The Moorings, Issue #35

THE MOORINGS ISSUE 35

4 January 2017

Core Values: Unity, Loyalty, Patriotism & Comradeship - Once Navy, always Navy

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Wishing all members of Rayleigh Branch a happy, healthy and prosperous 2017.

Incorporated by Royal Charter

Patron: HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN

RAYLEIGH BRANCH (AREA 5)

BRANCH CONTACTS RNArayleigh@outlook.com President:

Bob Hill

01268 780449

Chairman:

Jim Hammond

01268 414616

Vice Chairman:

Terry Barker

01268 456165

Hon. Secretary:

Gary Daisley

01268 555570

Hon. Treasurer:

Margaret Day

01702 524561

Membership Secretary:

Bill Vernon

01268 772775

Standard Bearer:

Dave Bishop

01268 770521

Welfare Officer:

Dave Mead

01702 307922

Social Secretary:

Audrey Blomfield

01268 781116

Gangway:

Jack Harrison

01268 743100

Padre:

Revd. Canon Mike Lodge

01268 742151

PR Officer:

Vacant

BRANCH DETAILS Bank Details: HSBC Rayleigh Royal Naval Association Rayleigh Branch.

A/C: 81065955 Sort Code: 40-38-24.

Meeting Venue: Royal British Legion 2 London Hill, Rayleigh SS6 7HP Tel: 01268 776503 Meeting Dates: Fortnightly (see page 12).

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Cover story from front page: Fleet Service Recognition badges (for those who qualify), are now available from our friends at www.poppypins.co.uk who support of the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. At 50mm (2 inches) wide and priced at just ÂŁ10 each (incl. postage), don't let the submariners have all the bling! You can buy your badges now by visiting their website or by calling them direct on 01174 057238.

HMS Vernon monument miniatures Project Vernon fundraisers are now taking orders for miniatures of their monument’s inspirational design.

These highly collectible pieces are being sold to raise funds for the real statue at HMS Vernon, the spiritual home of Mine Warfare training in the Royal Navy, until it was decommissioned in 1996. http://www.vernonmonument.org

CROSSED THE BAR It is with deep regret that Rayleigh Branch announces Shipmate Bill Crockett crossed the bar on Sunday 1 January 2017.

Funeral arrangements to be announced as soon as available.

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Soldiers and veterans invited for breakfast

Veterans and serving service personnel across all the forces are welcome to attend a breakfast club.

The Basildon Veterans Breakfast Club meets once a month and gives members of the Armed Forces a chance to talk to one another in an informal setting.

The club is part of the national Armed Forces and Veterans Breakfast Clubs network, which has more than 200 clubs around the country.

Kevin Woods, 53, of Basildon, a Falklands veteran with the Army, is a keen member of the group, which was set up by Dave Bliss, an RAF officer.

Mr Woods said: “We want the club to attract more members and reach more people. We currently have about 25 members, but we know there are more out there. When you look at Remembrance weekend there are lots of veterans. We are especially appealing to younger veterans who might want to join.�

Everyone is welcome from all the forces and they can also bring their partners if they wish.

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As well as being able to talk to others, there is also the chance to seek help and advice on many topics as the group is affiliated with many other charities and support groups.

It meets every second Saturday from 9am until noon at the Toby Carvery in Basildon Festival Leisure Park.

People are welcome just to turn up and there are no fees - just pay for the breakfast you eat.

The group has invited MPs John Baron and Mark Francois to the next meeting on January 14 and the mayor of Basildon, David Harrison.

For more information search Facebook for BBVBC Basildon Borough Veterans Breakfast Club or visit the national Breakfast Club website at afvbc.co.uk/basildon-borough-veterans-b-c/ There is also a Southend Veterans Breakfast Club that meets on the first Saturday of each month at Toby Carvery, in Prince

RNA trophy discs Our friends at Poppy-Pins are now producing retro RNA trophy discs in support of the RBL Poppy Appeal. The discs are 25mm (1") in diameter and encased in acrylic, with heat-pressed silver foil on a navy blue background. They stick using 3M self-adhesive tape, so will stick to most solid flat surfaces.

They can be used to stick on trophies, medals, plaques; just about anything, the options are endless! Priced at just ÂŁ2 each, the cost includes UK 1st Class postage. Contact poppypins.co.uk or call 0117 405 7238.

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Pusser’s Rum “Uckers” Championship 2016

The above competition took place Saturday 19 November, hosted by the Royal Naval Submarine Museum, Gosport.

On display for the event in the museum was a collection of trophies, past and present, dating back to 1944. Uckers boards, provided by Uckers Ya @uckers were on show and the final was played on a large board donated by HMS DAEDALUS, the RN Air Station that closed in 1996.

At 12:00, to the bemusement of visitors to the museum, the competition was underway to the cries of “Snake eyes all out”, Shift yer Blob” and many more colourful expletives known only to Uckers players worldwide.

It was hours later that the final game was played. After just 35 hard fought minutes, Frank Fowler and Harry Stannard, known as the “One Nine Niners” were declared the winners, having thrown an elusive ONE that won them the game. Apart from the prestige of winning and bragging rights of at least a year, the team were presented with a magnificent trophy, two bottles of Pusser’s Gunpowder Proof Rum, an Uckers board and a certificate from the RN Submarine Museum.

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The buzz is that the 2017 Pusser’s Rum World Championship may be played next year in a very prestigious Royal Navy location in Portsmouth. It will be an open contest for all Uckers players, which will include service personnel, serving or retired, and civilians. Details will be advertised early in Spring 2017, to ensure those travelling can make arrangements.

Uckers ya @uckers Starting in 2017, Rayleigh Branch will be aiming to revive the traditional naval board game of Uckers. We plan to run a series of training sessions and we will be inviting Rayleigh RBL to raise a team for a competition against us later in the year.

Bespoke and standard Uckers boards and sets are now available from the website uckers-ya-uckers.co.uk Prices start from ÂŁ40 and include: 1. Box Dimensions: 40mm x 460mm x 460mm.

2. Board Dimensions: 18mm x 435mm x 435mm.

3. Dice x2.

4. Playing Pieces 4 x Green, 4 x Blue, 4 x Red, 4 x Yellow.

Total: 16 x Wood Discs 7mm x 25mm.

5. Brief history & rules guidelines, A5 Leaflet 4 sided.

6. Business card.

7. Permanent marker pen (limited offer).

8. Small clear polythene grip seal bag to contain playing pieces etc.

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Why older people should be getting online More than half of people in the UK who don't have the internet at home aren't going online because they're unaware of the benefits it could offer them.

The figures from the Office for National Statistics backs up earlier research from the International Longevity Centre UK (ILCUK), which looked at whether behavioural economics could help to tackle the digital exclusion of older people.

The ONS figures show that since 2006, the proportion of people aged 65 and over using a computer daily has increased from less than 10% to more than 40%.

But of the 6.4 million people in the UK who have never used the internet, more than 80% are 55 or older.

The statistics show that 53% of non-users choose not to go online because they believe it's not useful or relevant to them.

Compare that with the 32% who said it was a lack of skill stopping them, 23% citing cost and just 1% blaming a lack of access or availability.

When we see campaigns for digital inclusion, it can be easy to overlook the reasons behind them; we've become so accustomed to being able to access the Internet and everything it can offer, we forget what it was like not to have it there.

But the reasons for older people to get online are numerous and great: from financial inclusion to improving independence and even quality of life.

Reasons for getting online.

Financial inclusion: 8

As we've looked at in more depth here financial exclusion is the result of limited access to banking services and products. At best the financially excluded end up paying more than they could or should, and at worst they risk being socially marginalised.

While there are many causes of financial exclusion, digital exclusion is becoming a particular issue as more products and services become "online only" or "digital by default".

For example, the article we mention above refers to research showing that digital inclusion can see savers 37% better off over the course of a year and save people aged over 75 as much as 276% on travel insurance.

Financial inclusion as a reason for digital inclusion brings: • Cheaper financial services: access to online only insurance policies and energy tariffs • Wider choice of products: access to online only accounts, some offering better rates of interest for saving and borrowing • Online payments: the ability to pay bills online can save money; it's often quicker and easier Government services: A pressing cause for concern is the Government move towards "digital by default". Universal Credit, being rolled out nationwide, is supposed to be applied for and managed primarily online.

Improving independence: Accessing the Internet at home can help to improve and extend the independence of people in a number of ways.

Money management and control: Being able to get online at home enables people to use online banking services as well as giving them access to free online money management tools.

Having control over our personal finances is a vital part of feeling independent and being able to make informed choices, from deciding our own budget - one we know we can we can afford - to knowing when we have extra money if we need to buy or replace anything.

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Being able to easily see and manage their own money also helps older people keep track of their income too: letting them see exactly when benefits and pensions are due, how much they'll be, and any changes to them.

This is going to become more important as the Government moves more services online. But with access to the Internet people also gain access to a wealth of other tools, including benefits calculators and information on what other help and support they're entitled to claim.

Access to information: Probably one of the most fundamental reasons for the Internet is the access to information it provides.

As mentioned above, this includes being able to find out about personal finance issues, from pensions to benefit entitlements, greater knowledge about consumer rights when shopping or looking for trade services and even finding simple ‘how to’ articles that make the Internet into one big Haynes manual for almost everything we own.

NHS Choices is another good example of accessible information online.

As well as saving the NHS an estimated ÂŁ44 billion a year in avoidable GP appointments and A&E visits by redirecting queries to the website, research suggests that people using NHS Choices before going to see their GP felt more empowered and confident, and had increased knowledge about their health.

Of course, it's sensible to point out there is a case for finding the balance between looking up health information online and knowing when it's time to go to the doctor or pharmacist, or phoning NHS Direct.

Often when we want to know something, or we have a question about something, it's almost second nature to simply look it up online.

Not having access to the Internet means we're much more reliant on other people for information. While that's not always a 10

bad thing, it's empowering to be able to self educate and find things out for yourself.

When, in 2012, ILCUK published their Nudge or Compel report, using the English Longitudinal Survey of Ageing (ELSA), they looked into the correlation between Internet use and how in control people felt over various aspects of their lives.

The research found that people who used the Internet were more likely to feel in control of their lives.

The conclusion was drawn from the fact 71.8% of Internet users strongly disagreed that what happened in life was beyond their control, while just 28.2% of non-users felt the same way.

The findings were reflected at the other end of the scale: 39.6% of Internet users strongly agreed that what happened in life was beyond their control, but 60.4% of non-users felt that way.

Project Semaphore update The RNA’s initiative to assist members who are digitally isolated and otherwise unable to communicate with their Branches has taken its next step.

The first sample has arrived at RNA HQ and they have given their seal of approval to produce the first 600.

We have been advised that training for the Volunteers will be held in various locations from late February / early March.

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