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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 !
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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