Westminster PLUS Essential information for Westminster’s older residents
Issue 25 – July 2015
INSIDE Carer Awards Tea Dance-apply for tickets Time Credits
PLUS Summer events and activities Offers and discounts
Welcome and news Welcome to the summer issue of Westminster Plus with the latest news, events and information for residents aged 65 and over. Our annual Carer Awards are a highlight in our calendar with so many moving stories of dedication and selflessness. It’s a small way of recognising and thanking those who care for a friend or family member. So please do take the time to nominate someone you think deserves a thank you. The shortlisted nominees will be invited to a glittering awards ceremony at the Thistle Marble Arch hotel in November. In May we had the opportunity to attend the Bupa Westminster Mile, organised in partnership with London Marathon. It was a wonderful event with many people running for the first time – from toddlers to grandparents including Alan Newton who competed in the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games. Find out more on page 22. 2
Finally, we’re delighted to confirm that the date of our annual Tea Dance is Sunday 29th November, once again at the grand Grosvenor House hotel on Park Lane. If you haven’t joined us at this wonderful event before please do come along. Everyone who applied last year received a ticket so don’t think you will miss out. Lots of people come alone – there are 1,000 people to chat to and the police cadets are on hand as dance partners. Please do let us know your thoughts on the latest issue of Westminster Plus. It’s your magazine so we’d love to know if you’ve tried any of the activities or used any of the offers or services and what you thought of them. Please write to us or email rsvp@westminster.gov.uk.
Councillor The Lady Flight Westminster Older People’s Champion and Lord Mayor
Cabinet Support, 18th Floor, City Hall, 64 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6QP cllrflight@candhflight.com
Councillor Rachael Robathan
Cabinet Member for Adults and Public Health
Cabinet Support, 18th Floor, City Hall, 64 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6QP rrobathan@westminster.gov.uk On the cover: Queen’s Park resident, Linnette Genus
Welcome and news
Free online advice service Get advice or information about benefits, housing, debt and more from a trained adviser. Just submit your query using a simple online form and receive a response within three working days. Visit www.advice westminster.org.uk/ get-advice-online.
Get your Freedom Pass online You can now apply for a Freedom Pass online. It is no longer possible to apply for a Freedom Pass at the Post Office but you can
Reporting noise Lighter, warmer days and evenings mean more people enjoying the outdoors. This may mean that you notice more noise nuisance over the summer such as loud music or noise from pubs and bars. To report an urgent nuisance call our 24-hour team on 020 7641 2000 or visit www.westminster.gov.uk/report-it to report ongoing noise issues.
Meet your new Lord Mayor Older People’s Champion Cllr Christabel Flight succeeds Cllr Audrey Lewis as the new Lord Mayor of Westminster. She says: “I am honoured to be chosen as Lord Mayor to a city I have called my home for the past 18 years. As a resident, I feel passionately about Westminster and the people who live here. I will use my
time as Lord Mayor to promote issues which I hold dear to my heart including championing the issues facing older people.”
pick up a paper form from your local library. Disabled Freedom Passes are not affected by these changes. For more information or to apply please visit www.freedompass.org
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Nominate a carer Three in five of us will be carers for an older, disabled or ill loved one in our lifetime. Whilst caring can be a fulfilling experience, it’s important to recognise the vital role of unpaid carers in families and communities. Our annual Carer Awards aim to do that whilst bringing carers and the organisations that can support them together. If you are a carer and would like to enjoy an evening of free entertainment in central London we would love to see you there. Please register your interest at www.westminster. gov.uk/carer-awards or
write to Carer Awards, Communications, 18th floor Westminster City Hall, 64 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6QP. You will join the shortlisted carers in our Carer Awards to hear their inspiring stories. If there are more applications than spaces, winners will be picked at random. If you are successful we will let you know by 7th September. Last year, everyone who applied received a ticket.
“ The event was all about appreciation of fellow carers and elation. Carers had a fab time and felt valued and inspired.” Jarka Hinksman, Chair of Carers Action
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Nominate someone remarkable Nominations are open for the third Carer Awards. Do you have a friend, neighbour or family member who is looking after someone with a long-term illness or disability? Then why not take a moment to recognise their dedication and let us know why they deserve a Carer Award? Nominate at www. westminster.gov. uk/carer-awards You can also pick up a paper nomination form at your local library or request one by calling 020 7641 6194.
Carer Award winner, John Saxby
Meet last year’s winners John Saxby, 90, and Valerie Gaynor, 89, jointly won the unpaid carer of someone aged 65 or over award last year. John cares for his wife, Susan, who has dementia, and Valerie cares for her husband. John says: “When I received my award I felt very honoured. Someone suggested that I copy the film stars when they receive an Oscar and put my award in the lavatory. I said: ‘I certainly will not! I am most proud of my award and it will be going in pride of place.’ “The council provides care for my wife for four hours a week and that is a great help. They also pay for my wife to stay at a care home a few times a year but I can’t stand to be without her, so I usually send her there a day late and pick her up a day early. We have been married for over 40 years and I love her very much.” Valerie says: “Being a carer can be a very difficult job and the Carer Awards boosted my morale. When you become a carer it changes your life as your responsibilities restrict what you can do. “I have been looking after my husband for over 20 years and I was also a carer for my mother and looked after my grandchildren. “The Carer Awards are important because they raise awareness of the many unpaid carers in Westminster. Many peoples are carers and do not even realise it.” 5
Join us for Tea Dance The event of the year, our annual Tea Dance, takes place on Sunday 29th November at the glittering Grosvenor House hotel. Enjoy afternoon tea whilst soaking up the atmosphere of the Great Room or take to the dance floor and dance along to the live band. We would love to see people who haven’t been before so please do apply – last year everyone who applied for a ticket received one. Lots of people come on their own – it’s a great way to meet new people and the youth cadets will be on hand to dance with you.
A little history The hotel has a glamorous history stretching back decades. It opened in 1929 when the Great Room was originally built as an ice rink where Queen Elizabeth II took ice skating lessons. During World War II the Great Room became home 6
to the Officers’ Sunday Club Entertainment for 300,000 officers. In 1960 The Beatles performed there and it also became the new home of British boxing.
Apply for tickets Visit: www.westminster. gov.uk/tea-dance Write to: Tea Dance, 18th floor, Westminster City Hall, 64 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6QP Please include your full name, address, telephone number, any dietary requirements and if you need wheelchair access. If more than 1,000 people apply for tickets, they will be allocated in a prize draw.
Tea Dance at a glance • Tickets are for Westminster residents aged 65+ • You can apply for a maximum of two tickets • If you’re applying for a friend please send their name and address and we will send their ticket directly to them • We will only contact you if you are allocated a ticket in the prize draw • The deadline to apply is Friday 25th September 2015 and your ticket will be sent to you in early November The Tea Dance is kindly supported by Grosvenor House, A JW Marriott Hotel; Shaftesbury PLC; The Sir Simon Milton Foundation and Telegraph Media Group.
Dementia support Our Dementia Resource Centre in Westbourne Park provides care and support for people with dementia, as well as those who care for them. Una McKeown cares for her uncle, Tom McGlynn, 82, who has Alzheimer’s and regularly visits the centre. Una says: “My uncle used to work as a gardener in Hyde Park and he loves being outdoors. We live in a flat without a garden so he loves coming here because it has a beautiful garden.
Alexandra says: “My mum comes to the memory café twice a month to do all sorts of activities such as knitting, tea tasting and playing board games. We chat to the dementia advisors and they have been very supportive of both me as a carer and my mother.
“He visits the centre six days a week and always comes home in a happy mood. Being around other people helps to lift his spirits. It also keeps him active and gets him out of the house. He is always excited to tell me if it was someone’s birthday or if he was taken out on a drive. We’ve found the centre such a great help.”
“My mother has always been very sociable and although she cannot remember things now, I can see that she feels revived and energised when she is around other people. I think that bonding with other people really does her good.”
Alexandra Dobbs and her mother Bridget use the memory café service. 8
Find out more about the services available at the dementia centre at www.westminster.gov. uk/dementia-support or call 020 7641 2500
Dementia support
Memory CafĂŠ Group based support for people with dementia and their families and carers at two locations. Venues: 42 Westbourne Park Road, W2 5PH and Victoria Medical Centre, 29 Upper Tachbrook Street, SW1V 1SN Tel: 0754 050 2379 or 020 3219 0910
Dementia Resource Centre The centre offers daily services including memory assessments, dementia advisers, support for carers, a day centre for people with dementia, a specialist dementia palliative nurse, home care, a day centre for people with dementia and aquatherapy. To access some of the services you can use your personal budget, for others you need to be referred by your GP. Dementia advisors are based at the centre and also visit people at home to provide information and advice. Venue: 42 Westbourne Park Road, W2 5PH Tel: 020 7641 2500
Alexandra and Bridget Dobbs
You can recycle batteries at your local library. Visit www.westminster.gov. uk/recycling or call 020 7641 2000 to find out more about everything you can recycle. 9
Summer round-up There’s lots on this summer so why not head to your local festival and make the most out of the great outdoors? Paddington Festival The Paddington Festival celebrates local talent whilst creating a sense of community spirit. The festival takes place in July and August and includes headline events, a film festival and lots of Open Age activities.
Queen’s Park Summer Festival This headline event is in its 12th year and offers something for everyone including live music, health information from the NHS and a special over 50’s event in St. Jude’s Hall. Date: Saturday 1st August, 12 midday-7pm Venue: Queen’s Park Gardens, Ilbert Street, W10 4QJ Tel: 020 8960 5644 10
Paddington Film Festival Free film screenings from 22nd July to 26th August in venues across Paddington including classics and blockbusters brought to you by Open Age, Queen’s Park Library, the Beethoven Centre and CityWest Homes. Tel: 020 8825 1067 (Beethoven Centre), 020 7641 4577 (Queen’s Park Library) or 020 7266 2776 (Open Age).
WECH Summer Festival A great way to get to know your neighbours, enjoy food and activities and feel part of your community. Date: Sunday 19th July, 1-5pm Venue: Tamplin Mews Gardens, corner of Chippenham and Warlock Road, W9
ton Padding Festguivsta201l5 July-Au
Pick up a free programme from your local community hub, library or leisure centre or visit www.paddington festival.co.uk for full listings.
“ I take part in most of the Paddington Festival events and love getting involved with the dancing and singing. I always sing along to the musical acts.” Linnette Genus, Queen’s Park resident and Open Age member
Festival round-up
Healthy summer stalls
Sing Hymns and enjoy Pimm’s Share memories stimulated by singing, friendship and refreshments at this monthly event for people with memory problems and dementia and their carers. Each month there is a different theme such as festivals, gardening, art and history and you can invite guests to come along if you wish. Date: Last Tuesday of every month, 3-4.30pm Venue: The Grosvenor Chapel, South Audley Street, W1K 2PA Cost: A donation towards running costs is welcome Call Lis Hasted on 020 7499 1684 from Tuesday to Thursday between 10am5pm for more information or to register.
How do we make sure we protect ourselves from the sun whilst still getting the vitamins we need for healthy bones? Visit your local library in July for advice on keeping well in the sun from a NHS nurse as well as healthy recipes to see you through the summer months. Dates: 16th July, Pimlico Library 21st July, Church Street Library 23rd July, St. John’s Wood Library 28th July, Mayfair Library
Sporting Reminiscence sessions at Lord’s Enjoy the grounds and have a friendly place to come and talk about sport, cricket or whatever you wish. For Westminster residents in the early stages of dementia and a carer. Booking is essential. Date: Second Thursday of every month, 1.30-3.30pm Venue: Lord’s Cricket Ground, St. John’s Wood Road, NW8 8QN
Drop-in at any time between 12 midday and 2pm. If you’re worried that you or someone you know may be showing signs of dementia visit your GP. 11
Health and wellbeing Our Community Independence Service brings together health and social care in your community. We want to help you to stay out of hospital by providing you with the support you need in your home or in the community. And if you are admitted to hospital, we will help you to return home and regain your independence
as soon as possible. You will have one person to coordinate your support, which will be provided by nurses, social workers, occupational therapists and other professionals who can help you.
• are leaving a nursing or care home or hospital and need help for a safe or early discharge
Help to shape the service
Call Adult Social Care on 020 7641 1175 or 1444 to find out more or visit www. peoplefirstinfo.org.uk and search ‘Community Independence.’
If you would like to be involved in shaping the future of this service please let us know by emailing cis@imperial.nhs.uk
Is it for you? Our new Community Independence Service is for people aged 18 and over who: • have complex health or social care needs • need help very quickly to prevent them from going into hospital unnecessarily 12
• are struggling to look after themselves and may benefit from advice, information or equipment.
Do you have a view on wheelchair services? If you use a wheelchair or care for someone who does, your local NHS is asking for your feedback to help shape a better wheelchair service. Please call Deborrah at NHS Central London Clinical Commissioning Group on 020 3350 4150 or email clccg.plannedcare@nhs.net
Find your story From 2014 to 2018 we commemorate the Centenary of the First World War. In 1914 large numbers of soldiers returned home blinded by the battlefields of the First World War. Sir Arthur Pearson, owner and founder of the Daily Express, had lost his own sight through glaucoma, and wanted to help blind veterans continue to live independent and fulfilling lives. The following year Sir Pearson founded Blind Veterans UK, formerly St. Dunstan’s, first in Bayswater, then in Regent’s Park. Here blind veterans learnt new skills such as massage, shorthand typing, carpentry and shoe repair. By the end of the war 600 blind veterans had been trained and went on to make a living with their newly acquired skills. One of these veterans was Private Harry Cook of 14
the East Lancashire Regiment, who was blinded in Gallipoli. A lifelong Everton fan, Private Cook had always dreamt of a career as a professional footballer and leading the team to victory in an FA Cup final. It seemed his dream was shattered at Gallipoli, until he trained in massage at Blind urs at Trainee masse Veterans UK and became St. Dunstan’s Everton’s physiotherapist in August 1923. In 1933 Private Cook achieved his dream, walking out of the Wembley tunnel to celebrate Everton’s 3-0 victory over Manchester City at the FA Cup Final. Today the headquarters of Blind Veterans UK remain in Westminster, with training and rehabilitation centres across the country.
Children fr om Westm in School me et Simon B ster Cathedral rown, blind sniper fire ed by in Iraq
Westminster Remembers
First World War Centenary events Those Who Served: Remembering First World War Nurses Monday to Friday, 9am7pm and Saturday, 9am5pm until 4th September An exhibition commemorating the nurses who died in the First World War.
Blind vetera ns le skills at St. arn new Dunstan’s
Venue: Royal College of Nursing Library and Heritage Centre, 20 Cavendish Square, W1G 0RN Cost: Free Tel: 0345 337 3368 www.rcn.org.uk/nursing You can research your own family stories at Westminster Archives Centre, 10 St. Ann’s Street, SW1P 2DE.
Blind vetera
ns with their
teacher
Westminster Archives has worked with Blind Veterans UK and local schools to mark the Centenary of the First World War.
War Music: A Royal Academy of Music Exhibition Monday to Friday, 11.30am-6.30pm and Saturdays, 12 midday-4pm until 31st October For many, music provided a source of hope, sanity and pleasure amidst the horrors of war. This exhibition features a host of familiar songs and original instruments including a wind-up trench gramophone and soldiers’ song-books. Venue: Royal Academy of Music Museum, Marylebone Road, NW1 5HT Cost: Free Tel: 020 7873 7443 www.ram.ac.uk/museum For more information on the First World War centenary events please visit www.westminster.gov. uk/remembers
www.westminster.gov. uk/archives 15
Offers and discounts Our regular round-up of the latest discounts available with your free Westminster City Save card.
How to sign up Apply for your FREE card online at www.westminster. gov.uk/citysave or call 020 7641 6000. If you have a ResCard, you can swap this for a Westminster City Save card at your local library or leisure centre. Offers are updated regularly. You can find them online at www. westminster.gov. uk/citysave or pick up a brochure from Westminster libraries.
50% off cruises of the River Thames
Les Miserables tickets from ÂŁ16
Tel: 020 7740 0400
Visit: www.westminstercc. entstix.com
Explore the sights of the River Thames with half price all day hop-on and hop-off Red Rover tickets. How to claim: Purchase your ticket from Westminster Pier, Tower Pier or Greenwich Pier and quote Westminster City Save.
50% off tapas at Salvador and Amanda, Covent Garden Valid on main courses, Monday to Saturday from 5-7pm. How to claim: Please show your card before paying your bill Address: 8 Great Newport Street, WC2H 7JA
Tel: 020 7400 1234 This is an online-only offer from TheatrePeople. 20% off hot drinks and pastries at the Cafe in the Courtyard Offer available MondayFriday, 8-11am and Saturdays, 10-11am. Valid until: 30th September. How to claim: Please show your card before paying your bill Address: Trafalgar Square, WC2N 4JJ
Free classes for ages 50+ Tel: 020 7266 2776 Try out a new class or activity free with Open Age.
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Free services and discounts for Westminster residents
Offers and discounts
Active Together Join in with these free weekly activities at the Abbey Centre. Grow and eat gardening club Wednesdays, 1.30-3.30pm Abbey bookworms book club
Welcome Performances at the Royal Opera House Visit: www.roh.org. uk/learning/families/ welcome-performances Tel: 020 7212 9410 Take your grandchild or another young person you know to see a matinee performance of Romeo and Juliet at the Royal Opera House for subsidised prices. It’s a chance to see world-class productions from only £5. Performances are for families who are new to the Royal Opera House including one or more child and a guardian.
Royal Court market stall As part of their three-year residency in Pimlico, Royal Court has set up camp at Tachbrook Market. Every Thursday and Friday head to their market stall, grab a MP3 player and a map and have a wander through one of six location-based audio plays by Royal Court writers. You can also chat to the market stall playwrights and within five minutes they will write a personalised play for you to take away or simply pick up a free copy of Royal Court plays.
Carers who live in Westminster can get free swimming and other great discounts at our leisure centres with an ActiveWestminster card. To apply visit www.westminster.gov.uk/sports-and-leisure-discounts
Thursdays fortnightly, 3-4pm Bowls club Fridays, 2-4pm Abbey Housemates If you find it difficult to get out, you can sign up for an Abbey Housemate. Housemates are local volunteers who can come over for a chat or take you to the activities at The Abbey Centre. All activities take place at The Abbey Centre, 34 Great Smith Street, SW1P 3BU. To find out more about Active Together or Abbey Housemates please call 020 7227 0650. 17
Volunteer Time Credits thank and reward the time you give to your community through volunteering or being involved in community projects. For every hour you spend volunteering, you can earn a Time Credit to use on an activity such as sport, free DVD rentals, exhibitions and lots more. They are due to launch across South Westminster in the autumn but some organisations are already using them in North Westminster. Eliza Christmas, 83, from Queen’s Park, earns Time Credits by volunteering at sewing classes run by the Queen’s Park and Harrow Road Community Hub. She says: “I first started coming to sewing classes to help my neighbour with a dress she was making. I used to work as a machinist so when Open Age found this out they asked me to be a volunteer. I show people how to cut the material but tell them they have to do it themselves. If I 18
keep doing it for them they won’t learn! “I’m planning on using my Time Credits to go to the theatre or a museum and as you can give them to other people I will pass some on to my grandson. They are a really good idea.”
Eliza, volunteers at Open Age sewing classes
How would you like to spend your Time Credits? If you volunteer or are thinking of taking it up, let us know what you would most value from Time Credits. Where would you like to earn them and how would you like to spend them? Come along to our event on 30th July to find out more about how they can work for you. You will also earn Time Credits for taking part. More events will take place in other locations. Please call Jude Luckett on 07446 410 377 for details. Date: Thursday 30th July, 2-4pm Venue: Grosvenor Hall, Vincent Street, SW1P 4DG Tel: 020 8980 2691 To find out more about volunteering and Time Credits please visit www.westminster.gov. uk/volunteering 19
Out and about Booking is required for some activities, Please call ahead to check details.
Find your Community Hub To find out full listings of what’s on near you, contact your Community Hub or visit www. westminster.gov. uk/communityhub. Community Hubs are mainly funded by the council and NHS and activities are delivered by Open Age and Notting Hill Housing. Church Street and Regent’s Park (Penfold Hub) Tel: 020 8762 3082 Queen’s Park and Harrow Road Community Hub Tel: 020 7266 2776 Westbourne Community Hub Tel: 020 3713 8737 20
North Westminster Lunch club Tuesdays, 1-2pm Penfold Community Hub, Penfold Street, NW8 8PJ Cost: £4.50 for two courses Tel: 020 8762 3082 Healthy walks in Regent’s Park Wednesdays, 1.30pm Clarence Gate, Regent’s Park, NW1 4RB Cost: Free Tel: 020 8762 3082 Newspaper discussion group Wednesdays, 2.30-3.30pm Penfold Community Hub, Penfold Street, NW8 8PJ Cost: Free Tel: 020 8762 3082
There are 100s of free and low cost activities at your local Community Hub or library each week.
Cooking club Fridays, 9.30-11.30am Penfold Community Hub, Penfold Street, NW8 8PJ Cost: Free Tel: 020 8762 3082 Health check surgery Free one-to-one NHS health checks. Fridays, 11am-4pm Paddington Library, Porchester Road, W2 5DU Cost: Free Tel: 020 7641 6200
Out and about
South Westminster
Open Age
Meditation Mondays, 10-11am St. Margaret’s Activity Centre, 1 Carey Place, SW1V 2RT Cost: £1 Tel: 020 7976 6354
Computer help Thursdays, 2-4pm Penfold Community Hub, Penfiold Street, NW8 8PJ Cost: Free Tel: 020 8762 3082
Central Westminster Reading group Once a month on Tuesdays, 6-7pm Mayfair Library, 25 South Audley Street, W1K 2PB Cost: Free Tel: 020 7641 6200
Community gardening Grow a variety of plants, flowers and vegetables. Wednesdays, 10.30am-12.30pm Marylebone Library, 54 Beaumont Street, W1G 6DW Cost: Free Tel: 020 7641 6200 Health check surgery Free one-to-one NHS health checks. Fridays, 11am-4pm Charing Cross Library, 4 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0HF Cost: Free Tel: 020 7641 6200
Jewellery making Mondays, 2-4pm Glastonbury House Abbots Manor Estate, Warwick Way SW1V 4NT Cost: £2 Tel: 020 7976 6354 Yoga Mondays, 11am-1pm St. Margaret’s Activity Centre, 1 Carey Place, SW1V 2RT Cost: £2 Tel: 020 7976 6354 Walking group Wednesdays, 11am-1pm Churchill Gardens Hub, Churchill Gardens Road, SW1V 3AL Cost: Free Tel: 0794 4831 961 21
Westminster Mile Bill Lucas, 98, is Britain’s oldest living Olympian and officially started The Olympians Mile at the Bupa Westminster Mile on 24th May.
When he finally competed in 1948, he was nearly 32 and still under food rationing. He was beaten in the heats by Czech runner Emil Zatopek who went on to win four Olympic Golds. The Westminster Mile also saw Alan Newton, 84, who won a bronze medal as part of the Men’s Team pursuit in the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games, complete the Mile. 22
Get ready for the next Westminster Mile If you would like to start or get back into exercise join Silverfit at Pad Rec or Hyde Park for activities suitable for all fitness levels including beginners. Visit www.silver-fit.org.uk or call 07721 419 518 to find out more.
Alan Newton crossing the finishing line
Bill Lucas with Steve Cram and fellow Olympians at the Bupa Westminster Mile
Picture credit: Bob Martin/Bupa
Bill is a former longdistance runner who competed in the 5000m at the 1948 Olympic Games. He was due to compete in the 1940 and 1944 Games which were cancelled due to the Second World War. He flew 81 flying missions for Bomber Command and was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross medal for his bravery.