyone for days.”
- “I look forward to the telephone call each week. It is nice to talk and breaks my week.”
We have recruited a great team of volunteers to help us meet the demand and we are looking for new volunteers who can spare a few hours to make a difference to people’s lives. Call 0161 7633 9030 or email jane@ageukbury.org.uk for more details.
NEXT WEEK ¦ Free Courses at Bury Adult Education Centre
Mental Health Awareness Week is next week and Bury Adult Learning is marking the event by offering FREE taster courses during May at Bury Adult Learning Centre.
Tasters include:
- How To Get A Good Night’s Sleep: Tues 10 May, 6.00pm—8.30pm
- Curry & Chat (Men Only): Tues 10 May, 6.30pm—8.30pm
- Dealing With Stress: Wed 11 May, 9.30am—12.00pm
- Self-Care For Carers: Wed 11 May, 1.00pm—3.30pm
To find out more about the courses or to enrol, call Bury Adult Learning Centre on 0161 253 5772.
Queen’s Jubilee Celebration
We have now sold all our tickets for the celebration event on 1st June. Thank you to everyone for such a fantastic response.
Facebook Page
We are now back on Facebook and you can find us at https://www.facebook.com/AgeUKBuryCharity
Like, follow and share us with your friends!
Men-Only Exercise Classes
The Men-only Exercise Classes with our new tutor, Debs, is on 9.30 to 10.30 every Thursday and Friday morning.
Our classes are being supported by Bury Council’s Health Improvement Fund and for the first thirteen weeks, we are charging an introductory fee of £2.50 per session. (This is half the cost of a normal session).
Yoga & Mindfulness – every Monday evening
The Monday evening “Yoga & Mindfulness” sessions, led by Melanie, is back on Monday 9th May at the Jubilee Centre. This session starts at 6.00, lasts 90 minutes and costs £7.
Yoga and mindfulness (PDF)
Diana’s online video classes
Diana’s exercise classes are now on You Tube at 2.00 on Wednesday afternoons but you can join her anytime that is good for you. In recent episodes, Diana showed us how to exercise with tins of beans and a stretchy pair of tights! There are now six videos available to keep you busy.
Click onto https://tinyurl.com/DianaExercise
These online sessions are free, and we are grateful to Bury Council’s Health Improvement Fund for their support. Please let us know what you think if them.
Our next newsletter will be out in two weeks. Maybe! Enjoy the sunshine this weekend!
Andy and all from Age UK Bury
