A R T C L A S S E S l E X E R C I S E l B R I L L I A N T F O O D l L I N E D A N C I N G l R E A D I N G G R O U P S l C O U N S E L L I N G l

W A T C H I N G F I L M S l P L A Y I N G B I N G O l M A N I C U R E S l R E M I N I S C I N G l B E N E F I T S A D V I C E l V I S I T I N G F R I E N D S l H O M E F R O M H O S P I T A L l

S H O P P I N G T R I P S l K I N D P E O P L E l C H A R I T Y S H O P S l F R I E N D L Y S M I L E S l N I C E H A I R D O S l L O V E L Y C A K E S l

D I S C U S S I O N G R O U P S l T A I C H I l P L A Y I N G B R I D G E l

C R E A T I V E W R I T I N G l C R A F T G R O U P S l T A B L E T E N N I S l

W A L K I N G G R O U P S l B E L L Y D A N C I N G l C O M P U T I N G l A S S I S T E D B A T H I N G l

G A Y F R I E N D S H I P l N A I L C U T T I N G l P R A C T I C A LH E L P l L E A R N I N G F R E N C Hl A N D M U C H M O R E P L A N N E D l

Annual Report 2010 - 2011

Give Local Help Local

ACEastbourne_An_Rep_AW.indd 1 21/10/2011 10:17

2

Intr

“ It’s very handy here. Easy to get to..”

Richard, Willingdon

“ They do a good espresso in the Pantry…it’s a great place to meet.”

Peter, Upperton

Always on the menu

• Delicious, traditional home made meals

• Home made cakes • Speciality coffees

• A warm welcome • Friendly faces

ACEastbourne_An_Rep_AW.indd 2-3

For some people, AGE Concern Eastbourne’s Venton Centre is simply a pleasant landmark. With the Pantry Café at the heart of the Centre, it’s a bright and welcoming place to meet friends. But for everyone who simply calls in for lunch or coffee there are a dozen others whose quality of life has been fundamentally improved by all that they have experienced here.

Introduction

Over the years, many thousands of people have found companionship, laughter, new interests and a wide range of life-enhancing activities within this optimistic, upbeat environment.

Others come here when they’re not sure where to turn. They may be recovering from illness, facing bereavement or redundancy, worried about finances or struggling to cope in any one of a dozen ways. Here they find practical help, professional advice, a degree of dependability and a continuity

of service and support that simply isn’t available under one roof, anywhere else. They find people who care about the challenges they face. They find help.

3

Computer lessons are just one of many activities offered at the Venton Centre

21/10/2011 10:17

AGE Concern Eastbourne is the charity to turn to for practical information, professional guidance, new skills…or simply to meet friends or discover new interests. For those who are too frail or infirm to visit the Centre, our help will go to them.

At the charity’s Venton Centre, older people come to dance, to paint, to have a manicure, watch a film, learn to work a computer, get advice on everything from care homes to travel to claiming benefits, sing their heart out, have a laugh among like-minded friends or take part in an ever-growing programme of enjoyable and relevant pursuits.

And when people are depressed or simply lonely, they will find support and encouragement; kindness and understanding…and a whole range of activities (and friends) to help them re-discover their pleasure in life.

The environment of AGE Concern Eastbourne is conducive to relaxing, recharging and recovering. For some, the Venton Centre is a haven from a seemingly indifferent world. Others may see it as the place where they learnt to belly dance, paint, write poetry or regained the confidence to go out and get a new job.

Across the generations

AGE Concern Eastbourne exists to

assist anyone aged over fifty. Clients

range from the recently retired to those still in work, from people made

redundant and looking for new employment

right through to the very elderly.

4

Our volunteers befriend people in their own homes, offering them friendship and company

ACEastbourne_An_Rep_AW.indd 4-5

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The wider picture

Some people never visit the Venton Centre but benefit from its work within the community. External services provided by AGE Concern Eastbourne range from ongoing practical help and friendship when people are discharged from hospital and beyond to home visits to assist older people with completing complex forms, enabling them to claim any assistance to which they are entitled. Then, there is the charity’s team of volunteers, those largely unsung individuals who give generously and selflessly of their time, experience and talents. For many older people in the area, the support and friendship of an AGE Concern Eastbourne volunteer makes all the difference in the world.

AGE Concern Eastbourne is many things to many different

people. One thing everyone

agrees on is the fact that there’s

nowhere else like it.

A year of major changes

During the year reflected in

this Annual Report, today’s

AGE Concern Eastbourne

was still affiliated to the

national federation of Age

Concern charities.

Our last Annual Report stated

that the UK’s two major charities

for older people, Age Concern

and Help the Aged, were merging.

The intention was to create a

national umbrella charity - Age

UK. At the time of the last report,

our Trustees were examining the

pros and cons of this proposal.

Did we wish to be a part of this

new, centralised national charity?

What did we in Eastbourne

have to gain? Or to lose?

5

We offer a shopping transport service to a local supermarket, five days a week

21/10/2011 10:17

Taking stock of its own achievements gave AGE Concern Eastbourne a new energy and confirmation of its current strengths and future potential. After almost 65 years as the charity dedicated exclusively to the wellbeing of older people in Eastbourne, the Trustees concluded that no one can match our knowledge of the town and the needs of its older residents. Our current services, future plans and insights were steeped in local knowledge. We needed to maintain our focus.

Most importantly, if we became a totally independent charity, we could truthfully claim that every penny raised locally would be spent locally. Those who funded our work would be supporting the people of Eastbourne.

Specifically. Exclusively.

A positive decision

After much consideration, we concluded that the quality and variety of our services would not be enhanced by becoming part of a larger, centralised national charity. We researched and evaluated the impact that a decision to ‘break away’ might have on future funding, progress and expansion. We decided to go it alone.

Today we are an independent charity, focused entirely on serving the needs of the people of Eastbourne. The year 2010-2011 was the final year during which we were accountable to anyone outside of the town.

Starting afresh

AGE Concern Eastbourne became an independent, stand-alone charity on 1st April 2011. Considerable preparation had taken place in the run-up to this new launch. With a new visual identity and branding, we were prepared to take our charity forward.

‘Give Local. Help Local’ became more than just a slogan for the new charity. A statement of fact and of intent, it summed up the ‘new’ charity’s work in the present and its plans for the future.

The path to independence6

“

Our volunteers span all age groups

ACEastbourne_An_Rep_AW.indd 6-7

oncluded that the quality and ould not

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Our brilliant volunteers

AGE Concern Eastbourne is,

and always has been, a work in

progress. With a small team of

11 full time and 13 part time

staff (as of 31st March 2011),

the charity listens to, adapts and

evolves its provision to meet the

ever-changing needs of those

who seek its services.

With the charity’s staff at the

centre of activities, much of

the practical, hands-on work

is delivered by a team of over

225 volunteers. Without these

remarkable people, the charity

could not exist.

Between them, AGE Concern

Eastbourne’s army of volunteers

have given almost forty seven

thousand hours of their time

and expertise during the twelve

months reflected in this Report. Should they have been paid even the minimum wage, their invaluable input would have amounted to a wages bill in excess of £280,000.

They continue to work for free. For many older people, ongoing contact with an AGE Concern Eastbourne volunteer is a lifeline.

Working together

None of the services provided by AGE Concern Eastbourne is offered in isolation. Our services complement those of other organisations and cross-referral is standard practice. Clients come to us in a variety of ways. We are in regular contact with local GPs and hospitals, social services, occupational therapists, Citizens Advice Bureaux, respite centres, other charities, friends, neighbours, family members and carers. Some clients contact us direct.

7

“ Our approach is holistic. If for instance a client has had a fall, on discharge from hospital he or she will have had rehab…but still may not be walking too well…all the good work of the rehab team can be easily undone. That’s where we like to help. Our rehab exercise class is specifically for people who’ve left hospital. Gently, and over time, we can encourage and support the client, helping them make progress. It’s how we approach everything. One gentle ‘step’ at a time”. Sue Grimer, Community Services Manager

Avril Littleton, Volunteer of the Year and Mayor Carolyn Heaps

21/10/2011 10:17

Activities and Services

Activities can be anything from exercise classes to creative writing groups, from ‘Over the Rainbow’ group meetings to computer courses, a community choir, table tennis or French language classes.

Services range from professional, legal services and expert advice on welfare rights through to practical services like hearing aid battery replacement and transport for shopping trips.

Occasional, seasonal or client-driven services and activities also take place; Flower Arranging Workshops in the spring…or the regular meetings of World War Two ‘Land Girls’ in the Pantry Café.

Keep fit with one of our physical activity classes

Shellac nails are becoming increasingly popular

8

Last year we spent over £382,000

providing activities and services to

local people.

Each month, AGE Concern Eastbourne presents fresh, updated programmes of activities and services at the Venton Centre.

ACEastbourne_An_Rep_AW.indd 8-9

Activities at a glance

Services at a glance

Practical services

Venton Centre Hairdressing Salon

Beauty treatments and therapies

Nail cutting

Assisted bathing

Chiropody

The Pantry Café

Contractor Call

Shopping Transport

Hearing aid battery replacement

Information services

Welfare Rights information/advice

Housing and Council Tax Benefit Service (Eastbourne Borough Council)

Friendship and support services

Forget Me Not,

Home from Hospital

Befriending services

Day Club

Grandparents as parents support group

Appointment-only services

Free financial advice

Free legal advice

Free Will writing

Tax Shop

Pensions advice

Physical activities include:

Line dancing.

Belly dancing.

Tap dancing.

Tai Chi

Exercise and dancercise classes (various)

Walking for Wellness

Creative activities include:

Creative writing and poetry circles

Reading group

Community choir

Art groups

Craft group

Games include:

Bridge

Table Tennis

Bingo

Courses include:

French for beginners

Computer tuition

Group activities include:

Monthly film matinee

Current Affairs Discussion Group

Over the Rainbow Group

Reminiscence Groups

ses, , table tennis

gular meetings

9

Additional activities take place at the seafront and the harbour, from where our Walking for Wellness groups set out on their travels…

21/10/2011 10:17

What our services mean to people10

Imagine never being able to sink into a warm, scented bath. Or living a hand-to-mouth existence because you never have a penny to spare and don’t realise you’re entitled to more. Imagine watching that huge, damp patch on your ceiling gradually spreading, and not knowing who to call because you are afraid…and there are so many ‘cowboy builders’ out there.

Imagine not being able to cut your own toenails because your arthritis says you can’t reach. Or being afraid to admit to anyone that you can’t cope when you leave hospital…just in case you are taken into a care home…and lose your independence forever.

Imagine spending most of your pension at the over-priced ‘convenience store’, because it’s difficult to get to the supermarket unaided. Then imagine spending the rest of your pension at the local hairdresser. The place where the girls talk over your head and give you the standard ‘old lady’ shampoo and set. But you need

to stay neat. Try and keep your standards up. So it’s better than nothing.

Imagine feeling left behind by a society that seems governed by mobile phones and computers that you can’t get to grips with. Imagine feeling lonely. Sidelined. Irrelevant. Imagine the days of silence with nothing but the tele to break the monotony because you can’t find the energy to go out.

Now imagine meeting people who care about you. Who will understand you because they share your concerns. Imagine getting help from kind strangers who become friends. Imagine meeting people who really appreciate all those things that you find daunting. Imagine laughter and relaxation. A good cup of coffee and a home-cooked lunch in a lovely café. Imagine getting around more. Looking better. A bit of attention. Learning new skills so you’re back in the swim. Imagine laughter. People who share your memories. Imagine a bit of fun and companionship. It’s all here. Waiting.

Home-made cake is bad for the figure? So what!

ACEastbourne_An_Rep_AW.indd 10-11

Why we are different

AGE Concern Eastbourne

complements the work of

other organisations in order

to improve quality of life for

older people. While statutory

authorities are under pressure to

meet ever-increasing demands

for even basic services, we

assist our clients in countless

ways that help to improve their

wellbeing. We offer services that

no other organisation can match,

either in scope or delivery.

A good example is ‘Home from

Hospital’, a service available to

those who are about to leave

hospital or have recently

been discharged.

If an older person (or their

relative or friend) is worried

about coping after leaving

hospital, one of our trained

volunteers will be assigned to

visit that person in hospital,

then follow up with home visits

to help the client get back on

their feet.

The volunteer will collect

prescriptions, go shopping,

cook light meals, accompany

the client to follow-up hospital

appointments, provide back-up

information and assistance and

introduce their client to clubs

and organisations that may be

beneficial in helping to sustain

recovery.

No older person will be left to

cope unaided. And once they

are recovered from illness,

should it be apparent that they

are lonely, frail or will remain

housebound, our Befriending

and Forget-me-not services

can build on the work that has

already taken place.

Our Befriending Service is

available to all older people who

would benefit from a regular

visitor to offer friendship and

support. In addition, ‘Forget-

me-not’ provides telephone

befriending, ensuring a regular

contact call to brighten the day.

Statutory services are not

designed to provide these kinds

of backup and support services.

Yet the value of these services is

clear. They help ensure that no

older person need be left alone

or isolated. In years to come,

such services can only become

more significant.

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11

Our befriending service offers friendship and support

21/10/2011 10:17

During the past year:

• 1,369 clients came to us for information and advice.

• We advised on everything from benefi ts to health, housing to legal matters, care home funding to travel, pensions and other fi nancial matters to consumer issues. And more besides.

• We helped clients to claim a total of approximately £710,000 in welfare benefi ts. Some had previously been refused these benefi ts. Many went on to claim additional allowances to which they were entitled.

• Our outreach team provided a specialist welfare benefi ts visiting service, helping raise additional income for those

unable to visit the Centre.

Facts and figures12

300

250

200

150

100

50

02008/2009 2009/2010 2010/20112008/2009 2009/20102008/2009 2009/20102008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011

250

200

150

100

50

0

2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/20112008/2009 2009/20102008/2009 2009/20102008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011

Three year defi cit

reduction trend

Retail growth fi gures for our shops for the last three years

ACEastbourne_An_Rep_AW.indd 12-13

ts.

ts. Many

ere

aise

13

• Of additional money raised, much was spent locally. We assist our clients. In turn, they too help support Eastbourne’s shops and suppliers.

• Trained volunteers assisted 291 frail, older people who were ‘Home from Hospital’.

• Trained volunteers made 1456 befriending visits and in excess of 5,800 telephone befriending calls (our ‘Forget me Not’ service).

• We referred over 657 people to registered, vetted and approved trades people through our Contractor Call service, tracking the progress of each job.

• We invested signifi cantly in our retail operations. Shops were refurbished and refi tted and staff and volunteers trained to the highest standards. Turnover reached £236,000; 9% better than the previous year and 39% better than the year before that. The shops deliver unrestricted profi t which directly funds the work of the charity. During the last year we introduced Gift Aid into our shops and claimed back over £5,000 from the government as a

result. At year end, plans were progressing to open a new shop in Polegate.

• We ran aff ordable computer courses for beginners and improvers and an introduction to digital photography.

• We took over 1,107 people supermarket shopping in our minibus; charging £6 per head for a door-to-door service.

• The Venton Centre had a major facelift and refurbishment. A bold new colour scheme, logo and identity was adopted at year end, refl ecting a modern, forward-thinking organisation.

• Around 500 clients visited the Venton Centre each week. This represented an increase in footfall compared with last year.

• We received approximately £55,000 in legacy income during this year.

“ In 2000, we had only one retail shop. By autumn 2011, there’ll be fi ve.”

ear cit

eduction

21/10/2011 10:17

Looking to the future

AGE Concern Eastbourne is

committed to the ‘big society’; to

the responsibilities we share and

the concern we have for each

other. What do we want for the

future? To be able to continue

with what we do, to improve it,

enhance it, expand it.

The need for our services

becomes clearer with every

passing day. And as more of us

live for longer, demand will grow.

AGE Concern Eastbourne can do

so much more for the people

of this town. In doing so, we

can improve quality of life for

thousands of older people. At the

same time, we can help relieve

the pressure on everyone from

hard-pressed carers to over-

stretched statutory services. As a

community, the more we are able

to help promote the wellbeing

of older people, the happier and

healthier older people will remain.

For those who cannot visit the Venton Centre, our Welfare Rights outreach team are ideally placed to help clients in their own home

14

“ www.ageconcerneastbourne.co.uk (click on donate).

Goods can be donated to any of our shops in Grove Road, Green Street, Hampden Park or Polegate High Street.

Or you can text BNQY 21 £10.00 to 70070 to donate ten pounds to our 2011/2012 shopping transport mini bus appeal.

We have the commitment. The expertise. The enthusiasm. The determination. But we’re a small charity. What do we need? It’s simple. Money. You can donate by logging on to:

ACEastbourne_An_Rep_AW.indd 14-15

Karen Dean of HARC

Gaby Hardwicke Solicitors

Jessica Gisby of McCarthy Webb Solicitors

Christine Haniver of Cornfield Law Solicitors

Lawson Lewis & Co. Solicitors

Stephen Rimmer Solicitors

Andrew Dixon Smith of Care Fees Investment Ltd.

Plummer Parsons (Accountants)

Caladines (Accountants)

DWP (Local Pension Service)

Eastbourne Borough Council Housing & Council Tax Benefit Department

Hearing Resources Centre

T.O.P.S.

East Sussex County Council

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service

Rotary Club

Eastbourne Homes Plc

East Sussex Trading Standards

CRUSE Bereavement Care

Eastbourne College who have been providing a free internet course delivered by their students for our clients for the last four years and also allow us to park our minibus on their grounds

Blacks Leisure Group Plc - Simon Roberts and Dawn Burchett who deliver a Saturday walk once a month for our walking for wellness

Sussex Downs College - Therapy and beauty students come to the centre twice a year providing free sessions for our clients

Finally, thank you to our valued staff and 220 volunteers who donated their valuable time throughout the last year.

Thank you

. At the

es. As a

e able

emain.

am

15

“ We’ll send a card when one of the group is ill. And birthdays. Of course! And if someone is in hospital, I’ll go visit! We’re family. It’s like that.”

Jean, Day Club Volunteer

“ The lady had broken her leg. She lived in a tenth floor flat. We made sure she had good meals and everything else she needed….”

Sue Grimer, Community Services Manager

(click on donate).

to donate ten

During the past year, the following companies and organisations have offered us both financial and practical support. We want to thank them all.

21/10/2011 10:17

“ It made such a diff erence to my mum’s fi nal years, coming to classes and the Day Club. She got her old spark back. I’ll always, always be grateful.”Sue, Old Town

“ The phrase ‘sorry, we can’t help you’ is never uttered here.”Pearl, Willingdon Trees

Annual Report 2010 - 2011

Give Local Help Local

“ It made such a diff erence to

Company limited by guarantee number 495839.

Trading Company Number 3796445. Registered Charity Number 1101578

AGE Concern EastbourneThe William & Patricia Venton CentreJunction Road, Eastbourne BN21 3QY

Tel: 01323 638474. For further information about AGE Concern Eastbourne please email;raymond.blakebrough@ageconcerneastbourne.co.ukor david.doherty@ageconcerneastbourne.co.uk

www.ageconcerneastbourne.co.uk

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