The Big Knit is back!

Striped, spotty, glittery…it’s that time of year again where we receive bags full of little woolen hats of all shapes, sizes and colours. Yes, that’s right – the Big Knit is back! We have already received close to 20,000 hats and are so grateful to everyone who has taken part in the campaign so far. The final deadline is the 31st July 2019 so we are really excited to see what other wonderful creations we receive!

Many of our ‘Big Knit knitters’ are Age Scotland member groups and we’d like to shine a spotlight on them and the amazing things they do. One of these member groups is Forever Young, based in Renfrewshire. It is a sheltered housing group that does a wide variety of activities such as keep fit, coffee mornings and of course, knitting! Residents have been meeting over a cup of coffee and nattering away while creating some beautiful designs.

Last year the group knitted over 2000 hats for the campaign, with many residents becoming competitive over who could knit the most! This year they are back it again, having already knitted a fabulous 1900 hats, with the aim to knit over 3000! If the competitive streak of the resident’s is similar to last year, we are sure they will smash that target.

Forever Young’s group coordinator is Sally Logan. Sally’s mother is a member of the group, joining last year after suffering a stroke. For those living on their own in sheltered accommodation, groups like Forever Young give them the chance to socialize and reduce feelings of isolation. Sally told us that knitting hats for the Big Knit gave her mum focus and stopped her from sitting in on her own.

Nessie, a member of Forever Young, has knitted over 1500 hats so far!

Think about it this way, would you want to spend most of your time sitting alone in your room or would you rather have a wee blether with Mary from three doors down about who got kicked out the Rovers Return this week? We’re sure it’s the latter so, if you knit or know anyone who does please get involved with this year’s Big Knit Campaign! You can have a chat and a cuppa while making some lovely little hats that will ultimately help support groups like Forever Young across Scotland.

 

---

Find out more about the Big Knit on the Age Scotland website. 

If you know anyone in the Renfrewshire area who would like to get join Forever Young, contact them on 01505 328864 or email Sally at sally.logan@renfrewshire.gov.uk

 

Networking, Inspiration and Celebration: Age Scotland’s fifth National Conference

2018 was Age Scotland’s 75^th anniversary and through our ‘Speaking Up For Our Age’ project we learned a lot about the fantastic efforts of local and national older people’s groups and organisations in Scotland over the years. Looking back, a number of themes stand out as having been important to older people and continue to matter to us today. These themes – Homes, Health and Happiness – were the topics for discussion at our 2019 National Conference.

Professor Rose Gilroy said we should demand better housing as poor housing has a detrimental effect on our welbeing.

We were delighted to welcome Age Scotland members and guests to the Radisson Blu in Glasgow for a day of discussion, networking and celebration. In the morning we had three fascinating presentations. First, we had Professor Rose Gilroy from the department of Ageing, Planning and Policy at Newcastle University, who shared how our housing stock has changed over the years and the impact it has on our wellbeing. Professor Gilroy went on to say that our housing options should not be determined by our age and that we need housing that works for all age groups.

We then had Dr William Bird MBE, Founder and Chief Executive of Intelligent Health, who spoke passionately about the difference being active makes to your physical and mental health. Dr Bird went on to explain how combining physical activity and being socially active can be life-changing and told us about the role of social prescribing in getting communities active.

“Most people don’t become healthy for health’s sake. Combining physical activity and being socially active makes all the difference.” – Dr William Bird MBE

We were then joined by Dr Melrose Stewart, Lecturer at the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Birmingham who shared some heart-warming stories from her work on the award-winning Channel 4 TV documentary ‘Old Peoples Home for 4 Year Olds’. Dr Stewart spoke about how intergenerational practices not only encourage empathy and tackle ageism, but also make a big difference to our well being and encouraged all of us to foster intergenerational bonds in our communities.

Dr Melrose Stewart was one of the experts that worked on the award-winning Channel 4 TV documentary ‘Old Peoples Home for 4 Year Olds’.

We broke for a delicious lunch and had a little unexpected excitement when the fire alarm went off and we had to evacuate! It didn’t dampen our spirits though and when we given the all clear by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service we returned for our afternoon workshops and a browse of the exhibition stalls.

Looking glam in their emergency blankets

Volunteer of the year Eva McKellar and friend

Age Scotland’s Jenny and Yolanda promoting Body Boosting Bingo

The conference culminated in the presentation of the 2019 Age Scotland Awards. The Awards recognise and celebrate the exceptional commitment and contribution of individuals and organisations working to ensure Scotland is a great place to grow old in and we were shown a short film about each winner. It was wonderful to hear about the fantastic work going on in communities across Scotland. You can watch each of the films on the Age Scotland YouTube channel.

This year’s awards were presented by special guest Anita Manning who congratulated our winners on their efforts and also remarked what an incredible energy the wider conference had.

Antique expert and TV Presenter Anita Manning joined us as a special guest for the Age Scotland Awards

This year’s conference was our biggest yet and it will be a tough act to follow. We would like to thank all our members, invited guests and speakers for joining us and making it such a fantastic day.

---

Find out more about becoming an Age Scotland member.

Let’s celebrate those making a difference in your community

Every day in communities across Scotland there are individuals making a positive difference to the lives of older people. Whether it be through volunteering, running local groups and services or campaigning for change, these dedicated individuals put their time and effort into making sure the older people in their local communities and beyond can love later life.

We believe the dedication of these inspiring individuals deserves to be recognised. Cue the Age Scotland Awards!

Celebrating those making a difference

Each of our award winners has a short film produced about them and is invited to our National Conference to receive their award after a showing of the film. Previous guest awards presenters have included BBC Broadcaster and Journalist Jackie Bird and Singer-Songwriter Eddi Reader.

The 2019 awards will be presented at the Age Scotland National Conference, held in March at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow.

The 2019 award categories

Our Jess Barrow Award for Campaigning and Influencing recognises political or awareness-raising campaigns that have made an impact on the lives of older people. Our 2018 winner was Walking Football Scotland in recognition of their nationwide campaigning to get more people moving by playing a walking version of the beautiful game.

 

The Patrick Brooks Award for Best Working Partnership is for partnership working between two or more organisations that have made an outstanding contribution to addressing the needs of older people. The 2018 award recognised the fantastic work between the Health and Social Care Partnership and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Podiatry Service in the running of Toe to toe footcare. The service is helping older people access foot care services that would not otherwise be available and the chance to have a chat with the practitioner means service users can be referred to other services quickly and efficiently.

 

Our Services for Older People Award recognises an individual or group who have provided an innovative service run by, or on behalf of, older people which has addressed the issue of loneliness and isolation and/or improved health and wellbeing in later life. For the 2018 award, Roar – Connections for Life impressed the judges with their huge range of services from keep fit classes to fall prevention efforts to dancing and lunch.

 

The Age Scotland Member Group of the Year Award recognises a member group whose activities have championed the needs of older people and had a profound impact on their members. Dalbeattie Men’s Shed won the award for 2018. The Shed provides a comfortable space for men to congregate, enjoy some banter and put their skills to good use (or learn new ones!).

 

Our Volunteer of the Year Award celebrates a volunteer who has championed a group or organisation to benefit the lives of other older people or on behalf of older people. In 2018 we congratulated Gladys Cruickshank who runs the Alford Car Transport Service. Coordinating 30 volunteers, the service Gladys runs has helped thousands of people get to medical appointments and other commitments since 1999.

 

Lastly, we have the Age Scotland Inspiration Award. Our inspiration award is open to both individuals and groups – celebrating either an inspiring older person or a group who has supported or enabled older people to love later life. In 2018 we celebrated Mary Walls of Kirkcaldy. She inspires so many people with her warmth, her kindness, her caring attitude and her determination to see older people in Kirkcaldy lead an enjoyable later life.

 

We also had a group winner in 2018 – the Scone and District 50 Plus group. The group offers a huge number of activities, tackling loneliness and isolation and letting people learn new skills and meet new friends.

 

Feeling Inspired?

Do you know a local champion, group, or service doing amazing things? Nominate them today!

The deadline for nominations is Friday 30^th November. Find out more about how to nominate at www.agescotland.org.uk/awards

Later life in Scotland: Taking the long view’

On the 20^th of March Age Scotland members, guest speakers and invited guests will come together at the Radisson Blu in Glasgow for our fourth National Conference. Elizabeth Bryan, Age Scotland’s Community Development Coordinator, shares the thinking behind this year’s theme ‘Later life in Scotland: Taking the long view’.

---

Age Scotland is proud to work with and for older people, including supporting our member groups as they work to make a difference in their communities across Scotland. For many years older people have come together to support their local community, used their collective voice to campaign for change, and worked to improve later life for future generations.

Our predecessor charity, the Scottish Old People’s Welfare Committee, was established in 1943, later becoming Age Concern Scotland and more recently renamed Age Scotland following the merger with Help the Aged. 2018 will be Age Scotland’s 75th birthday.

Big anniversaries offer us a chance to reflect, so at our national conference with the help of our guest speakers and workshop presenters we will explore the changes that have taken place and the progress that has been made in Scotland in relation to later life over the past 75 years. We will also honour the commitment and achievements of older people’s groups, and discuss what would make life better for older people today and in the future.

There will be a variety of information stalls, time for our member groups to network and share their learnings with each other and a number of interactive workshops.

The conference will culminate in the presentation of the 2018 Age Scotland Awards to recognise and celebrate the exceptional commitment and contribution individuals and organisations make to ensuring Scotland is a good place to grow old in. We’re delighted to be joined by Jackie Bird to present the Age Scotland Awards.

We look forward to welcoming Age Scotland member groups and guests from across Scotland for a day of discussion, networking and celebration. It’s set to be a fantastic day and is already over-subscribed! You can follow discussions on the day on our social media channels.

---

To find out more about becoming an Age Scotland member, please contact members@agescotland.org.uk

One Woman. One Amazing Challenge.

Lesley Black always wanted to visit Machu Picchu so when the opportunity arose to do a charity trek for Age Scotland she couldn’t resist taking on this fantastic challenge.

---

Lesley will shortly spend 7 nights in Peru trekking, hiking and climbing all whilst raising vital funds for Age Scotland.

Following a long journey from Aberdeen via London and Lima, on arrival in Cusco Lesley will spend the first day acclimatising to the altitude as altitude sickness can be a problem. Before setting off on the trek the second day includes more altitude acclimatisation while walking around the Cusco area.

Day 1 – Arrival in Cusco and acclimatising to the altitude

Day 2 – Walk round Cusco to allow for further acclimatisation – 3 hours

Day 3 – Cusco to Cuncani: 3800m including a trek over High Mountain passing to the Lares Valley – 4-5 hours

Day 4 – Cuncani to Huacahuasi: a long hike made easier by spotting incredible sights including alpacas and llamas roaming along the way – 6-8 hours

Day 5 – Huacahuasi to Ollantaytambo: Gradually gaining height, Lesley will take a little-used route through the Ranrayoc valley. She needs to dig deep for the high pass at 4,600m – 9 hours

Day 6 – Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu via Sun Gate: An early train journey to Km 104, being dropped off for a trek towards the Sun Gate. Following the traditional Inca path and climbing some 3,000 steps 6-7 hours

Day 7 – Back to Machu Picchu to explore the extraordinary Inca remains before travelling back to Cusco and returning to the UK the next day

If this wasn’t enough of a challenge Lesley gave herself the ambitious target of raising £4000 for Age Scotland.

Lesley decided to raise money for Age Scotland following the sad passing of her grandparents a few years ago. The last months of their lives and following their passing allowed her to reflect on ageing and how important it is for older people to be involved and included in society to ensure they are not on their own and suffering from loneliness.

She said ‘I wanted to support Age Scotland because they provide such valuable services for our elderly people in Scotland.  One of Age Scotland’s most important services is their helpline and Community Connecting service which any elderly person can call if they are feeling lonely so they can chat to someone about their day and be put in touch with local community groups. It also provides family members with vital information to help older relatives who may need more support’

We are so grateful to Lesley for her support. She has been tirelessly raising money over the past year through events such as holding a ceilidh in her local area and race and bowling nights. Alongside this Lesley has been able to receive sponsorship from local businesses through giving them the opportunity to appear on her Trek T-shirt which she will wear throughout her travels.

Lesley sets off on her trek on the 13^th October and we can’t thank her enough for her support. Her excitement and enthusiasm for the trek and raising money is infectious. She really is an inspiration.

---

To find out more or to support Lesley visit www.charitytrekmachupicchu.com

If you’d like to find out more about taking on a challenge event for Age Scotland, please contact Stacey on our fundraising team.

 

Lifelong Learning Matters

The Age Scotland National Conference is back for 2017, bringing together member groups and invited guests of a day of learning, friendship and inspiration. Community Development coordinator Elizabeth Bryan talks us through the plan for this year’s conference.

---

Learning, in all its forms, makes a great difference to the well-being and quality of life of people over the age of 50. That’s why the theme for this year’s Age Scotland’s conference is Lifelong Learning Matters.

Taking part in learning opens up new interests, puts us in control of lives and helps us to remain physically and socially active. Age Scotland member groups engage in a wide range of informal learning, and many groups are providers of an array of learning opportunities for their members and older people in their local communities. This year’s conference will provide an opportunity to find out what current research is telling us about lifelong learning and older people, and the difference participating in learning makes to our health and wellbeing.

Guest speakers, musical performances and participative workshops

The fantastic Pennie Taylor, award-winning freelance journalist and broadcaster, returns as conference chair and we have some fantastic guest speakers lined up to get our guests inspired.

After lunch attendees can browse our exhibition and chat to stall holders or take part in one of our participative workshops. We have five workshops this year covering topics from table tennis to getting online to mindfulness.

Attendees will then enjoy afternoon tea and a performance by the fantastic Shooglelele Ukulele band! Not one to be missed.

Celebrating those making a difference

The conference will culminate with the presentation of the 2017 Age Scotland Awards to recognise and celebrate the exceptional commitment and contributions individuals and organisations make to ensure Scotland is a good place to grow old in. We are joined by Dean Park who will be presenting the awards.

For those unable to join us on the day, the event will be live streamed so you can watch our guest speakers and discussion, musical performances as well as the Age Scotland awards ceremony. Full details will be posted on our website soon.

It’s set to be a tremendous day and we look forward to welcoming everyone on Wednesday 29^th March!

---

If you have any questions about our National Conference, please contact our team on 0333 32 32 400.

5 thing you need to take to a charity ball

Friday 11th November sees the return of Age Scotland’s Silver Shindig – our glamorous charity ball. As this fantastic night approaches, we’ve pulled together five things you need when heading to a charity ball.

---

1. Your glad rags

As the name suggests, a charity ball is a bit more glamourous than your average fundraising event – not a running shoe in sight! Arriving at the Hub on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile you will walk the silver carpet – yes silver – to have your photo taken before heading in to a Champagne Reception in the Grand Ballroom Foyer. So brush off that kilt, look out that little black dress and get ready to make your grand entrance.

2. Your appetite

A glamourous charity ball requires an equally impressive menu. After a short introduction to Age Scotland’s work, out comes the first of three courses, along with selected wines. We won’t spoil the surprise by telling you the whole menu but you best bring you appetite, you won’t want to miss out.

3. Your Christmas list

One of the most exciting features of a charity ball is the charity auction. Here you will find one off experiences and gifts, things you literally cannot buy anywhere else. This year we have some incredible things on offer, from a Velodrome Experience with a GB Gold Medallist at the London Olympic Velodrome to a Pickering’s Gin Tour for 6 with a Limited Edition hand-signed collector’s bottle. Find something unique for a special someone this Christmas or perhaps just treat yourself!

4. Your dancing shoes

What would a charity ball be without dancing? We have the superb ‘Corra’ joining us to put on a selection of music alongside a wonderful Scottish ceilidh that will have you dancing into the wee hours. Their name literally means rare or extraordinary and once you’ve seen them live we think you’ll know why! Not a dancer? Not a problem! Just sit back and take in the atmosphere of some traditional Scottish music with a twist!

5. A smug smile

This one may well be the most important. You can feel good about attending our charity ball because through attending this glamourous evening you are supporting Age Scotland’s work with older people and fighting loneliness. And all while having a ball! Well done you.

---

For more information about Age Scotland events, just visit our website or contact our Fundraising team directly on 0333 32 32 400 or by email at fundraising@agescotland.org.uk 

Learning from Japan about supporting workers who live with dementia

On 30 September trade unionists from across Scotland gathered in Glasgow to learn how to support workers affected by dementia; directly or as carers. 

A highlight of the conference, which was organized by Age Scotland in partnership with Scottish TUC and Alzheimer Scotland, was a video of an interview with Tomo; a visitor from Japan who is living and working with dementia, undertaken by Agnes Houston; a campaigner who herself has the condition.

At the conference Age Scotland launched a new free guide on Dementia and the Workplace.  While employers in Scotland are the main audience for this guide, it also proposes actions that everyone in a workplace can take to become more dementia aware, from occupational health professionals to customer facing staff.

You can download the guide at www.yourbrainyourjob.scot.

What’s it really like to abseil from the Forth Rail Bridge?

The Forth Rail Bridge is one of Scotland’s most iconic features and on the 26^th June a group of brave souls will be abseiling from it SAS style to raise money for Age Scotland!

We caught up with two of our wonderful fundraisers – one who took part in the abseil event last year and one who is about to take the plunge.

---

Sheila Herron took part in the 2015 abseil for Age Scotland along with some friends. We spoke to her to find out a bit more about the experience.

So what made you decide to sign up for the abseil?

My elderly mum had received valuable advice from Age Scotland and this alone was worth fundraising for. It was great that she could get help and advice from folk who understand at the end of the telephone. I have worked and fundraised for other charities previously (and still do) but felt Age Scotland’s work is something important enough to do this for.

And what was it like on the day?

The organisation of the day is excellent. There’s lots of helpers and volunteers which made it feel very safe and the day go well.

I am terrified of heights, just getting onto the gantry at the bridge was challenge enough! The crew at the top were brilliant though. Climbing over the bars was ok, the letting go was the hardest part, but the guy in the climbing crew was fab; nice, calm and patient. I had loads of support on the ground from family and friends, which just added to the buzz.

Getting to the bottom was a relief but it was so worthwhile. I’m really pleased that I managed to do it. I found it really challenging but everyone involved was so good and you get swept along with the whole feel of the day so it ended up being a really good, fun day!

Do you have any advice for someone thinking about taking part this year?

I would absolutely recommend it to anyone – it was an amazing day, good fun and had a good community feel to it. And what a relief at the bottom!

My friends and I had a great time fundraising for it. We held a coffee and cake afternoon in the garden asking for donations and folk were really generous. I’d say to anyone that signs up it’s a good idea to get the Just Giving page started early on – it is amazing how the £10s soon add up!

You can watch a video of last year’s abseil here.

Tamlin Wiltshire (better known as Tam) has signed up for this year’s abseil.

The event is on his 45^th birthday so he and his family are making a day of it. Tam has signed up for the morning abseil then they will head for a nice lunch in North Queensferry and some drinks to celebrate.

Tam has always wanted to do an abseil but he chose Age Scotland as his charity to support because he lives in a small community in Inverkeithing and is aware of how important it is to provide support for the older generation. Tam’s wife told us “Tam is excited about the abseil and of course nervous – our daughter has a word for it Nervecited!!!”

---

If you’d like to take part in our Forth Rail Bridge abseil event on 26^th June, we still have some spaces available. Just contact Stacey at Stacey.kitzinger@agescotland.org.uk or call 0333 32 32 400

Quality Matters – Our 2016 National Conference

On Wednesday 16^th March invited guests and representatives from over 300 Age Scotland member groups came together for our 2016 National Conference.

Attendees travelled from across Scotland to take part in the conference held at Perth Concert Hall. It was a fantastic day with much discussion about what we mean by quality of life in later life. Read on for a round up of the day. 

---

 

Morning Session: Care Homes, Creativity and Urban Planning

Our conference chair, award-winning journalist Pennie Taylor, kicked off the day by posing two questions to the room: When is life good? When is it not so good?

Answers ranged from thought-provoking to funny to poignant and it was clear that quality of life means different things to different people.

Here’s just some examples of the hundreds of responses we received:

We were then joined by our guest speakers. First up we had Fiona Cook, Facilitator at my Home Life Scotland discussing quality of life in care homes. Fiona introduced My Home Life Scotland and its’ work to improve quality of life in care homes for those who live in, work in and visit care homes.

We were then joined by Andrew Crummy – Community Artist and Designer of the Great Tapestry of Scotland. Andrew argued that regardless of age, everyone is creative and has something to say, and went on to describe how art can bring communities together and improve quality of life for everyone.

(L-R) Professor Greg Lloyd, Fiona Cook and Andrew Crummy take questions from the audience

Lastly Greg Lloyd – Emeritus Professor of Urban Planning joined us from Ulster University. Professor Lloyd provided a fascinating overview of how urban planning and our environment can directly impact our quality of life. He went on to consider how we may be able to play a more active role in planning in the future to ensure a better quality of life in later life.

Our speakers got the room thinking and we had many attendees posing further questions and ideas to the speakers and wider floor. You can watch footage from the live stream of the guest speakers and subsequent discussion here.

Afternoon Session: Workshops, Award Winners and Eddi Reader

An attendee laughs taking part in the “Looking after you” workshop

After some lunch and further opportunity to visit our information stalls, many attendees headed into one of our interactive workshops. We had five in total on a range of topics
related to quality of life, including Men’s’ learning and well being, spirituality and looking after you.

 

 

Attendees then came back together to commence the Age Scotland awards. The awards celebrate individuals and groups that are doing great work for older people in their local community. It was certainly a tough year for the judges, with many quality entries. As our chief executive Brian Sloan said, we would love to have given everyone an award, but there can only be one winner!

Eddi Reader presents Lynn Benge with the Volunteer of the Year Award.

Our winners are listed below. Click on the links to watch a 2-3 minute video about the great work they did that earned them the award.

• Member Group of the Year: Duns Senior Citizens Club
• Jess Barrow Award for Campaigning & Influencing (Sponsored by McCarthy & Stone): Make it Happen Falkirk District Forum
• Patrick Brooks Partnership Award: Care Home Go 4 Gold Steering Group
• Older People’s Employer of the Year: John Lewis plc
• Volunteer of the Year (Sponsored by Solicitors for Older People Scotland): Lynn Benge
• Services for Older People of the Year (Sponsored by SP Energy Networks): Shopper-Aide Ltd
• Outstanding service to the community: Broomlands and Bourtreehill Age Concern

Award-winning singer and songwriter Eddi Reader joined us to present the awards and rounded off the conference with a fantastic performance that had the whole concert hall singing along.

It was a great day full of discussion and debate about what we can do collectively to improve quality of life for those in later life.

What do you think has the biggest impact on quality of life? What could be done to improve quality of life in Scotland? Tell us in the comments below!

All images featured in this post by Mihaela Bodlovic