Community support for ethnic minority older people’s groups

An introduction to Age Scotland's ethnic minority community development officers

Age Scotland employed two ethnic minority community development officers in October 2021 through the Scottish Government’s Equality and Human Rights grant. Their main goals are to: • Enable and support the growth of a more diverse Age Scotland membership • Build productive relationships with ethnic minority older people’s groups and communities • Co-ordinate programmes of national and regional networking, training, and engagement opportunities • Connect groups to Age Scotland’s services, offers and activities.

Meet the EMCDOs

Jaime is Chinese Canadian and grew up with immigrant parents who struggled with the cultural differences and barriers in a small Canadian town. Having lived experience of growing up with racism and faced with various inequalities, it has given her the passion and drive to work with ethnic minorities. Having previously worked with older Chinese communities, she continues to see the barriers they are facing. She hopes that her work with Age Scotland will allow her to expand her repertoire to connect and educate other older ethnic minorities of Scotland.

Wahida was born in England and raised in Edinburgh. With her upbringing within a loving Pakistani family, she is now a mother and grandmother to two sons and two grandchildren of mixed heritage. She is acutely aware

of the importance of retaining and honouring that heritage whilst celebrating other cultures too. She previously worked in a Community Development position for the Racial Equality Council in Edinburgh and more recently at a mental health charity. She is looking forward to using her experience and skills to assist ethnic minority older people overcome the barriers they face.

Wahida

Wing Hong Chinese Elderly Centre

One of Age Scotland’s recent members and first recipients of support from Jaime and Wahida is Wing Hong Chinese Elderly Centre (WHCEC), a Glasgowbased charitable organisation established in 1989, whose objectives are to: • reduce loneliness and isolation; • maintain and improve independence; • raise awareness and promote equal opportunities within the Chinese older people communities. WHCEC is a day centre with community facilities which offers a lunch club, activities, workshops, and day trips, and is the only centre in Scotland catering specifically to the Chinese community three days a week. Through the Age Scotland membership programme, WHCEC received a grant to purchase a commercial oven to allow for expansion to cook traditional Chinese meals for their lunch club and to help with their workshops. Both activities are very popular with their service users and with the new oven, they were able to increase their lunch club capacity by 10% while following government COVID guidelines at the time.

If you know of an organisation or group that would be interested in working alongside our EMCDOs, please don’t hesitate to reach out: Jaime Lee: jaime.lee@agescotland.org.uk Wahida Rezaq: wahida.rezaq@agescotland.org.uk

Relaunch event

A welcome return for the Scottish Ethnic Minority Older People Forum

In March, members of the Scottish Ethnic Minority Older People Forum held a face-to-face meeting in Edinburgh to formally relaunch the project which empowers ethnic minority older people across Scotland. The forum, now hosted and supported by Age Scotland, will set out an agenda for the next chapter of its work influencing policy change, addressing the needs of ethnic minority older people and tackling inequalities. Since its launch in 2018, the forum has been a catalyst for change in Scotland, raising the collective voice of ethnic minority older people and working to ensure that planning services take on board the complex and changing needs of older people from ethnic minority communities. The forum will also challenge inequality and discrimination faced by ethnic minority older people, including poverty and barriers accessing information and services. Brian Sloan, chief executive at Age Scotland, said: “The forum is a hugely important platform for amplifying the voices and experiences of ethnic minority older people across the country. Age Scotland is wholeheartedly committed to working to bring about greater diversity and inclusion for all older people in Scotland and the forum’s engagement and advocacy work is vital in helping to deliver this.”

Good to be with kindred souls

The Dementia Team’s National Learning Event

In November 2021, the Dementia Training Team, supported by About Dementia, hosted their first National Learning Event on Zoom – focusing on several key themes: • Enabling outdoor activities and spaces • Empowering carers • Taking the lead from people living with dementia • Intergenerational approaches to inclusion

Good to see people from a variety of settings together, sharing and discussing

The team was delighted to welcome 121 attendees, with people living with dementia, unpaid carers and organisations and individuals supporting people affected by dementia coming together for lively discussion and the opportunity to explore new connections. A key theme in the feedback was how beneficial the collaborative and inclusive environment was: “Together we can do anything and it was inspiring to hear from people with experience of caring for someone living with dementia and also from those living with dementia themselves.” Although there are too many names to mention individually, the team would like to sincerely thank all those who supported this inaugural event. We know how important it is for people to have the chance to share experiences, which is why our events, as well as in-person and online training workshops, are as accessible as possible to those looking to improve their knowledge of dementia awareness and inclusion, and to unpaid carers.

For further information about our workshops, get in touch on dementiatraining@agescotland.org.uk or 0333 323 240.

Try bowls – the sport for all

Looking for a sociable, fun, affordable and family-orientated sport to try this summer? Our partners at Bowls Scotland suggest looking no further than your local bowls club!

Coaching is provided throughout Scotland

Scottish bowling clubs have played a vital role in reconnecting local communities across the country throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Bowls can offer social, physical, and mental health benefits for people of all ages and abilities. Gourock Park Bowling Club in Inverclyde were a prime example of this in 2021 as they welcomed 30 new members to their facilities over the season. The club has worked with the Gourock Community Sports Hub for the last 5 years, gaining access to local people looking to try new activities. John McCartney, who has played bowls for 68 years, was able to coach new bowlers at weekly Try Bowls sessions the club held to welcome new people along and help develop their skills. Speaking about the club’s success, John said: “I enjoy seeing how happy new bowlers, of all ages, are when they come down to the club. Some said that they did not expect to enjoy bowling but found it very relaxing and their day-to-day stresses disappear when they are on the green.

John McCartney (68 years bowling) with his daughter, Lorna, who is also enjoying the sport

“The older adults told me they wished that they had taken up the game at an earlier age. The young bowlers show so much enthusiasm and most of them are naturals. It is very satisfying to help bring new people into the sport and give them a good experience.” The national governing body, Bowls Scotland, is running their annual Try Bowls campaign throughout 2022 which is aimed at getting new people into bowls and increasing membership numbers in clubs. Over 200 Scottish bowling clubs have already registered as open and inclusive ‘Try Bowls Clubs’ in 2022 and the numbers are growing. Try Bowls Clubs are quickly recognisable with a purple pin on Bowls Scotland’s Club Finder Map and can provide fun, safe, and welcoming coaching opportunities to their local community – is there one near you? Find your local bowling club at www.bowlsscotland.com/club-finder and be sure to give the sport a go with your friends and family!

Find your nearest bowling club using the club finder map: www.bowlsscotland.com/club-finder or call 01292 294623.

Now we are 10!

It’s an exciting year for our friends at Luminate, as they celebrate 10 years of being Scotland’s creative ageing organisation. We were delighted to catch up with the team to find out about their highlights so far and their hopes for the future.

The Wise Guys at work

Our early years were focused on our nationwide festivals, but over time our activities started to extend beyond the festival month and a steadily increasing number of events took place at other times of year. That programme is now our focus, with year-round support and projects taking place to make sure that creativity is always a part of life for older people. We have seen over and again the way that creative activities light up lives; how they connect people no matter their age, ability or experience. From the Wise Guys older printmakers in Inverness, to the creation of a sculpture trail in Bishopton that captures the creativity of Erskine care home residents, or the new dementia inclusive Shalder Shanty Singers in Shetland - we are always inspired by the huge variety of talent we have in Scotland. Our work has inspired others as well. Finland took our original festival format and created a similar event, and Luminate’s work has drawn attention from Ireland, the States, mainland Europe and Asia. Our 10th anniversary follows one of the most extraordinary and distressing periods our society has faced. Covid particularly impacted older people, but we are proud of the resources we developed so that creative activities could still play their part for health and wellbeing. Our talented pool of

Dementia Inclusive Singing Network one of many highlights of our fi rst 10 years.

artists created videos and kits that could be easily watched and adapted, either singly or in larger groups in care homes. Dance and movement, pottery, paper art, writing and mosaics were just some of the activities covered. And now we are looking ahead once more, scoping out what we should do next to ensure that creative ageing is part of Scotland’s plan to be one of the best countries in which to live. We are helping older artists to keep their careers evolving, as well as using creativity to connect communities, such as our monthly LGBTI+ socials.

Looking for heroes

We know that across Scotland there are people doing creative things that bring joy and satisfaction into the lives of so many older people. We are now looking for these heroes and asking people to think about who they feel really embraces creative ageing within their community. We would like to celebrate their work along with our own milestone, through the Luminate Heroes Awards. Details of how to nominate: www.luminatescotland.org / phone 0131 668 8066 / email info@luminatescotland.org

Getting tech connected in Highland

As part of a 2-year Age UK partnership with technology company Dixons, three Age Scotland member groups in Highland received 14 tablets and SIM cards to help older people get online. Jo Cowan shares her experiences of the Tech Connected project, helmed by Highland Senior Citizens Network (HSCN). “HSCN received two tablets from the Programme at the end of 2021. It was challenging starting new projects during the Covid-19 pandemic, but the tablets are now coming into their own in two very different initiatives benefitting older people: Techy Tea Breaks and the Network’s new role as a Playlist for Life Help Point. Portable “mi-fi” provided with the tablets created new opportunities for HSCN staff to use devices in any venue, regardless of wi-fi access. Jo recently visited Fort William Men’s Shed to provide support to a member who has a device but felt they needed skills and confidence to use it. The idea of a regular “Techy Tea Break” was born – short sessions to learn about using tablets in a bite-sized way, building skills and confidence gradually. Jo says: “The key to people enjoying technology is tapping in to how an individual wants to use it. It needs to be very person-centred. Bruce wants to access meteorological charts for weather forecasting, and to take pictures and learn how to send them to his granddaughter. Photo skills will also be useful in documenting and promoting the work of the shed. Already, just chatting about technology in the shed has identified

Playlist for Life display at Kinlochleven Library | Jo and Bruce at Fort William Men’s Shed

other people who need connectivity support and gave the opportunity to highlight IT support available via Abilitynet and Tech & Chat sessions at the local library.” The project tablets have also enabled HSCN to initiate a partnership project with Kinlochleven library to become Help Points for Playlist for Life, a charity which aims for everyone with dementia to have a unique, personalised playlist and everyone who loves or cares for them to know how to use it. “It’s so helpful having a tablet set up so an older person can easily search for the music they love and work on their own playlist. We’re holding an event during Carers’ Week to raise awareness of Playlist for Life – but we’re also hoping to initiate a project bringing school children and older people together to work on playlists. Having the two tablets has been key to embarking on these new projects. We’re very grateful to Dixons, Age UK and Age Scotland for making this possible.”