Getting On - Walton Community Council

=================January 2015
Main office
Help and information
01908 550700
Advocacy
01908 266697
CMK Drop-in
Getting On
Snack & Chat cafe,
day excursions:
01908 240450
Insurance office
01908 201178
Footcare Service
A rich life is a social life
Toenail-cutting service
In 1951, a man aged 65 could expect to
live to the age of 77 and today he can
expect to live to 86. By 2050 his life
expectancy would be 91, so Bert
Brennan [pictured left] who was born in
1923 is already ahead of schedule.
01908 557883
Fundraising team
01908 557891
Furniture store
6 Burners Lane
01908 263838
Gardening Service
01908 557885
Home Support Service
shopping & light housework
01908 557874
Handyperson Service
small electrical, plumbing,
carpentry jobs
01908 557885
Community Home
Visiting
01908 557875
Hospital Aftercare
Service
incorporating Home From
Hospital, Take Home & Settle,
Patient Support Service
01908 243864
Info & Advice
Bletchley 01908 647513
CMK 01908 240450
Olney 01234 712334
Peartree 01908 550700
Stony Stratford
01908 560822
Woburn Sands
01908 585774
Wolverton Town Hall
01908 266697
Lunch clubs
01908 557873
Relief Care
01908 243864
Age UK Milton Keynes,
The Peartree Centre, 1 Chadds
Lane, Milton Keynes MK6 3EB
www.ageukmiltonkeynes.org.uk
Bert, with Sue the cook: “A great friend.”
Research by Professor Alan Walker for
the Age UK publication Improving later
Life confirms that it is not money or
possessions that determine quality of life
(although they are important) but social
relationships and social activity. Bert
enjoys meeting friends and joining in the
activities at Age UK Milton Keynes lunch
clubs so much that he attends three, all
of them run by Sue McConnell. Widower
Bert says he has relatives living locally
but friends are essential to a happy life.
“I do look forward to going and I always
enjoy the food”, he says.
Joyce Perry and Betty Mason [pictured
left] say that they wouldn’t see each
Joyce and Betty enjoy chatting every week
other if they didn’t meet up at their lunch
club at Pritchard Court every week. The freshly-cooked hot meal is nice, but it is the
companionship that means the most to them. Joyce, who is ten years younger than
Betty, says: “Sometimes you just gel. Maybe the body is not as good as it could be but
there’s nothing wrong with our minds. We have a proper conversation, and we have the
same silly sense of humour.” Both Joyce and Betty agree that having transport to the
club is vital, meaning they do not have to rely on family to carry on a social life. “It gives
me independence, which is what most people my age want”, says Joyce.
In 2015 the word “charity” is a bit of a misnomer as a description of Age UK Milton
Keynes. It is a business with charitable aims; our services are an end in themselves, not
a means to make money. Age UK Milton Keynes does not pay a dividend to
shareholders nor bonuses to its workforce. An organisation that provides, for example,
over 1,100 hours of shopping and housework every month needs reliable staff who have
been DBS checked and are properly trained and managed. Such a volume of work and
a quality of service cannot be done by unpaid staff alone, and we set our charges to
cover our costs. The Milton Keynes Council draft budget for 2015 –2016 proposes to
make cuts of £322,000 to our funding. Age UK Milton Keynes will do everything it can to
keep services going, but we acknowledge that things will have to be done differently in
future. Ring 01908 550700 to find out more about Age UK Milton Keynes’ many services
and support.
Christmas quiz - we have a winner
Many thanks to everyone who attempted our trustee Di Payne’s
Christmas 2014 quiz, helping to raise a record £466. The winner, with an
impressive 49 out of 50, was Lorraine Curry (pictured middle left with
partner Roger, Di and her prize, a bottle of Champagne). Lorraine says
that being ill over the festive period gave her plenty of time to work away
at the solutions. Congratulations to the two runners-up who got 48 and
46 correct answers. The full list of answers is available on the
Fundraising page of the Age UK Milton Keynes website .
Lasting powers of attorney
Maureen Evans, our Information & Advice Officer, also runs her own
company, Evans Mediation and Paralegal Services Ltd. Maureen is
working in partnership with us to provide the drafting and preparation of
Lasting Power of Attorney documents and the preparation and
submission of applications for their registration. She charges £150.00
per application, of which 50% will be donated to Age UK Milton Keynes
and there is also a fee to be paid to the Office of the Public Guardian.
Contact Maureen on 01908 240450 10am to 1pm, Tuesdays and
Wednesdays or email [email protected] for details.
Transforming not excluding
IT Services Development Officer Bob Strudwick attended a symposium at
the House of Lords in January, which was organised by the South East
England Forum on Ageing (SEEFA) in partnership with South East Age
UKs. 75 participants were invited to discuss the impact of information
technology and innovation on later life. SEEFA and all Age UKs are
committed to encouraging and enabling older people to use new
technology, but design experts and business leaders need to hear the
views and experiences of older people themselves. A short report on the
symposium can be downloaded from our website.
Glamorous fashion show
Sunday 26th April, 2.00 - 4.30pm at The Peartree Centre
Our shop managers and their teams have a passion for fashion, and
have pulled together the very best stock from six of our charity shops for
our first ever fashion show at The Peartree Centre. All garments that
come down the catwalk, and more besides, will be available to buy on the
day. Guests will be greeted with canapés and a glass of fizz on arrival.
Stylist Lesley Sharpe and staff from John Lewis womenswear department
will be dispensing invaluable, professional style advice throughout the
evening. Tickets £10 (£8 in advance) from Sally Wood.
Diary dates MK Dragon Boat Festival 2015
Sunday 21st June 2015, 9.30am - 6pm at Willen Lake
If you enjoyed last year’s action-packed awesome event, don’t miss this
year’s deadline to sign up for another day of competitive, friendly racing.
Sign up your team of 16 and help raise vital funds for us. Contact Sally
Wood 01908 557891 for details.
The number of older people in Milton Keynes grows each year, so we at Age UK Milton Keynes need to plan ahead to maintain
and expand our services to meet ever changing needs. To continue our work with and for older people across the borough of
Milton Keynes we depend greatly on the generous support of local people.
This monthly newsletter aims to keep you informed about our work and the fundraising activities taking place to support it.
We hope you will be inspired to get involved and to help us carry on making a difference to thousands of people every year.
Please send any enquiries, including requests for no-quibble removal from the mailing list,
to [email protected]
Thank you.
@AgeUKMKchatter
@AgeUKMKshops
www.ageukmiltonkeynes.org.uk
Age UK Milton Keynes
Registered charity 1079773

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