Age Friendly Nottingham - Money Matters, Things T

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Welcome to the second edition of our Age Friendly Nottingham Bulletin which we hope you will share widely through your networks, encouraging others to sign up to receive future copies.

Following in the footsteps of other cities such as New York and Manchester, Age Friendly Nottingham is committed to make Nottingham a great place to grow old.  In the next few months, as part of our Age Friendly Neighbourhoods work, we shall be introducing a ‘Take A Seat’ initiative to encourage local shops and services to offer seating on their premises for older residents needing to take an occasional brief rest as they go about their business.

If you or an organisation you represent would like an item included in future editions of the newsletter, please email healthandwellbeing@nottinghamcity.gov.uk.

Councillor Eunice Campbell
Nottingham’s Older Citizens’ Champion

Improving engagement of older citizens Age Friendly Nottingham aims to make engagement of older citizens integral to the decision making processes in the city.  If you are a resident aged over 50 or involved in supporting older citizens and would like to be more involved with our initiative please email healthandwellbeing@nottinghamcity.gov.uk or write to Age Friendly Nottingham, Nottingham City Council, Loxley House, Station Street, Nottingham NG2 3NG. To vote in the local and general elections on 7 May 2015 you will need to be registered to vote.  For more information call Electoral Services on 0115 8764111 or visit www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/ier.

Getting Out and About

Walking Football for Over 55s Walking football is a slower version of the beautiful game aimed at the over 55s.  It’s a fun and sociable way to keep fit and stay active.  The rules are the same as normal football apart from players must walk. No jogging or running!  Free sessions are running on Tuesdays from 1.00 pm to 2.00 pm at the Southglade Leisure Centre in Bestwood.  All you need to bring are a water bottle and trainers.  For more details of how to book, visit www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/freesport

Nottingham Circle Nottingham Circle brings people together to nurture friendships and community spirit. We are a movement for the young at heart who want to enjoy life and give to others. There are lots of ways to get involved. To find out more, call us on 0115 9787846 or email hello@nottinghamcircle.org.uk  Bilborough Nottingham Circle members meet at the Pelican on Bracebridge Drive at 10.30 am on the first Tuesday of every month.  The next meeting will be on 3 March 2015.

Age UK Nottingham's Men in Sheds

Men in Sheds in supports men aged 60+ who want to get together to share and learn new wood-working skills.  Age UK Nottingham provides the ‘shed’ – a workshop, tools and equipment and a co-ordinator for support members choose the activities they want to participate in. Shed members come from a wide variety of backgrounds ranging from highly skilled to beginners. All work together and there is a role for everyone.  The products produced by the shed members are sold to further the work of this project and support vulnerable older people in Nottingham. Members can put their skills to good use, share their knowledge, learn new skills and put the world to rights over a cup of tea for merely £1.50 per session. For more information, please contact Adie Harkin on 0787 283 9570 or email adrian.harkin@ageuknotts.org.uk

Light Night 6 February 2015

Do something different on a Friday night!  Take part in a fantastic night of discovery as Nottingham comes to life this Light Night on Friday 6 February 2015 from 6pm until late. Activities will include illuminated grounds and late night gallery opening at Nottingham Castle; late night shopping in Hockley and the Creative Quarter, with stunning light installations, activitiesand entertainment at churches and cultural venues across the city.  Find out more about light night go to www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/lightnight

Nottingham Playhouse Gold Age

Playhouse Golden Age offers people over 60 the chance to take a variety of short, creative courses in all kinds of stimulating subjects. Four new courses are offered every five weeks, so there is always something different to try. The first courses will run every Wednesday from 11th February – 11th March 2015 and will include Creative Writing Workshops and a Local Community History Project.  Prices: £20.00 for one course – five weeks’ worth of sessions.  For more information contact alexm@nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk or phone 0115 9419419.

Reducing Loneliness

Promising Approaches to Reducing Loneliness and Isolation in Later Life

The Campaign to End Loneliness has published the above guide, for anyone who wants to know what really works in addressing the issue of loneliness in older age. Developed by the Campaign to End Loneliness and Age UK, the new guide draws upon experience, expertise and evidence to set out a new framework for understanding how to tackle loneliness and isolation. It can be accessed at www.ageuk.org.uk/Documents/EN-GB/For-professionals/Policy/Promising_approaches-loneliness_and_isolation.pdf?dtrk=true.

Silverline

Many older people have benefited from telephoning The Silver Line on 0800 4708090 (Freephone number).  The Silver Line telephone helpline provides three functions to support older people

• a signposting service to link them into the many, varied services that exist
• a befriending service to combat loneliness
• a means of empowering those who may be suffering abuse and neglect, if appropriate to transfer them to specialist services to protect them from harm.

For more information phone 0800 470 80 90 go to  www.thesilverline.org.uk

Befriending in Sneinton

Volunteers are being recruited to become befrienders to older people living in Sneinton.  For more information contact Alison on 0115 9417865 or email alison.vaughan@mcon.org.uk.

Looking After Each Other - Community Navigators

The Looking After Each Other programme will shortly be launching 'Community Navigators' in the city.  Grant funding of up to £30,000 has been made available to develop a model of community volunteers who will act as trusted advisors to help connect vulnerable adults to support and activities. Informed by the views of the Age Friendly Nottingham Loneliness Working Group 'Community Navigators' will be piloted from April 2015. Application guidance to run the twelve month pilot will be available mid February and advertised on the Nottingham Council for Voluntary Services website www.nottinghamcvs.co.uk.  If you would like any further information please contact Gayle Aughton, Commissioning Manager, Nottingham City Council, on 0115 8762812 or email Gayle.Augthon@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

Volunteering

Volunteering is a great way to meet new people and get involved in your local community. At Nottingham CVS we have over 400 volunteering roles, where you can get involved with local community groups and charities, on our database.   If you’re interested, why not pop into our drop-in service and speak to a Volunteer Advisor? Everyone is welcome and there’s something for most interests. Opportunities range from environmental roles at the local allotments, to helping children with their literacy. We are open Monday and Tuesday 10am-5pm, Wednesday 10am-6pm and Thursday 10am-5pm. There’s no need to book an appointment, just pop in. We’re based at 7 Mansfield Road, Nottingham, NG1 3FB.

Money Matters

Claiming your state pension on line

DWP has launched a video on YouTube to show people how to claim state pension online. The video at http://ow.ly/HK8w3 shows viewers what to do from receiving their letter inviting them to claim, through to completing their claim online, and what will happen at each stage of the process.

Advice Nottingham

Advice Nottingham is a consortium of advice agencies providing free, independent, impartial advice on welfare benefits, tax credits, debt, housing, asylum and other areas of the law.  They can be contacted at Nottingham & District Citizens Advice Bureau, 34–36 Carrington Street, Nottingham NG1 7F or go to www.advicenottingham.org.uk

Free Grants

People who are facing hardship could be eligible for a free grant from the British Gas Energy Trust. This is a charitable trust covering England, Scotland and Wales that provides free grants to clear gas and electric debts, pay outstanding funeral expenses and to purchase white goods.  It is free to apply and recipients do not have to repay it. The trust is open to everyone, regardless of who their energy supplier is, so people do not need to be with British Gas to apply.  Further information can be found on the website British Gas Energy Trust or www.britishgasenergytrust.org.uk

BBC Care Cost Calculator

The BBC has launched an online guide to the care system for the over-65s.  The "care calculator" covers both residential care and the support provided in people's own homes, for tasks such as washing and dressing.  Users can submit their postcode and find out how much each service costs wherever they live in the UK. Go to www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30990913.

Health and Wellbeing

Nottingham City Libraries launch new dementia collection

Nottingham City Libraries have launched the new Reading Well Books on Prescription collection to help people living with dementia. The new collection also includes memory packs which are sets of books and other materials designed to help people at various stages of memory loss. These packs will include picture books, photographs, jigsaws and other resources. The packs are designed to stimulate memories and encourage sharing memories and are available for people to borrow free of charge from any Nottingham City Library.

Practical Guide to Healthy Ageing

NHS England has published Practical Guide to Healthy Ageing with Age UK, to help people improve their health and general fitness. The guide covers key areas that have been identified as the main risk factors for older people living at home, but if they are proactively managed, they can help people stay well for longer and improve their quality of life. It also signposts people to a range of additional help and advice from Age UK.  Download the guide from www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/pract-guid-hlthy-age.pdf.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition where the body’s defence system attacks the joints causing them to be inflamed and painful. The disease can cause serious disability if it is not caught early. You should visit your doctor if you experience one or more of the following symptoms

• stiff joints (especially in the morning)
• swollen joints
• pain in your joints.

Bowel Cancer Screening

It’s the third most common cancer in the UK, but bowel cancer is still something that people can feel awkward about screening for.  If you’re diagnosed earlier with bowel cancer, you’re much more likely to survive the disease – which is why anyone aged 60 to 74 should be sent a bowel cancer screening kit every two years by their GP.  It’s very important if you’ve had a kit to complete it and return it to your doctor who will be able to pick up any possible signs of the disease.

• Talk to your doctor if you want any advice, or you can order a free kit by calling 0800 707 6060.
• Find out more about the Bowel Cancer Screening programme from NHS choices, or
• Watch Dr Safiy Karim from the Nottingham City Clinical Commissioning Group explaining more about the test and how to use the kit.

Nottingham Signposting Service

Nottingham City Signposting Service is for citizens aged from 60 years upwards and assists people to access support to preventative and health / care / support services from a professional partnership working with the major services. To receive the bimonthly newsletter or if your team would like to train to become referrers into the service, contact Richard.Dragonetti@metropolitan.org.uk.

Want to know more about Age Friendly Nottingham?

For more information go to www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/afn or contact Sharan Jones, Health and Wellbeing Manager, at Nottingham City Council on sharan.jones@nottinghamcity.gov.uk