Press Release
Age Concern Bolton Celebrates 60th Anniversary
This autumn sees Age Concern Bolton celebrating 60 years of working with and on behalf of Bolton’s over 50s.
This established and highly regarded charity emerged onto the post-war scene as the Bolton Old People’s Welfare Committee. Well-intentioned, if rather old-fashioned “charity” was dispensed from a modest wooden hut in Moor Lane, just a stone’s throw from the organisation’s present-day Ashburner Street Centre. Over the years, the whole feel, nature and, importantly, the name of the charity have changed to reflect the very different circumstances and aspirations of today’s over 50s, as Gareth Evans, the Chief Officer explains:
“Advice, information, befriending, day care and handyman services, together with our hugely popular town centre café and a borough-wide network of lunch and leisure clubs, have always featured prominently in our portfolio of services. And of course we offer a range of insurance products and related services including home and contents, travel and motor insurance; a motor breakdown service; gas and electricity packages and pre-paid funeral plans.
“More recently, we’ve been looking at how we can better support older people to remain fit and active, both physically and mentally, in later life. We’ve achieved this in two ways. Firstly, through our imaginative Ageing Well programme which offers a variety of exercise programmes, walking and swimming clubs etc and, as a reward for all that physical exertion, we have complementary aromatherapy and reflexology services. Secondly, we’re also a significant provider of short courses and other recreational learning activities. These are available in our modern and comfortable Learning and Resources Centre in Farnworth. The Centre opened seven years ago and proved an instant success. We offer a wide range of courses/activities including computer, modern languages, music keyboard and arts and crafts courses, together with dancing, keep fit and much more. All the activities are led by highly skilled and motivated volunteer tutors who provide lots of encouragement and support, and the emphasis is very much on learning for pleasure.”
We asked Gareth to identify the key factors behind Age Concern Bolton’s continuing success.
“There are three. Firstly, we work hard to reflect the changing needs and aspirations of older people. If we didn’t, we’d be out of business. Naturally, our work today is very different to that in the 1940s. Many people assume – incorrectly – that we work exclusively with very frail and dependent older people, and whilst this continues to be an important aspect of our work, it’s only a part of the picture. We enjoy huge success in engaging with younger, active and independent older people through, for example, our ageing well work and the terrific opportunities available in our Learning Centre. And we’ve changed the way we communicate with older people. Many still prefer to contact us in person or by phone and we welcome this very direct contact. Others, however, prefer to use e-mail and internet technologies and so, to reflect this, we now have a detailed and user-friendly website which is regularly updated.
“Partnership working is very important to us. We enjoy highly effective and mutually beneficial relationships with partners in the statutory and voluntary sectors, which enable us to promote new services and initiatives. We’ve recently set up a free and confidential counselling service in partnership with the highly respected Beacon Bolton Counselling Service and a new befriending service in South Turton, in partnership with Bolton Council’s Adult Services Department. We have ambitious plans to establish the first bespoke Active Ageing Centre in Bolton, again in partnership with Bolton Council and the Primary Care Trust. And there are other new initiatives on the horizon.
“But for me the single most important factor behind our success is that, from our inception, we were and remain a voluntary organisation with volunteers at the heart of all that we do. We enjoy the support of over 300 volunteers, of all ages and from all walks of life. Individually, and as a team, they bring invaluable commitment, skills, experience and expertise to all aspects of our work with, and on behalf of older people and our success is their success.”
For further details of volunteering opportunities with Age Concern Bolton, and information on all the charity’s services and activities ring them on 01204 382411, or call in to the Ashburner Street Centre (between the main bus station and the Ashburner Street market) or visit the website: www.ageconcernbolton.org.uk
AGE CONCERN BOLTON
Volunteer your friendship
Age Concern Bolton is appealing to caring individuals who have a couple of hours to spare each week, to join their new befriending service in the South Turton area of Bolton. The service offers friendship and support to older people who are housebound or who feel isolated in some way. It builds on the success of the charity’s existing service in the Farnworth, Kearsley and Little Lever areas, and similarly popular schemes operating in Halliwell, Horwich and Westhoughton.
This latest service is funded jointly by Age Concern and Bolton Council and takes in Harwood, Bradshaw, Egerton and Bromley Cross, and will be conveniently based in the popular and welcoming Harwood Library. Kath Teece, Age Concern’s newly appointed Co-ordinator of the service explains:
“Consultation undertaken by Bolton Council within the South Turton community demonstrated a real need for this type of support for older people. Something as simple as having someone to talk to, on a one-to-one basis, in a relaxed and unhurried way, really does make a difference to the overall well-being of older people as individuals. We’ve already had an excellent response to our appeal for people to come forward as befriending volunteers, but we still need more.
“It’s a hugely rewarding and satisfying role and a great way to help people in a very practical way. It’s also a good way of making new friends and, at the same time, putting something back into your own community. Volunteers don’t need any particular experience or expertise – just a caring approach, a genuine interest in the well-being of older people, and an hour or so each week to spend with the person you’re visiting. And it’s really up to them and you to agree how you want to spend this time together. It can be chatting over a cuppa at home, or visiting the local shops or library or any number of different things. In return, we’ll provide you with all the necessary training and support you require and, most important of all, our guarantee that you’ll enjoy being part of this valuable and valued service.”
If you want to be part of this new venture or would like more details, please get in touch with Kath. She can be contacted at Harwood Library, between 9.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. or ring her on Bolton 332866 (e-mail: kathteeceageconcernbolton.org.uk).
More volunteers are also needed for Age Concern’s established befriending service in Farnworth, Kearsley and Little Lever, as Acting local Co-ordinator, Harold Heywood explains:
“I’d be delighted to hear from anyone living in the south of the borough as we still struggle to keep up with the demand for this service. As well as visiting older people in their own homes, we also offer a telephone based befriending service, where volunteers keep in touch with service users via a weekly telephone chat. In this way we can support even more people. So do please get in touch if you can help with either of these services.”
Harold can be contacted at Age Concern’s Learning and Resources Centre in Cross Street, Farnworth, or by phone on Bolton 701525 (e-mail: haroldheywoodageconcernbolton.org.uk).
ENDS
Comic Mastermind supports Bolton benefits campaign
Comic Dave Spikey delighted customers, volunteers and staff, when he visited Age Concern Bolton’s busy and popular town-centre café, to lend his support to the town’s ‘Feel the Benefit’ campaign. Eileen O’Rourke, Information and Advice Officer at Age Concern Bolton, explains:
“Bolton Council, supported by key partners, is leading a major new campaign for local older people, this winter. ‘Feel the Benefit’ aims to make them aware of the extra benefits they could be entitled to, and also gives some top tips on how to keep warm throughout the cold winter months. A new hotline has been set up which links callers to a dedicated team of advisers who, as well as giving advice, will issue a specially devised information pack. Importantly, this, and the complete range of imaginative promotional initiatives has been informed by Age Concern Bolton’s service users and other older people. We were delighted when local celebrity, Dave Spikey, readily agreed to help with promoting the campaign.”
Photograph shows: Age Concern Bolton volunteer, Irene Aspden being served a cup of tea by Dave Spikey.
