Age UK Bucks - Engage Magazine Autumn 2019 by Age UK Buckinghamshire

age uk magazine AUTUMN 2019

engage

AGE UK BUCKINGHAMSHIRE NEWS + autumn garden tips + MUCH MORE INSIDE

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Contents Autumn 2019 Foreword from the CEO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 05 Philanthropic Giving.. . . . . . . . 06

Baking wordsearch.. . . . . . . . . . 18 The Bake Off theme continues with this wordsearch.

We update you on our philanthropic giving news.

Useful Contact Numbers. . . . . . 19

Volunteer and Job Ads . . . . . . . 07

Ask Julie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Adverts for welfare benefits volunteers and Help in the Home jobs.

Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08 Information about the services we offer.

Fundraising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 09

Numbers you may find helpful.

Staff member Julie answers your questions.

We launch our Swimathon event, plus a fundraising story.

Fundraising and community event.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Help us raise money with a bake sale! Plus, ask us to talk at community events.

Guest Writer: Personal Assistants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Our guest writer explains personal care assistants.

The Big Knit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 The Big Knit campaign has come to an end!

In your area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Events and classes in Buckinghamshire.

Energy bills help and news . . . . 15

Some information that you may find helpful.

Autumn Gardening . . . . . . . . . . 16 Is your garden ready for Autumn? Take a look at our tips.

Bake Sale Recipes. . . . . . . . . . . 17 Two easy baking recipes, perfect for a bake sale!

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17 www.ageukbucks.org.uk

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2019 uk magazin AUTUMN e SPRING 2019 AGE UK MAGAZINE

AMSHIRE AGE UK BUCKINGH

age uk BuCking HamSHiR

INSIDE + MUCH MORE GARDEN TIPS NEWS + AUTUMN

e neWS + SpRing gaRden tipSe + muCH mORe inSide

Meet the team… Editor Chantelle Henderson Tel: 01296 431911 Email: chenderson@ 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

Foreword from the CEO W

elcome to this Autumn edition of Engage.

As the only county wide charity that supports older people in Buckinghamshire, we witness situations daily where frail, vulnerable and very elderly people are exposed to abuse, violence and neglect. We therefore know that sustained I have been overwhelmed at the loneliness and lack of social connection participation of this year’s The Big Knit – leads to significant physical and can you believe that we have smashed mental health issues. Our vison is to our target of 3,820 and produced an make Buckinghamshire a great place incredible 6,784 little Innocent smoothie to live in as we age and we cannot hats! Read all about the different do this without the support from knitting groups (which I had the individuals and communities. I hope the pleasure of meeting) that have made articles in this edition of Engage inspire this happen on pages 12-13. Thank you to take action and get in touch. you to each one of you for every single hat! Our Philanthropic Giving programme launched in the Spring Edition has got You may notice a Great British Bake off to flying start! Not only has a local Off theme to this edition! On page 10 family Trust Fund joined forces with we ask you help us raise vital funds by us to strengthen our work across hosting your own Bake Sale. There are communities in Bucks, we have also some recipes ready on page 17! developed relationships with a number of other organisations and individuals I hope you enjoy the Autumn Engage who want to give their time to help raise and please get in touch if you would funds for our work. like any information about anything within this issue. The 1st October is National Older Peoples Day. Thanks to Everyone Active we are inviting all enthusiastic swimmers to join us at either Aqua Vale in Aylesbury of Swan Leisure in Buckingham on 1st and 2nd October. See page 9 and bring your family along for a fun time. Plus there is an amazing opportunity to get discount for the leisure centres. You don’t need to @ageukbucks be Mark Spitz or Rebecca Adlington – just come along and do your best and @ageukbucks have fun!

suppor ting older people since 1945

Berna d ette A sh croft

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Philanthropic Giving S

ince we launched our Philanthropic How you can help We are actively seeking to develop partnerships and Giving campaign in the Spring Engage build relationships with people who share our vision. Magazine, we have been contacted by a We hope you will join us in helping older people in number of local businesses, charities and Buckinghamshire maintain independence and wellbeing, despite unpredictable events such as falls, a family trust fund. As a result of these new a bereavement and deteriorating health. contacts, we are in the process of organising new and exciting ways to raise funds and I would be personally delighted to hear make a difference to the lives of older people from any individual or local business who is inspired by our work and would be 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.

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.

About us

During 2018, 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. 6 | SPRING 2019

Bernadette Ashcroft, Interim CEO of Age UK Buckinghamshire

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”.

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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!

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

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.

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

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

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.

suppor tingolder olderpeople peoplesince since1945 1945 suppor ting

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

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Handyperson Service

Gardening

A service to help you maintain your home.

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.

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.

Neat Feet Footcare

Help in the Home

Providing toenail cutting and general footcare

We can direct you to local Footcare 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 come to your home and cut them at a time that suits you, we can help.

Do you need help around the home?

Our Home Helpers can assist with general cleaning, vacuuming, laundry, shopping and prescription collections. You choose which tasks your Home Helper For more carries out for you each information call: week, supporting you to 01296 431911 or email: remain in control of age@ageukbucks.org.uk keeping your home the Information can also be way you like it to be. found on our website: www.ageukbucks. org.uk

8 | SPRING 2019

www.ageukbucks.org.uk

Age UK Buckinghamshire’s Sponsored Details: Swim needs YOU! Where:

o you love swimming and want to 1st October 2019 h e l p r a i s e f u n d s f o r A g e U K at Aqua Vale in Aylesbury (Park St, Aylesbury HP20 Buckinghamshire? Then this event is for 1DX) in their Glass house pool – from 7pm to 9pm. 2nd October 2019 you! On the 1st and 2nd of October and with at Swan Pool in Buckingham (London Rd, the help of Everyone Active, we are holding Buckingham MK18 1AE) - from 12pm to 4pm. a sponsored swim and want YOU to be What: involved!

We are putting forward our own team of staff (including our CEO Bernadette Ashcroft) to take part in this swimathon and raise vital funds to support older people in Buckinghamshire. You can support our staff swimmers by donating on our JustGiving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/ ageukbucksswimathon.

Set yourself a target and join us! We will send you a fundraising pack and can help you set up a JustGiving account to raise funds for your individual swim.

Email age@ageukbucks.org.uk with the subject “Sponsored Swimathon” to sign up or receive more details. You can also call 01296 431911 to register your interest and a member of staff will be in touch.

Pool details: By iyd39. © Shutterstock

Swan pool is 25m a length so 64 lengths for a mile swim. Aqua Vales Glass house pool is 20m a length so there are 80 lengths for a mile swim.

Incentive: A huge thank you to Everyone Active for donating the use both pools for free and for providing lap counters to keep track of how many lengths our swimmers swim!

Not only will you be having fun and helping us raise funds but Everyone Active are also providing the incentive that all swimmers will receive a free online & face to face induction in the gym worth £20 (must be booked in the month of October) AND an offer swimmers (through Age UK Buckinghamshire) a 1 month membership for unlimited use of the pool, gym and classes (1st to 31st October) for just £15!

hold a bake sale for Age UK Bucks! A huge thank you to supporters Calibre Quality Care who supported Age UK Buckinghamshire by holding a fundraising bake sale! Louise Mitchell from Calibre Quality Care says, “we had cakes available in return for a donation to Age UK Bucks on our stall at Party in the Park in Bedgrove. We

suppor ting older people since 1945

had a fantastic time and met lots of people with special thanks to Mayor Mike, who enjoyed a cake or two, in return for a lovely donation! We are keen to help support Age UK Bucks and will always have a donation pot for them at future events. We raised £41.35 and we hope to double this next time!”

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Get baking and raise some dough! T

he UK is currently baking mad with the return of the Great British Bake Off!

Baking is the perfect way to have fun and raise funds to help us support older people in Buckinghamshire. Here are our top tips for holding your own successful bake sale for Age UK Bucks: 1. No bake sale is complete without the classics – brownies, cupcakes, rice crispy cakes and Victoria sponge! You can also have a few whole cakes or pies to sell which will make more money and add variety! 2. Ask bakeries and coffee shops in your local area to see if anyone would like to donate some stock. 3. Make sure people know you are supporting us! Get in touch and we can send you promotional materials to put on the stall and hand out.

COSGROVE GREEN BURIAL MEADOW COSGROVE GREEN BURIAL MEADOW COSGROVE GREENfuneral BURIAL MEADOW An ecological option An ecological funeral option Ana ecological option Set in traditionalfuneral butterfly meadow Set in a traditional butterfly meadow Set in Ash a traditional butterfly meadow interments & burials Ash interments & burials intermentsnow & burials PlotAsh reservation’s available Plot reservation’s now available Plot reservation’s available A thoughtful legacy fornow future generations A thoughtful legacy for future generations A thoughtful legacy for future generations

4. Put out a jar for tips or donations. Some people may not be hungry, or cannot buy due to dietary restrictions, but they still might want to donate. Contact us to get a labelled collection tin or bucket! 5. Pick a high traffic location at a busy time of day – the more people there are, the more cakes you will sell! 6. Put your event online (on Facebook or social media) and make posters and flyers to leave in local cafes or notice boards. Get in touch and we can advertise your event on our channels as well! 7. Make sure you have nice packaging to sell the cakes in – not everyone will want to eat there and then! 8. Clearly label your cakes and have 3 – 4 price points. Keep it simple! If you would like donation tins, leaflets or more information, contact us on age@ageukbucks.org.uk or call 01296 431911.

Book us for a talk!

Did you know that you can book a member of our staff to talk to your business, club or organisation about what we do and to give out helpful information for older people? Whether you want to know more about welfare benefits, how you can help Age UK Bucks or about becoming or receiving a befriender – we can help! We can bring along useful leaflets and copies of our most recent Engage magazine.

For information callFor Sueinformation 07702309528 For information call call Sue Sue 07702309528 07702309528 1 0 | SPRING 2019

If this sounds of interest, please get in touch by emailing age@ageukbucks.org.uk with the subject line as “FAO Bernadette Ashcroft – Community talk” or call 01296 431911.

www.ageukbucks.org.uk

Guest writer:

Your guide to Personal Assistance

Louise Mitchell from Website: www.calibrequalitycare.org.uk

Email:

hello@calibrequalitycare.org.uk

Telephone: 07990 040448

What is a Personal Assistant (PA) within the care industry?

ersonal Assistants are essentially 21st century carers that specialise in all forms of care and support for all age groups, not just the elderly. This can be reablement, promoting independence following an injury and short or long-term support.

Whether you need assistance with personal care, help in the garden or some company, there will be a PA to suit your requirements. You can choose who supports you and you have the comfort and knowledge that there will be a continuity of care. There are specialised organisations that can help you find the right Personal Assistant who will help you regardless of how involved, basic or small the task may be. 21st century PA’s offer consistency, flexibility and value for money.

You have a real choice as to who supports you, when they support you and what tasks you want provided. The standard of care provided by Personal Assistant’s needs to be high and delivered with genuine empathy, thoughtfulness and humility to create trust and confidence. Therefore, when choosing a Personal Assistant, you should look for someone who offers you choice, privacy, dignity and respect and who have qualifications relating to the job role. They will also need to have

an Enhanced DBS and public liability insurance. You must ensure that your Personal Assistant has provided you with a contract for their services. Personal Assistants can support you if you are funded by the Government and receive a direct payment, Personal Independence Payment (PIP – the new Disability Living Allowance), Attendance Allowance or have a continuing health care need with a personal health care budget.

Case study

olly is 87 and lives alone. She has early onset dementia and was finding it difficult to remember to take her medication. Her family arrange a PA to support her and quickly realised after hiring the PA that this wasn’t the only thing that

suppor ting older people since 1945

about. Molly’s Personal Molly was struggling with. Assistant says: Her PA realised that she was forgetting meals and so I love that I am provided her with a cooked making a real difference to her breakfast in the morning and prepared a snack for later in the life and we also have such a day. She has now put on weight good time together! which her family are pleased

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The Big

ur 2018/19 campaign is at an end! The support this year has been incredible and we want to send a HUGE thank you to everyone involved. It really has been the best year yet!

We collected an incredible 6,784 hats, smashing our target of 3,820! This means we have raised an amazing £1,696 to help older people in Buckinghamshire!

Movers and Shakers The group “Movers and Shakers” in Aylesbury have been knitting hats for Age UK Buckinghamshire since 2015! This year they knitted an incredible 356 hats and raised an amazing £89. Over the years, they have knitted a total of 2,330 hats! Jan Webb, a member of Movers and Shakers says, “I started knitting the tiny hats a few years ago because I thought it was a brilliant idea to raise funds for Age UK Buckinghamshire. The hats are easy and quick to knit and it is a challenge to think up different patterns and designs if you want to vary from the patterns provided. I have knitted many types from striped animals, flowers, dolls and my favourite…Minions! It is a group effort and lovely to see all the delightful hats other members have knitted. What a talented lot we are!”

The Fremantle Trust

Icknield Court Care Home in Princes Risborough and Lewin House nursing home in Aylesbury (both run by The Fremantle Trust) have been knitting for the campaign and made an amazing 425 hats! 100-year-old Joan Loosley has knitted since she was a young girl and during the war made socks and Happy knitters: Doreen Smith, Sara Livadeas (CEO if the Fremantle Trust) and Joan Loosley gloves for the troops. 79-year-old Doreen has always had a love for knitting and has helped children in less privileged areas by creating and sending hand-made jumpers to Uganda. Commenting on the initiative, Ewa Banaszcyk, leisure and lifestyle manager at The Fremantle Trust, said: “We were thrilled to get involved with this campaign to support older people in our local area. Residents have thoroughly embraced the opportunity and came up with some incredible designs. Knitting and nattering is a regular feature of our activity programmes across our older people services. Residents can immerse themselves in knitting and enjoy some quiet time or they can get together and chat, so it’s really flexible and it certainly supports active minds and nimble fingers!” Bernadette Ashcroft, Chief Executive of Age UK Buckinghamshire, added: “It was a delight to meet these amazing knitters. Our Big Knit Campaign 2019 in Buckinghamshire has been a sensational success. All funds raised by our wonderful knitters are essential to support our work in local communities.”

Age UK Buckinghamshire CEO Bernadette Ashcroft (left) and Doreen Smith.

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www.ageukbucks.org.uk

Knit is over ! The Mad Hatters

The Mad Hatters, founded by team leader Hilary Jones, have been knitting hats for Age UK Buckinghamshire since 2015! To date, they have made 3,779 hats and raised and incredible £944.75 to help older people in Buckinghamshire. This year they have made 2019 hats for the year 2019! The Mad Hatters come from a variety of backgrounds and the team has carers, a florist, a local GP and an Avon lady! There are also Trefoil Guild members, local church members and a local craft group involved. Hilary Jones told us about her group, “we are all ladies who love knitting and want to support a worthwhile cause whilst having lots of fun and a laugh!” We asked 3 members of the group why they get involved in The Big Knit for Age UK Bucks. Chris Howell says, “I support Age UK Buckinghamshire because one day I may need to call on their services. Knowing how well they support the elderly, I would have confidence in making that phone call. I love knitting these little hats because they take no time at all to complete and before you know it you have a bag full of wonderful, colourful hats which put a smile on your face!”

I am enormously proud of “The Mad Hatters” as we all make an immensely valuable contribution to The Big Knit and I am privileged to have such lovely women knitting. Some of the team are house Hilary Jones with her cat Poppy bound and they love being able to take part in the comfort of their own home. They do not have to worry about travelling to meetings and they gain a sense of belonging to a community team. We have our team mascot who is my cat called Poppy who loves to play with the wool and chew the ends of my knitting needles!” We would like to dedicate this article to Lily Irene Jones who sadly passed away on the 7th May 2019. Lily took part in The Big Knit for many years as part of The Mad Hatters group and she will be sorely missed. Our condolences to her daughter Hilary and all that knew her from everyone at Age UK Buckinghamshire.

Three members of the Mad Hatters: Wendy Credland (left), Hilary Jones (middle) and Chris Howell (right) take a tea break from knitting hats!

Wendy Credland says, “I’m happy to give my support as I am aware of the huge amount of help going to older people in Buckinghamshire and who knows, I may need help myself one day. Making the hats is quick and easy and it’s fun each year thinking up new designs!” Hilary Jones says, “I have been a volunteer with Age UK Buckinghamshire for over 5 years. I am very aware of how difficult everyday life becomes in older age, especially with isolation and loneliness. suppor ting older people since 1945

Lily Irene Jones taking part in The Big Knit in 2015

To advertise in the next issue of this publication, please contact

Laurence

Tel: 01536 334218 Email: laurence@lanceprint.co.uk

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In your Area Tell your life stories with the help of Amersham Museum

veryone has memories and Amersham Museum would love to hear yours! They are running a Reminiscence@Home project, where they will visit you at home to listen to your life story and help turn it into a booklet of your recollections and special memories. This can include photographs, letters, documents, or anything that helps to tell your story. A trained volunteer from the museum will visit you over a course of 6 to 8 sessions, which may take a few weeks or months. The same volunteer will visit you each time. They will help you to tell your story, and then they will and make it into a printed keepsake that you can share with your family and friends.

The project is FREE and open to anyone who is over the age of 65 and lives inAmersham, Chesham, Gerrards Cross, Beaconsfield, Hazlemere or the Chalfonts regions. They can also visit people in Care Homes, so if you know someone who may like to participate, please get in touch. If you are interested in hearing more about the project or would like to take part then please contact Amersham Museum on 01494 723700 or Email: jane@amershammuseum.org

The project is supported with help from Chiltern District Council, Waitrose and:

The museum plans to hold a celebration event at the end of the project to which everyone involved will be invited. Help with transport is available if needed.

Slow Yoga in Wendover Thinking about starting a new form of exercise can feel overwhelming in later life, however these Slow Yoga classes in Wendover include relaxation, stretching and slow yoga pose sequencing – the perfect way to ease into yoga for the over 65’s. Numerous studies have found that yoga can be an effective treatment for issues ranging from anxiety and depression to chronic pain, insomnia, immune conditions, arthritis and even heart & blood pressure problems.

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Slow Flow Yoga classes run every Friday from 9:30-10:30am at Wendover Library, High St, Wendover, Aylesbury HP22 6DU (Term Time only and NOT on Bank Holidays)

Pre-booking is recommended and the hour long class costs £8 for Pay as You Go and £7 per class when Pre-paid for the 5-6 weeks term time.

Call or text Sabina on 07578183711, or email: sabina. dye@happywellyoga.com to book your space. Check her website for more information: www.happywellyoga.com

www.ageukbucks.org.uk

Health of older people suffering in poor housing

Worried about your energy bills? You’re not alone!

et prepared for winter by calling the ‘Better Housing, Better Health’ team to see how they can help.

ore than 2 million older people are suffering physical and mental ill health as a result of living in substandard and non-accessible homes. Substandard housing costs the NHS £1.4bn every year with cold, damp and other hazards causing falls and exacerbating conditions such as heart disease, strokes, respiratory illnesses and arthritis as well as contributing to poor mental health. The recent All-Party Parliamentary Group report found the link between health and housing and predicted that the number of older people renting in the private sector would soar in the coming years – often in unsafe, unsuitable and unhealthy accommodation.

Source: Guardian

Barbara Keeley, the shadow cabinet minister for social care and mental health said:

Coordinated by a local charity, the ‘Better Housing, Better Health’ (BHBH) service is working in partnership with Local Authorities across Buckinghamshire to help keep residents warm over winter and reduce their energy bills. The free to use helpline offers a single point of contact for services, advice and grants to help stay warm and well at home. By calling the helpline your needs will be assessed over the phone and, where eligible, can be referred for: n n n n

Free impartial energy advice Free LEAP home energy visit Grants and funding for measures such as insulation and boilers Direct referrals into other organisations of benefit

These services are typically available for vulnerable households, but anyone looking for free energy advice is encouraged to call the helpline. For more information about the service and to check what you could be eligible for please call 0800 107 0044 or to make a referral visit www.bhbh.org.uk

There are more than a million people aged over 65 in the UK with an unmet care need. For them, everyday essential tasks like getting out of bed, going to the toilet or getting dressed can be made harder by poor housing. Poor housing puts increased strain on an underfunded care system and can result in unnecessary hospital admissions. We need to see action now to create decent and accessible homes that meet the needs of the ageing population. By providing suitable housing for older people, we can prevent their health from deteriorating.

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Ten top tips gardening in Autumn! 5.

Continue to deadhead flowering plants, especially roses, as they can continue blooming for another month or two.

Buy your winter bedding plants early as they are much cheaper at the beginning of autumn. Plant them soon so they bed in before winter arrives.

Collect seeds from your garden as this is a cheap way of planting your garden next year!

Autumn is the perfect time to aerate your lawn. Aerating your lawn allows water, oxygen, and fertiliser to reach the roots of your grass so it can better survive the winter.

To help bees and other pollinators, plant autumn pollinator flowers in your garden to help refill their supplies so they can survive the winter. Some great flowers for pollinators include: Goldenrod, Purple aster, Maximilian sunflower.

Even though lawns may get too wet to mow towards the end of autumn, keep them edged so they look smart.

In addition to evergreens and shrubs, there are other things that you can plant in these

transitional months: Spring bulbs including daffodils, dog’s tooth violet, and glory of-the-snow.

Mow your lawns when it is dry as cutting your grass before the first freeze allows more sunlight to reach the grass blades so it can retain more nutrients in the root. Change your mower blade settings to its lowest setting. You want the least amount of leaf to be exposed so less material browns on the stalk.

10. This is the perfect time of

year to start your compost heap for the upcoming seasons. Autumn leaves are the perfect base and there should be plenty falling into your garden.

Gathering leaves as they fall saves a lot of back-breaking work later on in the season. Once the leaves begin to fall, rake leaves as often as you can to keep the job as light as possible.

Need help with your garden? Our gardening service provides regular grass cutting throughout the growing season, together with general garden maintenance all year round. The service is available to everyone, regardless of age. We will refer you to one of our local and trusted gardeners who will telephone you to arrange an appointment, at a time that is convenient

to you. We have a robust selection process to ensure we have the best people for the job. We check our gardeners through references and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Get in touch to arrange or find out more: Telephone: 01296 431 911 Email: age@ageukbucks.org.uk

Source: www.theenglishgarden.co.uk and www.allaboutallotments.co.uk

1 6 | SPRING 2019

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Sticky chocolate drop cakes

Autumn Recipes Ginger biscuits

Prep: 10 mins Cook: 35 mins Serves: 15 This easy-to-make bake will keep somewhere cool in an airtight tin for up to two days – perfect for a bake sale to raise funds for Age UK Buckinghamshire! Ingredients n n n n n n n

250g pack unsalted butter 300g golden caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 large eggs 200g self-raising flour 50g cocoa 100g milk chocolate drops

For the topping n n n n

85g butter 85g caster sugar 200g light condensed milk 50g milk chocolate drops, plus extra, to scatter

Method 1.

Butter and line a traybake or small roasting tin, about 20 x 30cm. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Gently melt the butter in a large saucepan, cool for 5 mins, add sugar, vanilla and eggs, then beat until smooth with a wooden spoon. Stir in the flour, cocoa and ¼ tsp salt. Stir in the milk chocolate drops and bake for 35 mins until risen all over and a skewer comes out with a few damp crumbs.

2. For the top, gently heat 85g butter and 85g caster sugar together until both are melted. Stir in 200g light condensed milk and bring to a boil. Cool for 5 mins, then stir in 50g milk chocolate drops to melt. Spread over the cold cake, scatter with more chocolate drops and cut into squares.

suppor ting older people since 1945

Prep: 20 mins Cook: 10 mins Makes: 20 Use fresh and ground ginger to make these moreish biscuits. They’re perfect served with a cuppa for afternoon tea or a real favourite at a bake sale! Ingredients n n n n n n n n

100g salted butter, cubed 75g light brown soft sugar 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger 100g golden syrup 250g self-raising flour 1½ tbsp ground ginger 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 small egg yolk, beaten

Method 1.

Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Line two large baking trays with baking parchment. In a saucepan over a low heat, melt the butter, sugar, fresh ginger and golden syrup and leave to cool.

Mix the flour, ground ginger and bicarbonate of soda together in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Gradually stir in the cooled sugar mixture and the egg yolk and knead briefly to make a dough.

Roll the dough into 20g balls and put on the prepared baking trays with 3cm between each to allow for spreading. Bake for 8-10 mins until golden brown. Leave to cool on the trays for a min, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

SPRING 2019 | 17

Cake Galore Word Search

Come find a piece of cake in this sweet word find. The words in this word search are hidden accross, down, diagonally and backwards.

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1 8 | SPRING 2019

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SPRING 2019 | 19

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Twin bedroom. Open plan kitchen & lounge. The kitchen has a 4-ring hob, oven, microwave, toaster and washing machine. Family sized bathroom. The lounge has a sofa (which converts into two single beds) and a table to seat four. A TV, DVD and CD player are also available. Patio doors open onto the balcony, offering views over the pool and across Lagos. Ample parking space in front of the building.

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Jan - March April May June July/August Sept Oct Nov/Dec

£225 £300 £325 £375 £475 £375 £325 £250

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Phone Judith on

01536 711884 www.ageukbucks.org.uk

engage

Ask Julie I worry about keeping my home warm this Q winter as I don’t want to run up large gas and

electric bills. Have you any advice?

There are several things for you to consider. A Are you getting the best energy deal? You may

not be on the most cost effective tariff or you may have never or not recently switched tariffs or supplier. You do not always have to change supplier to find the best deals but sometimes it is worthwhile. It may seem like a lot of effort to switch suppliers but it could save you a substantial amount of money. There are three steps to take: 1.

Compare your tariff! It is best to use a comparison help site for this, as there are a loads of tariffs on offer. You need to know your postcode, current tariff, how much energy you use and what you currently pay. Look on line at www.uswitch.com. If you are not on line, you can ring uSwitch who can work out the best tariff for you – contact 08006888557.

2. Choose the best deal for you! 3. When you have found the right tariff, you can switch online or by calling the supplier who will make the switch for you. There are also simple measures you can take to keep your home comfortable and reduce heating and energy costs: n Ensure your curtains are closed at night to minimise heat loss. n Keep radiators and heaters clear so heat can circulate round them. n Turn off radiators in rooms you do not use and keep the door closed. n Increase the level of insulation in your home and install double-glazing and energy efficient boilers.

2 2 | SPRING 2019

Some of these larger measures can be expensive to carry out but there can be financial help available and they will reduce costs in the long run. The larger energy suppliers are part of a scheme (called the Energy Company Obligation) that may be able to fund or part-fund the work. You can get help from any participating supplier and they do not have to supply your energy. The Energy Saving Trust can provide free, independent information and advice on how to improve the energy efficiency of your home. They can be contacted on 0300 123 1234 or www.energysavingstrust.org.uk On the Age UK website (under the header “Consumer”), Fact Sheet 82 ‘Getting the Best Energy Deal’ has in depth information on switching tariffs. More tips can be also be found in Age UK leaflet: AGEUKIG30: Save Energy Pay less (under the header “Money and legal”). You can find these fact sheets on the Age UK website: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/services/information-advice/guides-and-factsheets/ Please contact us if you would like a copy of any of these to be sent to you. Call 01296 431911 or email age@ageukbucks.org.uk.

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