The Abbeyfield Kent Society Newsletter - 2011 Issue two

Volunteer special

Abbeyfield Kent thank volunteers at special ceremonyThe Abbeyfield Kent Society has acknowledged the hard work and dedication of its volunteers by holding a special event to thank them. Volunteers were invited to a hotel in Maidstone to enjoy a lunch and thank you presentations from Chief Executive, Leon Steer and Treasurer, John Young. Page 3

Sheriff of Canterbury visits ConnorsThe Sheriff of Canterbury officially opens the new Maple Suite at Connors House. Page 10

Royal wedding around the homesAbbeyfield Kent residents around the county enjoy William and Kate’s big day with special parties. Page 5

Young opera singer visits homeEdward Moore House entertained by Lauren Fisher. Page 8

the AKS Times

WelcomeWelcome to the second issue of the AKS Times, The Abbeyfield Kent Society newsletter which aims to keep you up to date on all the news from around the Society.

Issue two is a volunteer special, which highlights the important work that volunteers do for the Society.

Abbeyfield Kent volunteers carry out a huge variety of tasks to ensure residents receive the highest possible levels of care and enjoy their time in Abbeyfield Kent homes as much as possible. We have volunteers helping out with everything; from gardening at our homes to sitting on the board as a Trustee, with a number of different positions besides.

You can read about the work of four of our volunteers in volunteer profiles throughout this issue, along with articles detailing the importance and significance of the work all of our volunteers do.

Since the last newsletter the Society homes have been busy organising lots of different events to keep their residents entertained: including visits from opera singers, starting up cooking clubs, visits from some of Kent’s top visitor attractions and trips out into a local school.

The biggest event for our residents since the last issue was the royal wedding, which was celebrated at all Abbeyfield Kent homes throughout the county.

If you have any questions about any of the events which have happened at the

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The Abbeyfield Kent Society is a registered charity and housing association; providing care and housing to over 450 older people at 16 homes throughout Kent.

The Abbeyfield Kent SocietyThe Old WharfStation RoadCuxtonRochesterKentME2 1AB

Telephone: 01634 723007

Registered in England under the Companies Act No. 908333Registered under the Housing Act 1974 No. H2362Registered Charity No. 254140

You can keep up-to-date on all the news from the Society’s homes and events all year round by visiting the following sites:

homes, please contact the home manager, who will be only too happy to help. Contact details can be found on our website.

If reading this volunteer special inspires you to get involved helping out at the Society, or any of our homes, speak to the home manager at your nearest home or phone our head office.

We welcome your feedback on the AKS times. Please feel free to contact the media team on 01634 723007 or email media@abbeyfieldkent.org

Enjoy the issue.

abbeyfieldkent.orgfacebook.com/abbeyfieldkent

twitter.com/abbeyfieldkent

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Society news

Abbeyfield Kent holds thank you lunch for volunteersThe Abbeyfield Kent Society has acknowledged the hard work and dedication of its volunteers by holding a special event to thank them.

Volunteers were invited to a hotel in Maidstone to enjoy a lunch and presentations from Abbeyfield Kent Chief Executive, Leon Steer and Treasurer, John Young, himself a volunteer. It was a good opportunity for the volunteers to meet each other as, due to the nature of working with residents in the homes, they don’t have an opportunity to get together very often.

The Abbeyfield Kent Society operates 15 homes throughout Kent, with one more due to open this summer, and is very privileged to receive hugely valuable andimportant support from over 250 volunteers. These volunteers make an enormous difference to the lives of the residents at Abbeyfield Kent homes, getting involved in a wide variety of ways to improve the lives of over 450 older people throughout the county.

John Young, Treasurer of The Abbeyfield Kent Society commented: “I never fail to be impressed by how generous people are with their time which is the one thing that, no matter how much money they make, they can never bank! That time is priceless and is worth so much more than money. It is right and fitting that we should say thank you, and that’s what the Society was doing with its thank you lunch.”

The Abbeyfield Kent Society has recently embarked on a volunteer recruitment drive to develop and expand on the wide range of services currently offered. Volunteers can fill a variety of roles, ranging from gardening at one of the homes to becoming a Trustee.

Volunteering for the Society will mean you are making a difference (directly or indirectly) to the lives of older people in Kent. Volunteers may also benefit from helping or supporting other people, using existing skills or learning new ones, gaining confidence, being creative, responding to challenges and being with other people.

Staff and volunteers of St Martins residential home in Maidstone come together for the lunch

Chief Executive, Leon Steer thanks the Abbeyfield Kent volunteers

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Society news

Barbara Godwin retiresBarbara Godwin, Trustee of The Abbeyfield Kent Society, has retired from the board after seven years.

Barbara worked as Chief Executive of Hi Kent, a charitable organisation for the deaf, before joining the Society as Trustee in September 2004.

After seven years working as a Trustee, Barbara officially retired from the board at the Society’s AGM in March this year.

Each member of the board was present to thank Barbara for all her hard work over her time at the Society and wish her the very best for her retirement. The Abbeyfield Kent Society Chairman, Robert Barnes and Chief Executive, Leon Steer gave speeches highlighting the dedication and commitment Barbara has shown to the Society.

Chief Executive Leon Steer commented: “Since becoming Chief Executive, Barbara has been enormously supportive to me during some very challenging times managing complex HR issues at a very senior level in the Society. I will greatly miss her

willingness, support and encouragement, particularly in the area of people management.”

Each of The Abbeyfield Kent Society’s Trustees is linked to a home, with Barbara working closely with St Martins, in Larkfield, near Maidstone. Barbara was a regular visitor to St Martins throughout her time with the Society, supporting the home at the variety of events they host throughout the year.

Jan Moulton, home manager at St Martins will remember Barbara well: “It was brilliant having Barbara as our linked Trustee, she was always so supportive of the home. She regularly attended the events we put on and came across as very down-to-earth; she was brilliant with the residents and they often had long chats with her when she visited and confided in her. It was very sad saying farewell to her, everyone at St Martins, indeed throughout the whole Society, will miss Barbara very much.”Barbara along with the rest of the board at this

year’s AGM

Barbara and her husband Robert

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Around the homes

Abbeyfield Kent residents celebrate royal weddingResidents at all fifteen Abbeyfield Kent homes celebrated the recent wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Before the big day residents at Drewery Drive, in Gillingham, and St Marys, in Riverhead, made special cards to send their best wishes to the happy couple.

On the day of the wedding, each Abbeyfield Kent home celebrated with parties to ensure residents had a memorable day.

Rogers House celebrated with a very special menu. Residents had traditional fish and chips for lunch, followed by royal trifle with red and blue jelly. Volunteers at the home worked hard with a group of residents to make napkin rings and table decorations, which included menus for the table designed like wedding invitations. Most of the home’s residents wore red, white or blue to mark the occasion and the ladies donned special tiaras. After the ceremony had finished residents enjoyed special cup cakes with edible wedding pictures on.

Staff at Greensted, which is in Wateringbury near Maidstone, worked hard to set up the home for the special day, transforming the large dining room to a sea of red, white and blue. The home has several lounges which were also decorated with flags and posters to mark the extraordinary occasion.

Residents gathered around televisions to watch the ceremony, before enjoying a special lunch with invited friends and family. Conversation turned to previous royal weddings and occasions, with the consensus being that William and Kate’s big day was every bit as special as that of Charles and Diana in 1981.

Sue Imms, Greensted home manager, commented: “It was a wonderful occasion and we wanted to make sure the residents made the most of it. There was a real sense of excitement about the home, and the residents were talking about the wedding all day. It really stirred up a sense of national pride.”

Resident Myrtle Lyle, volunteer Amanda McGinniss and resident Edna Powell work on St

Marys’ wedding card.

Greensted resident Daisy Richards enjoys the big day

For more royal wedding images from around the homes, please check our website and facebook page.

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Volunteer special

It’s a classic piece of British cinema in the post-war period: a Regimental Sergeant-Major stands on the parade ground in front of several rows of troops, all standing to attention.

“Right, you ‘orrible lot,” he shouts, “I want three volunteers!” He then immediately points to three soldiers in the front row. “You, you and you!” he barks and the hapless trio are led away to perform some grim task whilst the rest of the platoon give a collective sigh of relief.

Well, that was what once passed for “volunteering” in a bygone age, an age when society was more regimented and one was expected, always, to do one’s duty, often whether one liked it or not!

Volunteering now is very different. For a start it is real volunteering: one has a choice and there is less social pressure. That adds value to the contributions of those who do volunteer as they are doing it because they want to, not because they feel obliged. Perhaps more sentimentally, it’s done for the love of it, not because it is felt to be one’s duty.

Many worthwhile organisations from hospices to football clubs for young boys and girls benefit hugely from the work done by their volunteers. Without that contribution, many would not be able to function. The contribution is crucial and the need for people to come forward never diminishes.

The Abbeyfield Kent Society has over 250 volunteers, mainly working in our

care homes, but not exclusively. They provide a very important human resource to the Society, working alongside our staff or by providing support and companionship to our residents and their relatives.

We now want to greatly increase the number of volunteers we have. There are two reasons for this. The first is that we value the contribution, especially at a time like this when we want to extend and widen the range of services we offer our residents so that they can have even more to look forward to when they come to live in an Abbeyfield Kent home. The other reason is that we genuinely believe that the experience of volunteering enriches the lives of the volunteers themselves.

Mahatma Ghandi said “The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others.” For many this will ring true, but there are others who have no desire to “lose themselves.” They have different reasons for working for nothing in the cause of helping others. There are as many motives, perhaps, as there are volunteers.

Ready, willing and able?

Connors House resident Mary Azzapardi with volunteer Sheila Cronin

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So, what reasons do people give for giving up their time and energy for no material reward? Well, for some, it is in response to their faith or their feelings of solidarity with fellow human beings (or animals, of course). Some do it to keep themselves active, especially in later life. Then there are those who want to meet others, forge friendships, be part of something bigger than themselves. And there are those to whom, life has been kind or who find themselves, through hard work and dedication, comfortably off and want to “give something back” as a sort of social dividend, to the communities in which they live.

To those who give their time to us, we are eternally grateful, as are our residents who truly benefit from the fruits of our volunteers’ labours. But to others – those who have thought about volunteering but have yet to take the plunge - and to those who have not thought about it until reading this, we say: give it a go! Try it. If you don’t find it’s for you, there’s no harm done. But, if you find that you enjoy it, feel good about what you are doing, meet new friends amongst the residents and other

volunteers, you could find yourself hooked!

The Abbeyfield Kent Society is looking for volunteers to work, not just in our homes, but with our central staff at the Society’s HQ in Cuxton near Rochester. We want volunteers to help in our public relations and human resources teams. We have a need for people to help in our finance and IT departments as well as in the central care support service.

You don’t need to be experienced in any of these fields: you will be trained by our friendly staff. Perhaps you are at school or college and need some real work-based experience under your belt – come and talk to us: we have volunteers who have worked in this capacity for us to help further their careers.

So, volunteering is a win-win situation where everyone involved benefits.

How much time do volunteers give? The short answer is, whatever is good for them. It could be a few hours to several days a week; only in school holidays; only outside school holidays; evening and/or weekends or during the working week. If you’re willing to volunteer, we’ll find a role and a commitment in terms of time that meets your requirements.

If you want to chat to someone about volunteering without any commitment on your part, call or email us using the contact details from page two, perhaps telling us your initial thoughts about what you think would suit you.

You never know: it could be the start of a beautiful friendship, or, more likely, several.

“The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

--Ghandi

Greensted volunteer Joyce Mallion leads residents in an arts and crafts session

Volunteer special

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Around the homes

Young opera singer entertains residents at Edward Moore HouseEdward Moore House was visited by a young opera singer in February, who went to the home to sing and entertain its residents.

12 year old Lauren Fisher visited the residents at Edward Moore House, in Gravesend, on the morning of Thursday 24th February. Lauren arrived at the home bearing gifts of home made butterfly cakes for the residents, which she had baked herself that morning. After distributing the cakes, Lauren set up in one of the home’s spacious lounges, where she entertained residents with a range of classic and contemporary songs, including: ‘Danny Boy’, ‘On My Own’ from Les Miserables and ‘Popular’ from current West End show Wicked.

Lauren goes to Gravesend Grammar School for Girls and has been singing for 3 years. She is currently working towards her Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Grade 5 singing. Lauren is being taught by Jane Rebecca Marshall, who teaches at Bluebell School of Dance and is one of the most sought after singing teachers in the county.

The visit was organised by Edward Moore House manager Amanda Odd and Lauren’s grandmother Jenny, who works at the home as a laundry assistant.

Charles Lambert, a resident at Edward Moore House said: “She really was very good; I was incredibly impressed with her singing voice and attitude. She lit up the home this morning, it was a real treat.”

Amanda Odd, Edward Moore House manager comments: “Jenny is obviously very proud of her granddaughter, so we had heard a lot about Lauren from her before she visited. Once I knew about it I was keen for Lauren to come into the home and sing for the residents, as I knew they would love it. We were not disappointed, she put on a tremendous show and all the residents loved it. We were delighted.”Edward Moore House resident Betty Upchurch

with Lauren Fisher

Lauren sings at Edward Moore House

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Around the homes

Greensted residents discover Kent’s naval historyResidents at Greensted residential home were visited by the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust this week, who dropped in to the home to educate them about Kent’s proud naval history.

Chatham’s Historic Dockyard Trust’s Education Officer Sandra Delahoy brought along exhibits from the museum, as part of a presentation on how rope is made. Residents at the home, which is in Wateringbury, near Maidstone, learnt about Britain’s naval history, the role that the dockyard at Chatham played and how integral and important the rope making industry was.

Sandra Delahoy commented: “I do presentations in a wide range of venues, to people from a range of audiences and nationalities. The residents at Greensted seemed to really respond well to the presentation and particularly enjoyed getting involved. I enjoyed relaying it to experiences they have had, quite a few of the residents had a background and experience in this area. It was a tremendous afternoon.”

Sandra encouraged residents to join in and make their own rope using a technique from the time of Nelson: up stepped Fred Denney and John Spencer who showed off their skills and technique, creating a very impressive piece of work which held up well against the demonstration models bought in.

Sue Imms, Greensted home manager commented: “We try to put on regular event at the home and keep it interesting. We’ve had a few visits in the past from Chatham Historic Dockyard, but this was the first time we’ve had the rope making demonstrations and the residents seemed to really enjoy it. Fred and John loved getting involved and have been debating whose rope making skills were better.”

Sandra Delahoy from Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust

Fred and John get involved in the rope making

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Around the homes

Sheriff of Canterbury opens new Maple Suite at Connors HouseConnors House celebrated the completion of its development at the beginning of May, with an open day at the Canterbury residential home.

Staff, friends and residents gathered in the home’s newly developed activity room to greet the Sheriff of Canterbury Sally Pickersgill, who visited the home to officially open the Maple Suite, the newly developed part of the home.

The Sheriff was given a guided tour of the home by Abbeyfield Kent Chief Executive, Leon Steer and Chairman,

Robert Barnes, before making her way to the activity room to unveil the Maple Suite plaque.

The Sheriff has served as a ward councillor in the district of Northgate in Canterbury, so was already familiar with the home, having visited its residents before on several occasions. She stayed after the ceremony to enjoy lunch with guests and residents at the home.

Connors House was originally operated by Kent County Council until The Abbeyfield Kent Society took over in 2000.

The recently completed development work has seen Connors House transformed: with the addition of six new en-suite rooms, a hair salon, medical room, staff room and activity room, plus reworked sensory gardens.

The name Maple Suite was chosen by the home’s residents. With the new suite,

Chairman Robert Barnes, the Sheriff of Canterbury and Chief Executive Leon Steer

The Sheriff of Canterbury chats with Connors House residents

Leon Steer meets Connors House residents

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Around the homes

Connors House can now offer accommodation for up to 52 older people. The home also has four large lounges, a dining area, as well as a kitchenette for residents to use freely. The extensive gardens are planted with a range of flowers and shrubs, along with a conservatory, making it a popular area for residents to relax all year round.

Christine Devlin, Connors House home manager commented: “We are so pleased that the work on the home has been completed and I am very proud of how the home looks. It was wonderful to be visited by the Sheriff of Canterbury and the residents were delighted to meet

her; they were especially proud to have been involved in the naming of the new suite and it really showed. Everybody had a wonderful day.”

Leon Steer, Chief Executive of The Abbeyfield Kent Society attended the open day, and was delighted to be able to put the final touch to the development work: “The open day was the perfect way to celebrate the new suite and extra facilities we can now offer our residents at Connors House. Development is an extremely important part of the Society, as it allows us to continue to improve our high standards of care and services that are offered throughout all the homes.”

As a result of the development work, the residents at Connors House have been able to get involved in the kitchen and have started a cooking club; see page 15 for more details.

The Abbeyfield Kent Society has a number of other development projects under way across the rest of Kent: Watling Court, the new extra care scheme in Gravesend will be ready to receive its first resident in the summer and a show flat is now open. Work at Stangrove Lodge in Edenbridge should be complete this summer.

One of the brand new en-suite bedrooms

Connors House newly developed hairdressing facilities

The popular gardens at Connors House

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David Cameron, the Prime Minister, speaking in February told a group of young entrepreneurs what the term “the Big Society” meant to him.

“It is actually social recovery as well as economic recovery. We do need a social recovery to mend the broken society and to me, that’s what the Big Society is all about.” He went on to say how important the initiative was to him, describing it as his passion. He has also said “You can call it liberalism. You can call it empowerment. You can call it freedom. You can call it responsibility. I call it the Big Society.”

According to the Big Society Network website, the Big Society “exists to develop, support and champion new ways of enabling people to give and engage.” The organisation goes on to say that it is “committed to making it easier and more rewarding for people to give their time, expertise and money to good cause. We are focused on promoting new approaches which enable people to engage with democratic institutions, public service providers and civic society organisations.”

Not everyone is convinced that this is the way forward, one Financial Times piece written at the same time as Cameron’s comments above offered the view that “With family incomes facing their biggest real squeeze since the 1920s, some believe Britons are more worried about making ends meet than spending their free time filling the void left by public spending cuts.”

There was a period following the General Election in 2010 when some expected the whole idea to be quietly dropped, but the opposite has proved to be the case. Recently, the Government announced its intention to persuade banks to add an option to cash withdrawal machines, giving customers the chance to make a donation as they withdraw money from their bank accounts. Another idea currently being considered is asking customers in supermarkets to round up their bill to the nearest pound, the excess being donated to charity.

So, it would seem that the Big Society is here to stay.

Of course, for many people, the concept of donating time or money in the serviceof what they regard as worthwhile causes is not new. There is a very long tradition in the UK for contributing cash to charities and for volunteering. In that respect, the Abbeyfield movement has been involved in the Big Society for many years. The question is, then: how will the Government’s interest in promoting the Big Society impact on organisations like Abbeyfield Kent?

Well, if one wanted to take a pessimistic view, one might fear that it will stretch the pool of available volunteers making it harder for us to attract and retain people who want to give their time. But, for those of us who have worked with volunteers, the faith that engenders in human nature suggests rather the opposite - that people who have not thought of volunteering may decide to

The New Old Idea - Volunteering and the Big Society

Volunteer special

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give it a go.

As has been said elsewhere, there are as many reasons for volunteering as there are volunteers – everyone has their own story. One volunteer attending the Abbeyfield Kent Society’s “Thank You” event for volunteers explained that her involvement began following the death of her father. He had been very happy and well looked after at one of our homes. When he passed on, she felt that she wanted to show her appreciation for how he had been treated, so she became a volunteer.

Others do it because they want to “give something back” having lived a fortunate life. Others – and there are more of these coming forward – carry out voluntary work to avoid the “don’t go near the water until you learn how to swim” trap: no experience so no job – no job so no experience.

By working on a voluntary basis (sometimes called an internship), an individual can gain that experience

essential to them being offered paid employment. It’s tough, and often means that others have to provide financial support during that period of voluntary work, but most who have gone down that route have found that work rewarding, and not just for what it adds to the CV.

Volunteers can make the difference between success or failure. Some charities – and hospices are a good example – have battalions of volunteers who work in highly regimented teams to maximise their effectiveness, especially as fundraisers. Without them, it is difficult to see how some charities could survive.

Whatever the reason, and whatever the good cause, the Big Society at the very least is likely to make people think about whether they wish to give us some of their time for the benefit of others. If it results in more people coming forward, organisations such as The Abbeyfield Kent Society will be happy.

Volunteers from Rogers House, in Gillingham, at The Abbeyfield Kent Society’s recent volunteer thank you lunch event

Volunteer special

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Joan and Joyce - GreenstedIt is two-for-one at Greensted, where sisters Joan Bacon and Joyce Mallion volunteer at the Wateringbury home to help out with residents’ entertainment.

Both live local to the home and were familiar with it before they started helping out. Joan’s daughter worked at Greensted and asked her to help occasionally with days out, summer fetes and special events. Her commitment evolved over time and before long she was helping out on a regular basis.

Being sisters, Joyce was well aware of Joan’s volunteer work and began to come to help out on occasions, similar to Joan, when the home was holding special events. From there the role turned in to regular visits to the home to assist with Joan’s work.

Each week, Joan and Joyce gather willing residents in the home’s dining room to conduct a range of activities.

The variety of pursuits and interests they carry out is huge, responding to specific requests from residents and working with them to ensure they have as much fun

as possible. Everything from arts and crafts to bingo, with the sisters introducing special maths games to help mentally stimulate residents at the home.

Joan admits that sometimes the volunteer work is challenging: “Working with people living with dementia and Parkinson’s disease can be challenging but if you can make just one smile, it makes your day.”

In special arts and crafts sessions, the sisters lead residents to make unique cards for upcoming special occasions at the home, and spirits are oftenwonderfully high. Led by resident Daisy Richards, Greensted residents enjoyregular sing-songs during these sessions,which add to the atmosphere.

Greensted manager Sue Imms is hugely grateful to Joan and Joyce for their hard work and dedication, commenting: “It is truly inspiring to see Joan and Joyce coming to the home week after week, come rain or shine. They make a real difference to the lives of our residents and Greensted wouldn’t be the same without them.”

Joan and Joyce outside Greensted

“If you can make one smile, it makes your day.” - Joan Bacon

Volunteer profile

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Around the homes

Connors House gets cookingConnors House has introduced a cooking club to encourage older people to get involved in the kitchen.

The home, in Craddock Road, Canterbury, has recently been extensively redeveloped, including a brand new kitchen. This has enabled the home to get residents involved in cooking and baking, so home administrator Michelle Wooster decided to launch a twice monthly cooking club. The home’s catering staff got involved and drew up plans and recipes for the club to get stuck in to.

Residents at Connors House and visitors to its Day Centre are all encouraged to take part.

Two of the most enthusiastic participants are Vi Masters and Maude Sears, who at the inaugural session in March made fairy cakes. Both ladies are enthusiastic cooks, but Vi can claim to be a master. Before retiring, Vi was head cook at Marks and Spencer in Kilburn.

Maude Sears, a resident at the home commented: “I had a wonderful time, it was a great afternoon. I did a lot of stirring preparing the mix so it was rather tiring, it was quite a good work out! I love cooking, and I’m looking forward to the next session.”

Residents who don’t take part in the cooking club don’t miss out, as the whole home enjoy the cakes with their evening tea.

The home intends to run two cooking sessions each month, involving residents from all parts of the home.

Christine Devlin, Connors House home manager commented: “I am delighted with how well the residents have taken to the cooking club, and the cakes were a nice bonus! The new kitchen enables us to get the residents involved in a way that was impossible before, something the whole home will benefit from. It was great hearing Vi talking about the work she used to do, I’m looking forward to getting more people involved.”

Vi Masters with the finished product

Maude Sears stirs the cake mix

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Sector news

Funding and Cuts

In the current period of austerity the government are making significant financial cuts in a number of areas in an attempt to curb the issue of national debt. While these cuts are for the most part across the board, effecting large numbers of people, it is often the poorest that seem the worst hit.

People that are already impoverished or close to the breadline find it difficult to cope with even minor financial cuts to their own income or to the services they use. These problems are then only made worse by increasing expenditure bought about by inflation and by, knock-onrising costs, resulting, in part, from cuts and escalating prices at other levels.

Older people are one such group of the poorest and hardest hit sectors of society. Changes to state pension regulations and cuts to both direct financial aid for older people and the services they use or rely on, coupled with increasing reliance on care creating more demand on these services and thus raising the costs involved, means a worrying number of older people are struggling to cope financially.

English charity the Kings Fund estimates that overall cuts of 27% to funds for local councils by central government will equate to cuts to social-care-spending of £1.2billion, which could rise as high £2.2billion if councils do nothing to protect these services. This is while

another UK charity, AgeUK, in a large survey of people over 60, found that nearly half of pensioners say they are struggling financially, and roughly 1.8million are living below the poverty line.

AgeUK point out a number of prevalent issues in protecting older people’s welfare, and suggest ways of assisting them in the management of their finances. AgeUK claim that last year a rise of around 4.2% in energy costs coupled with the government axing the £50-100 winter fuel allowance top-ups was particularly worrying given that in excess of roughly 25,000 older people died in the last 5 winters. The charity states that debt is a major issue for the over 60’s too, with 1 in 10 pensioners claiming they owe significant amounts of money, a significant increase in number from a similar survey carried out in 2008.

Industry news

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Sector news

According to the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) around 10% of the half a million calls they received last year were from the over 60’s, who on average had unsecured debts of over £24,000. With no income and less money, older people are being forced to sell on family homes in order to pay off debts and their own expenses. Another critical issue is that it is believed that older people are not claiming the maximum benefits they are entitled to, often because they simply don’t know they are available to them. AgeUK also highlighted that only 22% of pensioners claim their full benefit entitlements, with about £5.4bn going unclaimed each year, and that around 2 million older people are missing out on council tax subsidies, which could raise their annual incomes by over £700 a year, while up to 350,000 older people don’t claim housing benefit.

Older People Using Technology

Interestingly, a good way for older people to manage their finances is accessing the wealth of information available on the internet by increasing their use of technology.

Advice on benefits, personal finances, debt management, and more every day advice to cost cutting, as well as useful tools like various questionnaire based benefit calculators, can be found on several charities websites or on the government’s own directgov website.

Basic lessons for older people or indeed people of any age with little or no experience with computers and the internet are available from a number of different places, and schemes such as the BBC’s First Click Friends are encouraging computer literate people to

help teach others.

This coincides with the government’s desire to get everyone online in the near future and their continuing plans for rollout of high speed internet access nationwide. The internet is becoming more accessible for older people as technology is improving too, and likewise technology is becoming more accessible to more people. For instance the way we interact with computers and other technology is changing, control is moving away from standard keyboard and mouse set-ups to more intuitive and easy-to-use interfaces such as touch screens, voice inputs, movement sensors, and even optical feeds. One particular type of technology that has being increasingly used by older people and developing in line with this older market is mobile phones. Mobile phones allow users basic communication, but are constantly developing for use in other ways as well as mp3 players, cameras, and as a way to access the internet.

However, as with many newer technologies, they have largely evolved outside of the use of much older generations. Older people often have issues with the complexity of use of mobile phones, while studies have shown that they have trouble with basic concepts such as always leaving the devices switched on, even when not in use. However, in an effort to attract this older user base, companies like European manufacturer Emporia are developing devices to counter these issues, with phones that are simplerand easier to use. Larger keypads,better voice recognition, and more intuitive software are now becomingmore widely accepted.

Sheila Cronin - Connors House

Sheila Cronin outside Connors House

In 2007, Sheila Cronin found herself with a “gaping hole in her life.” Retirement and the passing of her mother had left her with a space, not so much free time, but a space which “nothing else seemed to fill.”

Already familiar with Connors House through her mother’s regular visits to the home’s Day Care Centre, Sheila called in to the home to have a chat with the home manager about volunteering. Before long, Sheila was visiting the home on a weekly basis to spend time and enjoy activities with the residents.

“It took me a while to find my feet, at first I found it difficult; starting conversations with strangers and dealing with people with dementia took some getting used to.”

Before long however, Sheila settled in to her new role. She began making friends with the residents, having regular chats with them and even enjoying the occasional sing-song!

After a while, Sheila was invited to attend a resident’s meeting, where, amongst other things, residents expressed some activities they would like to do.

“One gentleman, Albert, wanted to go for a pint. A friend of his used to visit the home on a weekly basis and they would go together to the local Leopards Head pub and enjoy a drink together. Albert’s friend had passed on and he was too frightened to go on his own. It was such a heartfelt plea, I asked the home manager if I could take him out.”

A few days later, Sheila accompanied Albert in to town to visit Wetherspoons. Albert bumped in to some old friends and enjoyed a nice catch up. From then, days out with Albert became a regular occurrence.

Sheila began to build up friendships with a number of residents, becoming particularly popular with the ladies in the home’s Holly and Evergreen Suites, helping them to do their nails or working on jigsaw puzzles together. Activities Sheila describes as “little things.”

After the success of her trips out with Albert, Sheila asked the ladies if any of them would like a day out too. Mary Azzapardi was the first to join in, going for a walk to the local Starbucks and to feed the ducks. Then Lillian joined in. Then more and more.

Sheila’s favourite thing to do is to take the residents for days out, and by doing so she has become embedded in to the social life of Connors House and the residents, particularly her group of ladies, adore her.

Sheila finds volunteering very rewarding as she enjoys the residents company, but, most importantly, they enjoy hers.

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Volunteer profile

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Around the homes

Residents from Rogers House, a residential home in Gillingham, visited a local primary school in March to find out what the pupils were learning about in classes, as well as continuing to develop their community partnership.

Fairview Primary School, in Drewery Drive, invited Rogers House residents along to the school so the children could show them the work they were currently doing in class. The residents visited two classes: one class was learning Chinese writing, the other was creating the background for a life-size model they have been working on recently.

Rogers House has a good relationship with Fairview Primary School, with pupils visiting the home several times throughout 2010. At a visit in November of last year pupils were paired up with residents, and the children were pleased to see their resident in the classroom. All the children were very excited to show off their talents to their special guests.

An occasion where residents visit the school is a little more unusual. Undeterred by the cold weather, a large

party of residents made their way to the school accompanied by some volunteers from the home. The group enjoyed the visit very much, and provided a strong commentary on how different it was to their school days.

After looking around the home, all the visitors made their way to the staff room and enjoyed refreshments and cakes served by the children. This part of the visit was especially enjoyed by the children as they got to see the staff room.

Rogers House home manager, Lucy Dixon, explains what a difference the visit has made to the residents at the home: “The residents were looking forward to their day out at the school, especially with the memories of the recent visits by the pupils so fresh. The interaction between the generations seems to create a special atmosphere at the home, the residents love it. Since they returned from the day out they’ve been talking about it non-stop. They’ve especially enjoyed comparing it to their school days.”

Rogers residents visit school

Rogers resident Marjorie Ransom watches the children practise Chinese writing

Rogers resident Eileen Porter sits in on a class

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Volunteering means different things to different people. For some, wanting to volunteer comes from a desire to help a particular cause or just people in general, and for others it’s simply a means to an end (it’s handy work experience that looks good on a CV). Though I’d like to pretend I personally volunteer for noble reasons, instead, at least when I first started out, I was simply seeking experience.

Volunteering at Abbeyfield Kent is probably slightly more unusual for me than most. In 2007 I graduated from University with a BA in Film Studies and Creative Writing and wanted to pursue a career in screenwriting, however, in 2008 I decided to develop other interests and returned to university to do an MA in Japanese Studies.

After the course, I returned to my home in Kent still dreaming of screenwriting, but now with slightly more realistic ambitions to work in Asian cinema journalism or distribution. I am physically disabled though, and found it impossible to find related work in my area or that I could regularly travel too.

I set my sights on moving to London to find the work I wanted, but needed a real income to do that. Having trouble finding work I was able to do, I eventually got in touch with a local disability employment advisor, who advised me to get some proper work experience and led me to a volunteering agency that specialised in disabled clients. The agency looked for work associated with writing that I could do from home and put me in touch with Abbeyfield Kent.

Fortunately for me, the writing I have done for the charity has been fairly light and irregular. Unlike the stereotypical volunteer I imagined, I don’t need to travel to one of the homes once a week and help out with odd-jobs, instead, I get asked to submit writing samples and contribute to group assignments (such as the AKS Times).

Everything is done on computer and online; I receive emails from the office explaining what writing they want and details about how many words and a deadline and such, and I email them back when the work is finished. In fact the only time I needed to meet anyone face to face or visit the office in person was for an interview the first time I volunteered.

So far I have only been asked to complete a small number of tasks, which have been relatively easy, but it has been interesting to research and learn about a subject I had no prior knowledge of, the care industry. I volunteered as a means to an end, but I definitely feel there is an element of pride and satisfaction to this kind of work, especially for a charitable organisation.

I’m unsure what I’ll be doing in my own future, but for as long as possible I’d like to keep volunteering for Abbeyfield Kent.

Mathew Holland - Copy WriterVolunteer profile

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Edward Moore House was recently paid a visit by Kent Police Museum, who brought along an array of objects and exhibits to demonstrate to the care home’s residents.

Kent Police Museum is based in Chatham’s Historic Dockyard, but museum curator Anna Derham travels across Kent, taking exhibits to a large variety of places. Anna kindly brought the museums’ most interesting pieces along to Edward Moore House.

Anna was especially keen to talk to one particular home resident: Mary Mercer, who was the UK’s first ever policewoman. Aged 18 and living in Lincoln, Mary applied to join to police force as a policewoman when the force first took on female officers, and was rewarded with tunic number 01. Mary took up the post after nine months training and was expected to do everything her male colleagues would do.

The visit by Kent Police Museum proved a very interesting walk down memory

lane for Mary, who shared some of her memorable stories with Anna and her fellow residents.

All the residents were encouraged to recall memories of old stories and discuss times gone by. Interacting with period artefacts can bring to mind memories which have been forgotten. As the pieces were passed around and discussed, all the residents would remember different stories and occasions.

Edward Moore House home manager Amanda Odd was delighted to get to know some of her residents better: “The session with Kent Police Museum uncovered information about our residents we didn’t know. When they were interacting with the exhibits it was bringing back memories which would have been difficult to invoke through regular conversation. I found the visit very interesting, and I was so pleased to see the residents enjoying it too.”

England’s first policewoman visited by Police Museum

Amanda Odd discusses an old police box with Edward Moore House resident Keith May

Edward Moore House resident Margaret Wyatt tries on an old police hat

Around the homes

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Who Cares?

The Society has revamped the Who Cares? logo, giving the initiative a new drive to raise money for older people struggling to afford the costs of living in a care home. Along with the physical changes, Abbeyfield Kent has launched a new page for Who Cares? on the website, which you can view by visiting

www.abbeyfieldkent.org/whocares

The Who Cares? Initiative was established to provide the funding needed to bridge the gap between the cost of high quality care and what is affordable. We use money raised by the Who Cares? Initiative to provide peace of mind to those who need that extra support, ensuring that they can remain in our homes as part of the Abbeyfield Kent family.

The Who Cares? Initiative relies on donations from individuals and organisations that recognise the need to help those who are vulnerable and at risk. The full 100 percent of those donations are used to directly support those whose need is greatest: The Abbeyfield Kent Society administers and promotes the scheme without using any of the money donated to pay for administration or any other costs.

It is a sad fact of life that, sometimes, the

care that Abbeyfield Kent provides can no longer be paid for from diminishing personal resources for some long term residents. It’s also a sad fact that, when many older people have to move to a less expensive home often miles away from family and friends, the change can lead to sickness and premature death.

Of course, Abbeyfield Kent wants nothing more than to keep its resident for as long as they want to stay with us – quite often until the end of their days. But, if we are to continue as a charity, we have to remain financially viable and secure, for the sake of all those who enjoy the care, compassion and companionship for which the Society is justly proud.

In a continued effort to raise funds for the Who Cares? Initiative, Abbeyfield Kent has 15 runners for the London Royal Parks Half Marathon, an exciting event occurring in October.

If you would like to sponsor our runners and make a real difference to the life of an individual at risk of being relocated, please visit our website at www.abbeyfieldkent.org/whocares and follow the link.

Your generosity will enable an elderly vulnerable person enjoy the continued love and care they deserve.

WhoCares WhoCaresWhoCares

Brief/ Who Cares LogoDate/ February 2011

Design by Ash Dowiee. hello@ashdowie.co.ukt. +44(0)7825109182

Ash Dowiewww.ashdowie.co.uk

Logo ConceptsDraft One

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Our homes in KentResidential

Connors HouseCraddock Road, Canterbury CT1 1YP01227 769774

Dene HolmDeneholm Road, Northfleet, Gravesend DA11 8JY01474 567532

Edward Moore HouseTrinity Road, Gravesend DA12 1LX01474 321360

Greensted16 The Orpines, Wateringbury, Maidstone ME18 5BP01622 813106

Rogers HouseDrewery Drive, Wigmore, Gillingham ME8 0NX01634 262266

St MartinsMartin Square, Larkfield, Aylesford ME20 6QJ01732 842628

Stangrove LodgeManor House Gardens, Edenbridge TN8 5EG01732 864975

The DynesNightingale Road, Kemsing, Sevenoaks TN15 6RU01959 523834

WoodgateTudeley Lane, Tonbridge TN11 0QJ01732 350952

Housing with support

Barnsole Road159 Barnsole Road, Gillingham ME7 4JH01634 852298

Drewery DriveWigmore, Gillingham ME8 0NX01634 364375

Old Tovil Road105 Old Tovil Road, Maidstone ME15 6QE01622 677793

Margaret Fisher House30 Old Kent Road, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge TN12 6JD01892 834550

Northwood Road59 Northwood Road, Tankerton, Whitstable CT5 2HA01227 771310

St Mary’s15 The Glebefield, Riverhead TN13 3DR01732 460545

Extra Care Scheme

Watling CourtIfield Way, Gravesend, DA12 5AU

Contact details

www.abbeyfieldkent.org

Deadline for nominations is Wednesday 31st August 2011.Any questions? Contact the media team at head office 01634 723007 or media@abbeyfieldkent.org

facebook.com/abbeyfieldkent twitter.com/abbeyfieldkent

Spirit ofAbbeyfield AwardThe Abbeyfield Kent Society is launching the Spirit of Abbeyfield Award to recognise the hard work and attitude of people around

the Society’s homes.

Anybody can be nominated and anybody can nominate. We welcome nominations for and from residents, staff, family

members and visitors.

The Spirit of Abbeyfield is defined as:

“the manifestation of the commitment to the Society which is significantly and clearly greater than could be reasonably expected in the course of one’s duty

or normal contact with the organisation.”

Do you know someone who embodies the Spirit of Abbeyfield?Would you like them to be recognised? Email your nominations,

stating why the nominee embodies the Spirit of Abbeyfield, tomedia@abbeyfieldkent.org

or speak to a member of staff at any of our homes.

The winner of the first Spirit of Abbeyfield Award will be announced at the Abbeyfield Awards Ceremony in September, for

more details check