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Third Age Senior Citizens / Pensioners Forum
- Kensington & Chelsea
The First Article
The Kensington & Chelsea Times
Is now known as the The Kensington & Chelsea informer
Senior Citizens !
In April 1994, I set up an independent open forum in the
Kensington & Chelsea Times for use by senior citizens
and the organisations that serve
them
This includes the very small local organisations too, not
just the big ones. It was going to start off at just a column
a month, but at the time I had a verbal agreement with Mr
John Moore, the editor of the Kensington & Chelsea Times,
that it would be developed into a page a week.
So far, this has not happened ! Your physical numbers more
than justify a page a week. You are a massive social group,
you ARE news.
And where are the readers letters ???????
By now this forum should be a talking place, meeting point,
notice board, etc, etc, etc. Whatever suits you.
Perhaps those among you that have journalistic skills, could
assist the Kensington & Chelsea Times with the editing
of this forum. Why not ?
Feel free to copy what I have given you here, and pass it
around. ( Including this letter if you wish )
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| Sean Bryson |
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The Third Age
The Column For The Over 50's
By Helen Zach
Founded By Sean Bryson
You Can Also Use My Message Board
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Sean Bryson
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| Helen Zach |
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You may have seen posters recently in local shops
announcing that a column on matters of interest to older people
will appear monthly in the Times.
Sean Bryson, a volunteer with Sixty Plus, a Kensington &
Chelsea agency for the older person came to realise that older
people often do not know of rights and benefits they are entitled
to and that the public generally is also largely unaware of
the difficulties or for that matter the achievements of older
citizens.
He contacted the editor of the Times and he agreed to include
a column to raise the profile of this group. I have been asked
to do it as I have been involved in producing a similar weekly
column in the Ealing Gazette for some three years.
We hope that you, the reader, whether a private individual,
or on the staff of agencies for the older person will write
to us about any difficulties you may have or good news you would
like to share, information you want to pass on or to raise local
or national issues for consideration. In addition I'll bring
news from visits paid to organisations, conferences or to other
centres for senior citizens.
Mention was made of Sixty Plus in the first paragraph - how
well is it known ? It is a project of the Notting Hill Social
Council (An advisory body for new charities) concerned with
meeting the needs of the older people in the Borough to enable
them to be as independent as possible. It sprang from Pensioners
Link, now defunct. it has three full-time staff and a number
of trained volunteers who provide a range of valuable services
- they have a welfare rights advisor on the staff who covers
benefit claims, pensions, council tax, disability and housing
benefits, advice on budgeting and debt counselling.
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If you are housebound the worker will visit you at home,
but ring first on 081 969 9105.
There is a volunteer Befrienders scheme when someone will
visit you regularly to alleviate loneliness and help you get
out and about more.
There is a possibility of a Professional Decorating Service,
part of the borough-wide scheme to provide low-cost decorating.
Sixty Plus also runs a weekly shopping trip and gentle keep-fit
classes, an outing in the summer and, last but not least,
a grand Christmas party for 100 housebound pensioners with
a full dinner and a whole day of entertainment. There is a
volunteer car scheme in the borough to get you to the shops,
your doctor, or to visit a relative, this is if you have difficulty
using public transport.
( All visitors carry identity cards ) The agency also produces
an excellent guide to activities and services for pensioners.
This agency which does so much to enable the older person
to remain independent sorely needs more volunteers. If you
would like to help contact Sixty Plus on 081 969 9105 . Their
address is 7 Thorpe Close, the green door facing portobello
green, under the Westway, just across the road from Ladbroke
Grove station.
Please send contributions to Helen Zach, The Third Age,
c/o London Weekly Times, 134-136 The
Broadway, London W13 OTL
Ms Helen Zach can still be contacted via Age Concern / Ealing
135 Uxbridge Road, London W 13 tel 020 8567 8017 |
THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE FORUM, APRIL 1994
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bravenet.com
