MY SPACE, MY PLACE The Partnership with Older People in Suffolk Hadleigh "Talkabout Report
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The Partnership with Older People in Suffolk
Hadleigh „Talkabout‟ Report
MY SPACE, MY PLACE
A discussion about building communities and local
services.
Discussion date 7th April 2011
Prepared by Deborah Meekcoms, POPS Co-ordinator, Age UK Suffolk
Previous POPS reports available on request
Sudbury Talkabout 22nd March 2010
Living Healthily & Ageing Positively
Brandon Talkabout 12th July 2010
Keeping an Active Body and Mind
Woodbrige Talkabout 1st October 2010
Steady As You Go
A discussion about Falls Prevention and local services
Lowestoft Talkabout 25th November 2010
Steady As You Go
A discussion about Falls Prevention and local services
Newmarket Talkabout 7th March 2011
Steady As You Go
A discussion about Falls Prevention and local services.
2 Hadleigh Talkabout Report 7th April 2011- My Space, My Place- A discussion about
building communities and local services1. Executive Summary 2. Introduction 3. Feedback and recommendations 4. The Next Stage 5. Appendices 3 Hadleigh Talkabout Report 7th April 2011- My Space, My Place- A discussion about building communities and local services
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Partnership with Older People in Suffolk (POPS) works to change
attitudes and services in order to achieve an improved society for older
people in Suffolk. POPS organises group discussion forums in the
county to discuss and make recommendations on key issues which
affect older people in order to inform service delivery in health and social
care.
The Hadleigh forum focussed on the topic of Building Communities. The
aim was to identify barriers that prevented people from getting involved
in their local communities and also to explore the possibility of starting
new groups in order to reduce social isolation. One key aim of the forum
was to encourage and support attendees to take action for themselves,
where appropriate, to maintain their own health and well being. The
event also included information stands and talks from a variety of local
organisations to enable attendees to have an increased awareness of
local support services.
44 older people attended the Hadleigh event. The spaces were limited
due to the size of the venue but such was the interest from people in
coming to the Talkabout an additional day would have been required.
Our attendees were aged between 56 and 89, the biggest group being in
the 70-89 years of age category of which there were 21 people.
77% of people who left feedback felt that as a result of the day they
would become more involved with their community; 77% felt more
confident about “joining in”; 63% felt that they could change things to
improve their lives and 83% felt that their opinions were valued.
People who attended were given the opportunity to request contact from
the organisations who were involved during the day. Requests for
contact were made to Age UK (14), Suffolk Artlink (15), Suffolk Circle
(10), Babergh DC Community Team (13), Safer Neighbourhood Team
(5), and the Lunch Club Organisers (5). These requests show that older
people do wish to get involved and have an interest in finding out what is
available to them locally.
4 Hadleigh Talkabout Report 7th April 2011- My Space, My Place- A discussion about
building communities and local servicesKey Recommendations.
3.1/3.2 Building Communities
Community projects should have no upper age limit.
Mechanisms should be put in place to ensure that people are not
excluded from local social activities.
Public buildings should be available free or at a reduced rate to
encourage communities to create more social groups and to allow
organisations to help communities.
There needs to be better promotion of services and what is
available to older people.
3.3 Getting Involved
A buddy system should be created to unite people and link those
with a need to those with a requirement. For example those with a
big garden who need help and those who like to garden.
The benefits and opportunities for volunteering need to be better
promoted.
There need to be more groups available that are designed to
attract older men.
3.4 Intergenerational activities
Older people should be actively encouraged and supported to
work with schools and younger people completing The Duke of
Edinburgh Awards.
Processes should be in place to support intergenerational
activities: for example help with computers, mobile phones, knitting
and crochet and art projects.
3.5 Feedback to the Babergh Community Team
Longer parking in the town centre is needed for people with
disabilities.
Speakers from the team should go to regular community events on
a formal basis to increase awareness of what they do and to help
them to get to know the community better.
5 Hadleigh Talkabout Report 7th April 2011- My Space, My Place- A discussion about
building communities and local services3.6 Leisure Centres
There should be more transport available to access the Leisure
Centre.
The timings of classes should be discussed as they are not always
suitable for older people.
There should be more information available to older people about
what is on at the Leisure Centres, what time and where.
3.7 Hadleigh and the Local Area
There should be more seats in town to enable people to rest
periodically.
The bus timetables should be streamlined to link with other buses
and there should be more public transport introduced at the
weekends.
There should be more support for family carers and those that
have been diagnosed with a long term illness.
There should be increased smaller accommodation available to
give older people an opportunity to downsize.
More exercise classes should be available for older people
including Tai Chi and Chair Based Exercise.
6 Hadleigh Talkabout Report 7th April 2011- My Space, My Place- A discussion about
building communities and local services2. INTRODUCTION
The Partnership with Older People in Suffolk (POPS) has eight key
aims:
To promote positive ageing and healthy living; to develop ways to help
people stay independent, and living in their own homes; to challenge
perceptions of what older people want and what they can and can‟t do;
to promote better access to information across Suffolk, particularly in
rural areas; to empower older people to continue to participate in
community life; to support the work of Suffolk Older People Strategic
Partnership Board; to champion the contributions people make to the
arts, music and culture; to develop a more integrated approach amongst
organisations and service providers, in response to an ageing society.
The POPS programme of activity includes organising regular
consultation groups with older people and organisations across the
County. These forums are organised by the POPS Co-ordinator at Age
UK Suffolk to enable people in later life to contribute to the development
of appropriate services and support mechanisms in health and social
care. Discussion topics at forums are approved through the Suffolk
Older People Strategic Partnership Board and reports distributed to a
range of organisations including statutory, public, private, health and
voluntary sector partners.
The programme of forums for 2011-2012 continued in Hadleigh with one
key topic: „My Space, My Place‟ focusing on Building Communities.
There were 5 discussion groups each facilitated by representatives from
Age UK Suffolk, Babergh DC and Suffolk Artlink.
The discussions were interspersed by presentations by The Town &
Bridge Project, Age UK Suffolk, Ansell Lunch Club, Suffolk Artlink, the
Suffolk Circle, Babergh DC, The Safer Neighbourhood Team and
Singing for Groups. Barbara Tottle from Babergh DC encouraged the
group to take part in a chair based exercise session.
Each attendee received a complimentary bag on leaving which
contained useful information and energy saving resources that were
donated by Anglia Water and The Suffolk Climate Change Partnership.
A free raffle was also held with prizes kindly donated QD Stores and The
Cooking Experience of Hadleigh.
The POPS Co-ordinator would like to thank the prize donators for their
generosity in supporting their local older community.
7 Hadleigh Talkabout Report 7th April 2011- My Space, My Place- A discussion about
building communities and local services3. FEEDBACK AND RECOMMENDATIONS
3.1 The Town and Bridge Project
The Town and Bridge Community project from Ipswich was used as an
example of successful community building. People were asked what
they thought of the project and if they thought a similar project might
work in Hadleigh.
In general the group thought that the project was a good idea and that
projects such as this can bring people together. There was however a
negative response to the upper age limit of 74 years of age for the Town
and Bridge project. The Town and Bridge project has since indicated
that the age limits for the project were set as a result of a report by Dr
Brian Keeble which addressed the needs and outcomes of a specific
age group. The project does have members and volunteers who are
older than 74 years of age.
A number of people suggested that they liked the gardening element of
the project and they thought that a similar project in Hadleigh would be
useful to get people involved in their communities. People also thought
that it was key to attract and sustain new volunteers to enable any
project to be successful.
Information about the Town & Bridge project is given in Appendix E.
The group suggested:
Community projects in Hadleigh should be more inclusive with no
upper age limit.
Any project being considered should include chair based exercise
and perhaps a new lunch club as there are waiting lists for the
existing ones.
Any new community project should also link to existing social
networks
There should be a range of communication processes to ensure
that older people are not excluded including radio, newspapers
and in the Library and it should be clear about who can get
involved and who cannot.
New activities may have problems finding suitable venues as there
is little choice in Hadleigh were transport is not an issue.
Any new community project should always include a signposting
element to local and other services.
8 Hadleigh Talkabout Report 7th April 2011- My Space, My Place- A discussion about
building communities and local servicesQUOTES
“If you want something to do you will get on with it”
“Men are always the minority group; I would like a better gender balance”
“I find the idea quite appealing”
3.2 Feeling Part of Your Community
There was a mixed response when we asked if people felt that they
were part of their community.
Some of our group were already attending at least two social activities
each week from the many social groups that already exist in Hadleigh,
but it became apparent that there were not enough places for new
people that would like to join. Clubs such as the lunch clubs and U3A
are at capacity and it was felt that there was a need to create more
groups. Day care was highlighted as an issue, in particular the possible
closure of Angel Court with no alternative to replace it.
Having no suitable venues at a reasonable cost in Hadleigh discourages
people from starting new groups and people felt that the lack of a
community centre or village hall exaggerates the difficulties. People also
felt that it is difficult to join new groups where there are already
friendship networks in place.
On a positive note our attendees thought that the Hadleigh News was a
good source of local news and that the Library continues to be a good
community hub where older people can go to find information. People
did not appear to have any particular problems with their neighbours and
felt safe within their community.
The group made the following recommendations:
There should be more buildings available to the community at a
reasonable cost or free of charge to encourage the creation of
more community groups to meet demand.
Existing community buildings such as the council offices should be
made available so that talks can be held or new groups started.
A drop in centre should be created.
Existing groups could have a ‘buddy’ system for new members to
help to encourage new members to join.
The British Legion could be used more by older people.
Information on local services and groups could be better promoted.
9 Hadleigh Talkabout Report 7th April 2011- My Space, My Place- A discussion about
building communities and local services Appropriate transport to the Hadleigh Leisure Centre is needed as
it is up a hill and difficult to get to.
A dedicated community centre is needed that is available to the
whole community.
QUOTES
“There is nowhere to sit down in town” - ”Hadleigh is a nice place to live”
“The Council Canteen will make a good community space”
3.3 Getting Involved
We asked our group what might encourage or discourage an older
person in helping to develop their local community. The group had some
similar responses to that of the last question including the creation of a
drop in centre and not being able to enter „the inner circle‟ of existing
groups. They spoke about the cuts to the community bus service and
how this has affected their ability to be involved. Transport remains to
be a key factor when developing services for older people as well as the
lack of long stay car parks. The groups told us that there are people who
provide lifts for others but these depend on building personal
relationships.
Health and well being were both mentioned as barriers to getting
involved in activities as a volunteer. It was also suggested that the
simple name of a group can discourage people from taking part and the
University of the Third Age (U3A) was given as an example of this. The
lack of groups for men was highlighted and it was felt that groups such
as „Pints of View‟ who meet at a local club or pub for informal
discussions might encourage more men to get involved in social
networks. (See Appendix G)
The possible loss of the library was a real concern for many and for
some it was their only social interaction.
The groups made the following recommendations:
A buddy system would encourage people to join new activities.
A community share scheme or register of ‘needs and wants’ could
be created so that people can be matched together to exchange
skills and interests. For example matching someone with an IT
need to someone who is IT proficient or someone who needs
gardening help to a keen gardener who has no space to grow their
own vegetables? Example schemes are given in Appendix H.
There should be a document such as the ‘raring 2 go’ resource
booklet to encourage older people to join in. (See Appendix C)
10 Hadleigh Talkabout Report 7th April 2011- My Space, My Place- A discussion about
building communities and local services The cost of facilities for hire such as the town hall should be
reduced.
The swimming pool needs improved disabled access.
More encouragement and support for volunteering is needed.
More groups for men need to be created.
QUOTES
“Volunteering turns into something you might not want to do”
“Snow and the inconvenience bought people together but the momentum wasn’t
maintained”
“Just keep talking”
“Encourage short term volunteering”
3.4 Intergenerational community building
Our attendees liked the idea of intergenerational projects and but they
felt that they did not have the opportunities to get involved with younger
people on a regular basis. It was suggested that most activities are age
specific thus creating an age barrier between the older and younger
generations and it was felt that each group had negative opinions of
each other. Projects such as the Porch Project (See appendix D), the
Choral Society and The Sea Scout Project were discussed as a possible
means to further encourage intergenerational work in Hadleigh. The
group did make some excellent suggestions about how intergenerational
work could be further encouraged in Hadleigh.
The groups made the following recommendations:
Older people should work with the schools and younger people to
help them to complete the Duke of Edinburgh awards.
Opportunities for more intergenerational activities could be
created such as help with computers and mobile phones; knitting
and crochet; younger people reading to older people that may
have sight difficulties; older people discussing their life
experiences with younger people.
More intergenerational activities could be created at events such
as The Hadleigh Show to reduce barriers and misconceptions.
Generations could be encouraged together through music and art
projects.
Schemes such as ‘Adopt a grandparent! (Appendix F)
11 Hadleigh Talkabout Report 7th April 2011- My Space, My Place- A discussion about
building communities and local services3.5 Babergh Community Team
We asked how the local Babergh Community Team might be able to
help older people to become more involved with their community. There
were a large number of responses some of which may not be part of the
team‟s remit but they have been included as they help to raise
awareness of the needs of the community. Responses included more
parking; better promotion of GP Leisure Centre Referrals; Better
transport and more facilities for children.
Our groups suggested that there was a need for more leisure groups
such as rugby, tennis, football and flat walks such as a railway walk.
Some people were not aware of the health walks and thought that they
were only available to those who had a health need.
The groups made the following suggestions:
Longer parking for the disabled, over three hours.
Can the Ansell Centre and the Babergh team work together?
The community team could create opportunities for more
intergenerational activities.
They should have better communication with Hadleigh residents and
let people know who they are, what they do, and what they hope to
achieve.
They should reach out to those who don’t participate; there is a real
lack of knowledge.
They could develop a buddy scheme.
They could offer themselves as speakers to regular events on a more
informal basis to explain what they do and how they can support their
local community.
They should better support those with hearing loss.
They should simply get to know their community better.
QUOTES
“People are disillusioned with all of the cutbacks”
“East House could have been used for groups”
12 Hadleigh Talkabout Report 7th April 2011- My Space, My Place- A discussion about
building communities and local services3.6 Leisure Centres
We asked our groups what their Leisure Centre could do to encourage
people in later life to use their facilities. People thought that information
about what is on for older people is crucial and also how that information
is distributed. People wanted to know what classes are suitable for older
people and how much they cost. An open day for older people was
suggested so that they could view the facilities without having to pay for
a class. Our groups suggested that the leisure facilities should be
updated to match other facilities in town and could include activities such
as chair based exercise, indoor bowls and that there be transport to
access them. They also suggested that the facilities should be available
to professionals to enable them to speak to people about useful topics
such as falls in the home and perhaps to have event days such as a
Disabilities Forum. The availability of a cafe at the leisure sites was
thought to be one element that would encourage people to become
more familiar with using leisure centres.
Hadleigh Pool was also discussed. People were unsure about what
swim times were available for older people and they suggested there
could be specific marketing of swimming and other leisure activities for
older people.
The groups made the following suggestions:
There should be transport to the Leisure Centre as it is up a hill
and difficult to access.
There should be more gentle exercise classes including a special
programme for older people.
The timings for classes should be discussed as they are not
always suitable for older people.
There should be more information available to older people about
what is on, what time and where!
A buddy scheme could be introduced.
QUOTES
“Money should be spent on Hadleigh Pool. They shouldn’t have removed the
Jacuzzi. We are afraid it might shut”
“The pool is hard to access; it doesn’t have a shallow gradient. It can be
modified but only occasionally for some aqua aerobics”
13 Hadleigh Talkabout Report 7th April 2011- My Space, My Place- A discussion about
building communities and local services3.7 Hadleigh and the Local Area
We asked our group if they could suggest one thing that they would like
to see in Hadleigh and the surrounding areas that would help older
people to remain physically and mentally active. Although there are a
number of social activities already available in Hadleigh people
suggested that there could also be a writing group, an art group, more
lunch clubs, more day care and more exercise opportunities for older
people. The need for more affordable venue hire was raised again as
was the need for more transport, particularly on a Sunday. Our group
suggested that the existing bus timetable needs to be re-organised to
link services.
Throughout the day‟s discussions the closure of East House was
mentioned as a major loss to the community. People thought that it
should have remained open or been replaced with similar facilities,
parking and access available for all of the community to use.
People thought that there was a greater need for „smaller‟
accommodation such as flats as downsizing was very difficult .It was
also suggested that there should be more seats in town to enable people
to rest periodically which would encourage people to shop on the High
Street. In addition people thought that there should be better disabled
access to the shops and the Post Office as several shops are
inaccessible to those with disabilities.
Our group felt that there was a lack of specialist support groups in
Hadleigh and that there should be more support available to those
diagnosed with long term illnesses and for family carers needing respite
care. People felt the need for more specialised clinics in Hadleigh
including those for hearing and eyesight.
Based on the suggestions of the groups this report recommends:
More exercise classes should be created including Chair Based
Exercise and Tai Chi.
There should be more seats available in town.
There should be more support for those with illnesses and for
family carers.
Future housing planning should consider the need for smaller
properties to enable people to downsize and remain in the
community.
Transport should be streamlined and better linked and new
weekend services introduced.
The hire fees of public venues should be reduced or free to
community groups.
14 Hadleigh Talkabout Report 7th April 2011- My Space, My Place- A discussion about
building communities and local services3.8 Computer and Internet Access
We asked people if they had access to a computer and the internet. 66%
who responded told us that they do have access with 34% having no
access. 42% of those who did not have access told us that they would
like to be able to use the internet. Internet access still remains a key
element to social inclusion, particularly as many organisations and
indeed local authorities use the internet as their primary means of
communication. If we are to continue to ensure that older people are not
socially isolated, thus encouraging independence, organisations must
make certain that information is available via varying sources such as
local radio stations, newspapers and in public libraries.
4. THE NEXT STAGE
This report is distributed to a wide range of people and organisations to
ensure that the views of the people at this forum have the opportunity to
feed into current and future planning. It is the intention of POPS to work
with relevant organisations receiving this report to encourage action and
change for the benefit of all older people in the County.
On behalf of Suffolk County Council and Age UK Suffolk the POPS Co-
ordinator would like to thank all those who participated and gave their
time freely to support people in later life.
15 Hadleigh Talkabout Report 7th April 2011- My Space, My Place- A discussion about
building communities and local services5. APPENDICES
Appendix A: The Programme
10.30- Arrival & Registration All
10.45 Tea & Coffee
10.45- Introduction Debbie Meekcoms, POPS Co-ordinator
11.00 Age Concern Suffolk
11.00- My Place, My Space Part 1 Julie Stokes
11.30 Town & Bridge Project
11.30- My Space, My Place 2 Discussion all
12.30 Topic Discussion
12.30- Safety in your neighbourhood Matt Paisley
12.45 Safer Neighbourhood Team
12.45 – Time to get moving Barbara Tottle
1.00 Chair Based Sampler
1.00- Lunch All
2.00
2.00 – Age UK Suffolk Laura Bullock
2.10 Independence Advice Independence Advice Service
2.10- How did we do it? Joyce Willis
2.25 Mary Cross
2.25 – Age UK Community Links Gavin Hodge Age UK
2.35 Food N Friends Clubs
2.35- Suffolk Circle Finbarr Carter
2.50 A new membership group for
people over 50
2.50 Suffolk Artlink Culture Club Hayley Field
3.20 Bridget Cousins(singing for groups)
3.20- Feedback All
3.45 Raffles & Farewells
16 Hadleigh Talkabout Report 7th April 2011- My Space, My Place- A discussion about
building communities and local servicesAppendix B: Contacts
Name Organisation Contact Details
Jo Beever Babergh DC jo.beever@babergh.gov.uk
Julia Bignell Safer Neighbourhood julia.bignell@suffolk.pnn.police.uk
Team 01473-613500
Kristie Burdett Age UK Suffolk kristie.burdett@ageuksuffolk.org
07841460380
Finbarr Carter Suffolk Circle finbarr@suffolkcircle.org.uk
01284-774880
David Clarke Babergh DC david.clarke@babergh.gov.uk
Jo Collins Age UK Suffolk jo.collins@ageuksuffolk.org
01473-353057
Bridget Cousins Singing for Groups Via hayley@suffolkartlink.org.uk
01986-873955
Mary Cross Ansell Lunch Club Via Secretary jan@dicks.plus.com
01473-823413
Rachel Farr Cover rachel.farr@i-trust.org.uk
01223-861760
Hayley Field Suffolk Artlink hayley@suffolkartlink.org.uk
01986-873955
Gavin Fiske Babergh DC gavin.fiske@babergh.gov.uk
Gavin Hodge Age UK Suffolk gavin.hodge@ageuksuffolk.org
01473-298686
Sara Jackson Babergh DC sara.jackson@babergh.gov.uk
Debbie Meekcoms Age UK Suffolk pops@ageuksuffolk.org
01284-757783
Claire Rose Age UK Suffolk claire.rose@ageuksuffolk.org
01284-757784
Matt Paisley Safer Neighbourhood matthew.paisley@suffolk.pnn.police.uk
Team 01473-613500
Julie Stokes Town & Bridge julie.stokes@ipswich-cvs.org.uk
Project 01473-261112
Barbara Tottle Babergh DC barbara.tottle@babergh.gov.uk
Joyce Willis Ansell Lunch Club Via Secretary jan@dicks.plus.com
01473-823413
17 Hadleigh Talkabout Report 7th April 2011- My Space, My Place- A discussion about
building communities and local servicesAppendix C: Raring 2 Go booklet
This is a resource booklet that is aimed at families, carers and children
and gives ideas of what‟s on for all of the family. It includes member
offers and competitions.
Further details can be found at www.raring2go.co.uk
Appendix D: The Porch Project
The Porch Project was born in September 2009 out of a dream to open the church
doors to those teenagers who gathered in the church porch. Initially around 15 young
people, mostly boys, came on Friday evenings between 9 and 10pm. The two
fundamental purposes are:-
1. to provide a safe space for young people to meet;
2. to offer free hospitality.
As the Project evolved, these fundamental aims expanded:-
to include facilities for counselling;
to provide educational and recreational activities;
to promote greater community cohesion.
And now:
The project now reaches over 200 young people a week spread over three
nights and is still rapidly growing. Because of the growth of the project there
has been a lot of interest from BBC Radio Suffolk, Sky News, local
newspapers etc. and this we believe is only the start.
The Tuesday and Friday nights are very informal and are run as a "drop-in"
type youth club. Sunday night is more formal, with Porch Project Explore
where young people can come and ask questions about life - for example,
Drugs, Sex, God and so many more.
Further information can be found on: http://www.porchproject.co.uk/
18 Hadleigh Talkabout Report 7th April 2011- My Space, My Place- A discussion about
building communities and local servicesAppendix E: The Town and Bridge Project
The Town & Bridge Project was one of the first Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) -
One Ipswich funded projects. The project was established to help tackle health
inequalities in two of the most deprived areas of Ipswich, the town centre and Stoke
area and is currently hosted by Ipswich Council for Voluntary Service (ICVS). In
September 2006 a project manager was employed to develop initiatives to help
reduce the risk of stroke, heart and lung disease and some cancers and help people
improve where they live and feel safer in their community.
The Town & Bridge Project has five strands:
Housing – Addressing Fuel poverty & making improvements to people‟s
homes
Community Safety – Improving street lighting & empowering communities
Community Development – Setting up social groups and networks,
providing opportunities for people to meet and learn new skills, building
confidence and self-esteem and supporting people to volunteer to help others
in their community
Health Promotion – Providing opportunities and information about how to eat
more healthily, helping people to increase their physical activity by making it
fun and worthwhile, developing social centres to enable people to meet and
make new friends and supporting people to stop smoking
Improved Access to Welfare Advice – Ensuring that people are claiming the
benefits that they are entitled to, helping people to claim and also offering
support to people with debt and money problems
The project currently runs three major projects to help meet the aims of the project
and have a positive impact on people‟s lives both physically and emotionally.
Gardening for All
The People‟s Community Garden was funded by the Big Lottery People‟s Million‟s
Award in 2007 and is an inspiring outdoor space where people, young and older, can
volunteer and learn to garden and grow fresh vegetables. They can take part in
workshops and courses, meet and make new friends and be active working
outdoors, in the fresh air, and in a safe and friendly environment.
ActivAge
The ActivAge Project was funded by the Big Lottery through Age UK‟s Fit as a Fiddle
Programme. Two ActivAge Centres have been established in the town centre and
Stoke and provide physical activity sessions as well as hot lunches, health
promotion, advice and information and an opportunity to meet and make new friends.
The ActivAge Project also runs other activity sessions such as health & community
walks, Aqua Confidence swimming courses, Aqua Circuit sessions for men,
movement to music, Nordic walking courses, seated Yoga, Chair-based exercise
and health promotion events.
Keep on Rockin
Keep on Rockin was originally funded by CSV Media to develop an intergenerational
music project to involve young people aged 16 – 25 years old and people 45 plus.
The aim of the project was to enable people who liked singing and those that could
sing to come together to enjoy a wide variety of music, learn voice and breathing
19 Hadleigh Talkabout Report 7th April 2011- My Space, My Place- A discussion about
building communities and local servicestechniques, increase their confidence and self esteem, have fun and meet and make
new friends.
The second year of the project was funded by Suffolk County Councils, Partnership
with Older People programme and Suffolk Foundation. The group is now working to
become self sufficient and not reliant on external funding.
The Keep on Rockin Group now performs to live audiences across Ipswich and
Suffolk.
Other Town & Bridge initiatives include:
Fuel Poverty and Debt Advice
Stop Smoking Support Sessions
Chair-based exercise sessions for Bangladeshi men and women
Healthy eating & weight management programme
Motivational & Opportunities Team (MOT) – peer mentoring
Volunteering & employment opportunities
Training & Learning
Further information about the Town & Bridge Project can be found via
the World Wide Web www.townandbridge.org.uk
Appendix F: Adopt a granny
There are a number of projects that support the „adopt a grandparent‟ scheme but
the USA site adoptagrandparent.org has a good explanation of how the scheme
works.
Simply it pairs older people with children that do not have grandparents and
therefore they become part of a family.
Appendix G: Pints of View
What do you think over a drink?
Pints of view is an informal discussion group for men who want to talk about
important issues whilst enjoying a social drink. Men are encouraged to go along and
air their „pints of view‟
At the local group in Hadleigh topics that have been considered have included
assisted Suicide, Security versus Freedom, Probably No God and Foreign Aid.
There have also been lots of informal discussions and conversations over many
other topics.
Further information can be found at:
http://www.hadleighurc.org.uk/Pages/WhatdoYoiuThink.htm
20 Hadleigh Talkabout Report 7th April 2011- My Space, My Place- A discussion about
building communities and local servicesAppendix H: Community Share Scheme Examples
There are various schemes already in existence that encompass the idea of a
community helping itself. Some good examples of these are The Suffolk Acre Good
Neighbour Scheme; The Bookham Garden Share Scheme; The Swap a Skill
Scheme which is web based. Although some of these schemes may not be suitable
for all communities or for all older people they do give local councils and community
groups an idea of how they might be able start community projects that help people
to help themselves.
The Good Neighbour Scheme: The Good Neighbour Schemes benefit any
community by helping to knit the community together and building new friendships
between villagers. A team of volunteers is raised to help with
Transport – giving people lifts to hospitals, doctors surgeries, shops or social
trips
Domestic tasks – changing lightbulbs, testing smoke alarms, moving furniture
and many other household jobs
Mobility problems – volunteers can help by collecting prescriptions and
pensions, shopping and posting letters for anyone who is incapacitated
Befriending – visiting the lonely or bereaved to give emotional support
Advocacy – help with letter writing or filling in forms
Outside jobs – occasional garden tidying, dog walking and other odd jobs
All the services are offered free with the exception of giving lifts for which the driver
is compensated for his/her running costs by the client, usually at 35 pence per mile.
Further information can be found at :
www.suffolkacre.org.uk/main.php/community_support_and_consultation/good_neigh
bour_scheme
The Bookham Garden Share Scheme: A scheme that was introduced to pair
those with gardens too big to manage with those who would like to grow produce.
Web excerpt: There are now a large number of people on waiting lists for allotments
in the village and on the other side, there are gardens that are unused or even
unloved. Some owners haven‟t got the energy, or the time or simply the enthusiasm
to look after a substantial garden. We will call on garden owners who are prepared
to let somebody with an interest in growing their own food use part of their land in
exchange for some produce. Hopefully a few matches will be made creating lovely
organically and locally produced fruit and vegetables.
Further information can be found at:
http://www.greenmoleforum.org/post/Bookham-Garden-Share-scheme-starting.asp
21 Hadleigh Talkabout Report 7th April 2011- My Space, My Place- A discussion about
building communities and local servicesSwap A Skill: The swap a skill web page enables people to either swap skills or to
trade an item in place of payment for services that they require. People are able to
register what they are offering and what they are seeking in return. For example one
gentleman is offering IT assistance for piano lessons or hairdressing. One couple
had a free patio built in exchange for giving some basic French lessons. One lady is
offering gardening for lessons in cooking.
Further information about this scheme can be found at:
http://www.swapaskill.com/
Reproducing Information from Age UK Suffolk ‘VOICE’ and Suffolk
County Council ‘Partnership with Older People’ (POPS) reports
People, organisations or media wishing to use or reproduce information
contained within the above reports may print or download Voice and
POPS reports without requiring specific prior permission. Any quotes or
excerpts taken from the reports must include the source accreditation to
Age UK Suffolk and Suffolk County council.
22 Hadleigh Talkabout Report 7th April 2011- My Space, My Place- A discussion about
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