Age UK Buckinghamshire 2019 - Winter

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Foreword from the CEO AGE MAGAZINE 2019 engage BUCKINGHAMSHIRE WINTER MORE

Editor

Caroline Cunningham-Oakes

Tel: 01296 431911

Email: ccunninghamoakes@ ageukbucks.org.uk

Age UK Buckinghamshire

145 Meadowcroft

Aylesbury

Buckinghamshire

HP19 9HH

Tel: 01296 431911

Fax: 01296 330783

Email: age@ageukbucks.org.uk

www.ageukbucks.org.uk

Advertising

Laurence

Tel: 01536 334218

Email: laurence@lanceprint.co.uk

Publisher

Lance Print Ltd

1st Floor Tailby House Bath Road

Kettering

NN16 8NL

Tel: 01536 334220

Email: mike@lanceprint.co.uk www.lanceprint.co.uk

Printer

Lance Print Ltd

Tel: 01733 390564

This magazine is produced on behalf of Age UK Buckinghamshire by Lance Print Ltd. All rights are reserved by the charity and no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the charity. Age UK Buckinghamshire will accept no responsibility for, or necessarily agree with, any claims made or views expressed in this publication, nor does the mention of any product, service or advertisement imply a recommendation by Age UK Buckinghamshire. Reg. Charity No. 1078539

Welcome to this Winter edition of Engage

W

intertime can seem long and arduous to many of us and I hope that this edition of Engage helps to lift your spirits, provide information that is useful to you and inspire you to get in touch with us to tell us about things that matter to you. I am delighted to announce that we are introducing a new Engage feature on page 11 to invite all our readers to write into us and tell us about

to take the opportunity to thank our volunteers Rob Finlay and Olivia Rose for swimming an astounding joint 360 lengths!

It is always important to us to work with others, raising funds and awareness of our work across the county.

• Funny stories that will make our readers smile

• Stories to celebrate great personal achievement by you or someone you know

• Bucks People and Places – send in local pictures and stories of times gone by, local memories and nostalgia

We have a competition that you can enter on page 12.

Thank you to everyone who supported our Swimathon, held in partnership with Everyone

Active to celebrate National Older People’s Day on 1st October 2019. We raised a staggering £1043, and I would specifically like

• Great things that are happening in your areaThis year Calibre Quality Care, Freemantle Trust, Radfield Home Care, Waitrose and Everyone Active have all joined forces with us to help us raise funds. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all. Please get in touch if you think your organisation can help us during 2020.

Age UK Bucks has had a number of staff changes since our last autumn 2019 Edition. Regretfully, we said goodbye to our resident Editor Chantelle Henderson.

We welcome Caroline Cunningham-Oakes to the team who will help us to further strengthen our links to local communities through Engage, our website, Facebook and more recently through Instagram. If you would like us to share any photographs, blogs or

your views on how we can reach out to more people then please contact Caroline via email ccunninghamoakes@ ageukbucks.org.uk or telephone 01296 431911

In September 2019, our long standing First Contact Officer, Mary Arnaud retired after 11 years service. Mary was often the welcome face at our office or, at the end of the telephone, here at Meadowcroft. You can read our send-off story on page 19. We wish Mary a happy and healthy retirement.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New year 2020.

Bernadette Ashcroft

Are you following us on Social Media? Stay up to date with all our news and information by following us on twitter and Facebook.

@ageukbucks

@ageukbucks

Philanthropic Giving

Since we launched our Philanthropic Giving campaign in the Spring Engage Magazine, we have been contacted by a number of local businesses, charities and a family trust fund. As a result of these new contacts, we are in the process of organising new and exciting ways to raise funds and make a difference to the lives of older people in Buckinghamshire.

This new Philanthropic support is allowing us to continue our services to help vulnerable and lonely older people in Buckinghamshire. However, we still need more support and funds to continue our vital work.

Please read the information below and get in touch if you think you could help.

About us

During 2019, Age UK Buckinghamshire supported over 12,000 older people in many different ways. For some this included providing practical solutions such as help from our welfare benefits team, while others required trustworthy information and signposting to the most appropriate help.

We support an increasing number of older people and their families to

address difficult and complex issues relating to loneliness, poverty and hardship, mental health and dementia.

As a small local charity, we want to continue to provide this essential support for generations to come, right across Buckinghamshire. To achieve this ambition, we need the help of the people and businesses in Buckinghamshire who want to support older people in their local community by helping them stay independent and reducing loneliness.

This is why we are asking for your help through Philanthropic Giving.

What is Philanthropic Giving?

Philanthropic Givers are altruistic people who want to make a significant impact on the lives of the most vulnerable people in society by providing financial support and partnership to achieve change.

How you can help

We are actively seeking to develop partnerships and build relationships with people who share our vision. We hope you will join us in helping older people in Buckinghamshire maintain independence and wellbeing, despite unpredictable events such as falls, a bereavement and deteriorating health.

Get in touch

For more information about the work we do, please visit our website:

www.ageukbucks.org.uk

To talk more about how you can help, please contact us on 01296 431911 or email age@ageukbucks.org.uk with the subject line “Philanthropic Giving: FAO Bernadette Ashcroft”.

I would be personally delighted to hear from any individual or local business who is inspired by our work and would be interested to connect with us and help support us so that we can in turn change the lives of older people in Buckinghamshire. Please contact me to discuss ideas or to receive further information. Let’s help older people in Buckinghamshire, together.

Bernadette Ashcroft, Interim CEO of Age UK Buckinghamshire

Welfare Benefits Volunteers

Do you have 2-3 hours a week to help older people in Buckinghamshire?

We are currently looking for Welfare Benefit Volunteers in the Chiltern, Wycombe and South Bucks Districts!

Many older people struggle financially because they do not maximise their incomes by claiming the welfare benefits to which they are entitled. Within this role, you would visit clients in their own home and help them through the process of claiming benefits such as Attendance Allowance.

You will need to be empathetic, non-judgemental, patient and professional with a friendly and approachable manner. Attention to detail, good record keeping and a willingness to learn about older people’s benefits is vital.

You can commit to as many visits a week as you wish, with each visit taking around 2-3 hours. We will provide training to successful applicants and at the end of the initial training you will be “buddied”

with a more experienced volunteer to observe and then advise before taking on one-to-one visits.

If you are interested in this volunteer position then please contact Sue Gehnich on:

sgehnich@ageukbucks.org.uk or telephone 01296 431911. More information on our website: www.ageukbucks.org.uk

Freelance Home Helpers

Do you want to help the older members of our community whilst earning money?

We are looking for self-employed Home Helpers, in High Wycombe, Amersham and Chesham

When older people are unable to look after their homes and need help with cleaning, Age UK Buckinghamshire provide friendly, competent Home Helpers as regularly as they wish.

Local Help in the Home agents are needed to provide help with general cleaning, laundry, prescription collection and shopping for older people in Buckinghamshire.

We are looking for committed, caring and personable adults who want to help older people whilst earning. You will be a self-employed freelance agent, Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS) checked and able to provide references.

For more information and an application form please contact Zoe Stevenson (Help

in the Home Coordinator) on zstevenson@ ageukbucks.org.uk or call on 01296 438416.

You can also download the application form from our website: www.ageukbucks.org.uk

© Shutterstock/rawpixel.com

Handyperson

A service to help you maintain your home.

Gardening

Do you need help with your garden?

The aim of our Handyperson service is to enable older people in Buckinghamshire to remain in control of their home and their independence. If you have simple DIY jobs around the house that need doing our Handyperson service may be able to help.

Neat Feet

Providing toenail cutting and general footcare

Our gardening service provides regular grass cutting throughout the growing season, together with general garden maintenance all year round. You will be referred to one of our local and trusted gardeners who will telephone you to arrange an appointment, at a time that is convenient to you.

HelpintheHome

Do you need help around the home?

We can direct you to local Foot care services for older people and people with a physical disability who can no longer manage to cut their own toenails. If you struggle to trim your toenails and you would like someone to come to your home to cut them at a time that suits you, we can help.

Our Home Helpers can assist with general cleaning, vacuuming, laundry, shopping and prescription collections. You choose which tasks your Home Helper carries out for you each week, supporting you to remain in control of keeping your home the way you like it to be.

Our Fantastic swimmers raise over £1043!

In October of this year our CEO and two of our volunteers put on their swimming hats and took part in 2 sponsored swims, held at Aqua Vale in Aylesbury and at the Swan pool in Buckingham.

We are extremely proud of their efforts and wish to thank Olivia Rose and Rob Finlay for joining us at Aqua Vale sponsored swim. Between us we

Ways to FUNdraise

Hold your own event!

swam over 450 lengths and have raised over £1043 for our work with older people in Buckinghamshire.

Thank you

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank the staff at Everyone Active for their support.

And let us not forget!

Another big thank you to everyone who sponsored our swimmers in the event.

It’s great to be involved, set a goal and push your limits. I was blown away by the generosity of friends and family. Swimming alongside others was really encouraging and when it started to hurt, I found a new surge of energy and inspiration by remembering some of the older people I’ve met who just keep on going despite the big challenges they face every day.

- Rob Finlay-One of our super swimmers.

Are you wanting to fundraise for us but unsure what to do? Get inspired by the ideas (right) and help raise funds for our vital services. Using the online service JustGiving (www.justgiving.com) to collect funds is quick and easy to set up and makes it very simple for others to donate. Whether you are jumping out of a plane or hosting a bake sale, you can easily fundraise for us on JustGiving.

Fundraising ideas:

• Bake sale

• Car wash

• Book sale

• Film night

• Busking

• Coffee morning

• Darts match

• Sponsored silence

• Jumble sale

• Dinner party

• Sponsored skydive

• Obstacle course event

• Quiz night

• Running event

• Bungee jump

• Host a talent show

• Bingo night

• Walkathon

• Hold a raffle

• A “give it up” fundraiser

• Afternoon tea

• Beard shaving

• Fancy dress day

• Karaoke night

Partner with us

Take part in the Vale Lottery to be in with a chance to win great prizes every week - all while supporting our community services.

The Vale Lottery operates on the principle of raising money within the community and for the community. They empower local good causes (like Age UK Bucks!) to raise money in a fun and effective way. A ticket for the Vale Lottery costs £1 per week and 60p goes directly to us!

A partnership with us could be beneficial for your business by helping you meet your corporate social responsibility objectives. It is a great way to motivate employees, gain insight into the over50’s market, get some great PR and help Age UK Buckinghamshire to support vulnerable people in the local community. Ways to partner:

- Choose us as your Charity of the Year

- Sponsor one of our events

- Display a collection tin

- Run a fundraising event

You can see this information and more on our website: www. ageukbucks.org.uk

Age Concern Great Missenden Lunch Club – why not come and join us!

This years Lunch Club is going to be held at Age Concern Great Missenden.

It has a thriving community and, has been meeting up every single Thursday in the Baptist Church Hall, at Great Missenden for over 50 years!

We have a fantastic team of volunteers, cooks and serve lunch to our elderly members, of which there are currently 50.

We also run a minibus with a monthly rota of volunteer drivers who collect and return those members in need of transport, and who live within a few miles of Great Missenden.

We would love to welcome more members!

We also need more volunteers! Particularly more drivers, with good driving skills and a current clean driving licence are essential.

We are looking for people who are warm and friendly and enjoy interaction with people to volunteer.

Le t’s Get T@lKing!

AgeUK Bucks is introducing a new letters page and we want to hear from our Engage readers.

We want to hear from you and, share that with our other Engage readers.

What interests do you have?

What new activities would you like to see and join/be a part of within the Bucks community?

Why not share some of your memories, or maybe you have some wonderful stories/ poems to share?

Tell us about the things that are going on, in and around or near to you.

Tell us about your hobbies, your pastimes/pets.

Do you have any tips and tricks for the house/garden?

If you follow us on Instagram, your idea/recipe/poem could also feature on our Instagram gallery.

How about with cooking? Send in those recipes! Email in your letters -to the editor toccunninghamoakes@ ageukbuck.org.uk or you can send your letters by post to-

C/O Engage Editor

C.Cunningham-Oakes

AgeUK

Buckinghamshire

145 Meadowcroft

Aylesbury

HP19 9HH

Please do not send any original photographs by post to us.

If you would like us to feature any photo memories, then email them to us.

Thank you.

In your Area

Things to do, places to go! Stay active! Have fun! Make new friends!

Knit and Natter

Join like-minded knitters for a morning of creating & chatting.

Date

08 October 2019

Cost Free of charge

Time 10:00am to 11:30am

Location Bell Street, Princes Risborough, HP27 0AA

On the following dates-

• Tuesday, 17 December 2019

• Tuesday, 24 December 2019

• Tuesday, 31 December 2019

Organiser

Princes Risborough Library

01296 382415

lib-prr@buckscc.gov.uk

Princes Risborough Library

Great Missenden

Weekly Walk (Level 1 and 2)

A gentle 30-45 minute walk every Tuesday morning at 10am.

Date

08 October 2019

Time 10:00am to 10:45am

Organiser

01494 475367

simplywalks@buckscc.gov.uk

We meet at the Memorial Hall on Link Road.

Plenty of free parking and places for refreshments nearby.

No booking required, just turn up on the day.

Suitable for: Adults with general mobility. Walk is over flat ground with no stiles

Parking nearby

Dates available are-

• Tuesday, 17 December 2019

• Tuesday, 24 December 2019

• Tuesday, 31 December 2019

Location Memorial Hall, Link Road, Great Missenden, HP16 9AE

Cost Free of charge

Silver Singers Aylesbury

2:00 – 3:00 pm

Every Wednesday £3.50

At Healthy Living Centre, Walton Court Shopping Centre, Hannon Road, Aylesbury HP21 8TJ

Practical

and fun activities that keep your mind, body and soul active!

Mondays (except Bank Holidays) 10am - 1.30pm at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Church Square, Southcourt, Aylesbury, HP21 8EY

Session fee £3.50

For more information please contact Pat Phillips on 01296 334 652 or email NBurke@healthylivingcentre.com

Please contact the co-ordinator if you would like to go along for a free trial session

Our fun, lively and energetic weekly choir is for all older adults, including those with age related illnesses such as Alzheimer’s or dementia, and is run by a Music Therapist at Sound studio in High Wycombe. The choir aims to connect people through music and singing, and improve the lives of those socially isolated in the community. No previous musical experience is needed.

To find out more contact info@chilternmusictherapy.co.uk or 01442 780541

Can you find all of the items in the picture below?

Christmas Day Lunches in Buckinghamshire

If you know anyone who will be alone on Christmas Day, they may like to join in on the festivities at one of the following places in Buckinghamshire:

PLEASE NOTE: All need to be booked in advance and are on the 25th December.

Aylesbury (FREE):

St Mary’s Church, Town Centre, Aylesbury, HP20 2JJ. 12pm – 3pm

Contact: 01296 437641 (between 10am –2pm Mon-Fri)

They will be running a small mini bus for those who may not be able to get there on their own however the places are really limited and it is filled on a first come basis so it maybe full already. If you want to reserve a place then please call the St Mary’s parish office on 01296 437641 and speak to Kim Hopping or Karen Baker.

Further information: www. freechristmasdinner. com

High Wycombe (FREE):

St Andrew’s Church, Hatters Lane, High Wycombe, HP13 7NJ.

Contact: 01494 529668 (ring between 9.30am – 1pm Mon-Fri)

or email: office@standrewshw. co.uk.

Please book your place as soon as possible and advise of any dietary requirements. Transport available in High Wycombe.

Thame (FREE):

Masonic Hall, 14 High Street, Thame, OX9 2BZ. 12pm – 3pm

Contact: Kathy Thomas on 01844 217413 or 07747095563 to book your place and arrange transport.

Volunteers will also sit with an isolated person on Christmas Day if they would like some company whilst they eat.

Further information: wwwcommunity christmas thame.org.uk Volunteers can take Christmas dinners out to people who are unable to get to the hall due to mobility issues.

Winter Recipes

Chicken roasted with winter root vegetables

By Good Food

Ready in 1½ hours

Serves 4

Prosciutto and chicken is a luxurious combinationand this version is good for you as well - high in fibre, vitamin C and folic acid

Ingredients

1 small celeriac, peeled and cut into 2½ cm/1in chunks 400g swede, peeled and cut into 2½ cm/1in chunks

2 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 2½ cm/1in chunks

2 medium parsnips, scrubbed and quartered lengthways

2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced 2 tbsp olive oil

½ tsp cumin seeds a few sprigs of sage

4 skinless boneless chicken breast fillets, weighing about 140g/5oz each

4 slices prosciutto

Snowman biscuits

By Lulu Grimes

Prep: 1 hr

Cook: 14 mins, Plus chilling and setting

Makes 20

Ingredients

125g butter, softened

125g golden caster sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

For the decoration

400g white fondant icing

icing sugar, for dusting

100g pack mixed red, yellow, black and blue

ready-to-roll icing tube white icing, for sticking tube black icing

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in the egg and vanilla. Stir in the flour and mix to a fairly soft dough. Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently. Put the dough on a plate, cover and chill for at least 2 hrs.

2. On a lightly floured

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Put the celeriac, swede, sweet potato, parsnips and garlic in a large roasting tin. Sprinkle with the olive oil and cumin, and season with salt and pepper. Toss the vegetables together so they are lightly coated in oil. Put in the oven towards the top and roast for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, lay a

surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of around 0.5cm. Use a cookie cutter or water glass to stamp out 7cm rounds. Re-roll the trimmings and repeat.

3. Transfer the biscuits to two lined baking trays and bake for 8-14 mins until the edges turn lightly golden in colour. Leave to cool.

4. To decorate, roll out the white fondant icing on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar. Stamp out 7cm circles using the same cookie cutter or glass as before, then use a dab of the white tube of icing to stick a fondant round on each biscuit.

5. Knead together some of the yellow and blue icing to make green icing, then do the same with the red and yellow icing to make orange (alternatively, buy

couple of sage leaves on each chicken breast, then wrap each with a slice of prosciutto to enclose.

3. Take the roasting pan from the oven and turn the vegetables over. Now lay the chicken on top. Roast for 30- 35 minutes more, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is done. Serve with steamed broccoli or lightly cooked Savoy cabbage.

separate packs of each colour). Roll out one icing colour at a time. Stamp out a 7cm circle of icing, cut in half and stick on for a hat. Cut a strip of another colour and make some markings to make it look like the elasticated band of a hat, then trim to fit and stick on. Repeat with all the biscuits, mixing and matching colours.

6. Decorate the hats with icing spots and stripes, if you like. Roll out balls of coloured icing, poke holes all over with a cocktail stick and stick on as pom poms. Mould lumpy balls of the orange icing for noses and roll out balls of the black icing for eyes. Press down to flatten, then stick on with white icing. Use the tube of black icing to pipe rows of dots for the smiles. Leave to set. Will keep for up to five days in an airtight container.

Ask Julie

QMy husband has recently passed away. I cared for him for several years and rarely socialised, as I did not like leaving him alone. I now find that I am on my own and quite lonely. I do not know where to start to try to meet people to make new friends. Can you please help me?

AI am sorry to hear of your recent loss. You are not alone in feeling like this after spending so long caring for someone else.

Getting involved in activities in your local community can be a way of increasing social contact with others and meeting new people.

These will vary according to where you live, but the chances are you’ll have access to a singing or walking group, book clubs, bridge, bingo, quiz nights and faith groups. Not to mention local branches of regional and national organisations that hold social events, such as the Women’s Institute, Rotary, and Contact the Elderly.

In Buckinghamshire, there are numerous activities you could take up or groups to join according to your interests.

If you have internet access, Buckinghamshire County Council have a very good website –Bucks online Directory. Here, you can enter your postcode to see what is going on in your area. There is a wide range of activities listed from social groups such as the Women’s Institute and coffee mornings, to things like walking groups, yoga or bowls clubs. https:// www.buckscc.gov.uk/ services/community/ bucks-online-directory/

Bucks Older Peoples Action Group also has a good website showing information on activities going on in local areas. Take a look at - http:// www.bopag.org.uk

Your local library is a good source of information. Look on their notice boards for what is available. Many libraries also run their own activities. In Bucks, these include knit and natter groups, scrabble clubs and so on.

If you do not use a computer, they also run Learn My Way sessions so you could gain skills that enable you to access the internet. The website you need to look at for this service

is www.buckscc.gov. uk › services › libraries

Library’s also have information on Buckinghamshire Adult Education Classes throughout Bucks if you were interested in taking up a hobby or learning a new skill. Or http://www. adultlearningbcc.ac.uk/

There are branches of the University of the Third Age (U3A) in Buckinghamshire They offer a full range of free or low cost classes and interest groups from book clubs to walking groups. The main contact number is 0208 466 6139 to put you in touch with the local group. Alternatively you could take a look online at the following website address - www.u3a.org.uk/find

What about volunteering?

Local charities are always keen to find volunteers to support them in a

variety of ways, from office administration to working in a Charity shop to befriending an isolated older person. Volunteering in Bucks has information on local volunteering opportunities on the Community Impact Bucks website.

For more information on this, please take a look at the following website. https://communityimpact bucks.org.uk/ volunteering or give them a call if you would rather speak to a person - 0300 111 1250.

I do hope these suggestions are somewhat helpful to you.

Do not hesitate to contact Ageuk Bucks where we can assist you further with any queries about all of the information and activities above.

We are here to help.

Tombola Fayre

November

As you know, the month of November marked the 5th and many fireworks could be seen in the skies all around the Bucks area. November was also a time to honour Remembrance Day on the 11th.

November was also the month when we had our tombola which we held in conjunction with our friends over at Bucks Vision. We would like to say

a huge thank you to all of you who came along on the day, to join in on the festivities, having a go on the tombola and winning prizes!

Thank you to Matt Barnes and Katy Cresswell of Radfield Home Care who came along to the office here at AgeUK Bucks, and kindly donated a splendid array of items for our tombola. (pictured)

Thank you to those of you who were kind enough to donate any

items for our Tombola. Your support helps us raise funds to work with older people in Buckinghamshire.

We will have a total of how much we raised, from the tombola in the Spring issue March 2020 copy of Engage.

Hello and Farewell to members of staff

We would like to say farewell to Chantelle Henderson, and welcome Caroline CunninghamOakes who is our new Communications/ Social Media specialist and Engage Editor.

Thank you to Chantelle and good luck to Caroline.

2019 also says farewell to Mary Arnaud who was with us for 11 years service here at Meadowcroft.

Farewell and Good Luck to Mary.

I am sure that many of readers will have been familiar with Mary’s friendly

and helpful voice at the end of telephone and you join us in wishing Mary and her family very best wishes.

If you think a care home is inevitable... Think again

Dr Jim Morrisroe

With an increasingly ageing population, you’d be forgiven for thinking that spending your twilight years in a residential care home is inevitable. Stick a pin in a map of South Bucks/ Chilterns and the chances are you’ll find one of the 50 plus residential care homes in the area. It’s the one thing that we’re not short of.

But what happens if you’ve reached that stage in life where you need care, but the only home you want to live in is your own? What happens of you enjoy your independence and home comforts, but need a little help around the house, or with the shopping? And what happens if you have a child or young adult with a disability and need a break now and again? Well, the good news is that you now have a choice.

A More Caring Approach...

Eden Care at Home, based in Gerrards Cross offer quality care at home for you, or your loved one, whether a child, young adult or an elderly person. Eden care’s management team have more than 50 years in the care sector and was established by Dr Jim Morrisroe.

Unique care Plan

Eden Care is committed to making a difference, helping their clients achieve optimum levels of independence, health and well-being. Together with their clients and their clients’ families they create a unique, tailored care-package focusing on each client’s individual needs and aspirations.

Live-in care or respite breaks

At Eden Care they believe that getting old should not automatically mean moving into a care home. Most elderly people prefer to retain their independence, home comforts, social network and dignity by remaining in their own homes. However, there are times when we all need a little extra help.

Eden Care offer a range of support from personal care, to help within the home and can also assist with attending appointments, running errands or offering companionship. Whether you are looking for 24 hour support or a respite break from 30 minutes to a hour, up to 24 hours a day Eden Care can be there for you.