Over 150 volunteers of all ages and diverse backgrounds help to support our members. Our activities aim to give older people increased independence and also provide a wide range of volunteering opportunities for people over the age of 16.
Our
current services include:
Help in the home
Volunteers provide a range of one-off and longer term support to help older people to maintain independence in their own homes.
Home visiting
Volunteers who want to develop a one-to-one relationship are linked with an older person for companionship and sympathetic listening. Volunteers generally visit weekly and may help those with impaired mobility to get out and about.
Practical help
Volunteers lend a helping hand with jobs such as sorting or packing belongings, hanging curtains, changing light bulbs or fitting door-chains and spy-holes to improve security.
Fire Safety
Sixty Plus is working with the London Fire Brigade to make sure that all older people protect themselves at home by installing a smoke alarm. If you would like a FREE home fire risk assessment carried out by the London Fire Brigade, ring 08000 28 44 28. They will also supply and fit a smoke alarm at no charge. SMOKE ALARMS SAVE LIVES!
Help getting around
Escorts
Volunteers act as escorts to older people for all sorts of appointments (medical or otherwise), to go shopping or just for a walk.
Group escorted shopping trips
Volunteer drivers and escorts enable people who cannot use public transport due to disability or frailty, to do their own shopping. Using accessible mini-buses, trips are run every Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, rotating trips to seven West London supermarkets.
Help in the garden
Starting as a crime prevention initiative in 1998, the Sixty Plus scheme, 'Garden Guardians' has expanded to include help of all kinds so that older people can continue to enjoy the benefits of nature and take pride in their environment.
Services offered include:
- Clearing overgrown gardens.
- Improving garden security (repairing fences or planting prickly ‘burglar deterrent’ plants).
- Mowing lawns, weeding and pruning.
- Collecting and delivering mulch.
- Advice on low maintenance gardening and tool adaptations to suit changing physical needs.
- A special gardening project in the Golborne ward of North Kensington, funded by Golborne United SRB, that provides opportunities for older gardeners to work with younger volunteers to beautify neglected areas of the neighbourhood.
Health Wise
Following a period of research into the health support needs of older people, Sixty Plus launched its Healthy Ageing initiative aimed at raising health awareness and involving older people in self-help initiatives and peer support to promote well-being in later years.
The Sixty Plus Health Wise project is a member of Age Concern England’s 'Ageing Well UK' programme and welcomes ideas from individuals or groups working in a similar field. The services aim to encourage peer support to tackle the difficult transitions associated with ageing. We make specific efforts to ensure that the benefits of Health Wise are accessible to older people from minority ethnic communities and others who for whatever reason have been unable to participate fully in health promotion schemes.Services developed so far:
Telephone Links
A support line and conferencing service for socially isolated older people living in RBKC. We accept self-referrals or referrals from other agencies. Volunteer callers are all over the age of 50 and receive training and support to provide sympathetic listening on a long-term or time-limited basis.
Senior Health Mentors
A programme using mature volunteers to encourage and support members facing the challenges of ageing. We accept self-referrals and referrals from other agencies.
Health Talks
A rolling programme of twice-monthly talks providing information on a range of health topics. The talks are free, open to all older residents and take place in accessible venues throughout the borough.
Health Road Shows
Travelling interactive health information events held at a number of accessible community venues.
Annual Health Fair
A yearly event held in early autumn with over 40 health information stalls and taster sessions on complementary therapies. Aimed at older people, this is an afternoon to raise health awareness in a relaxed and enjoyable way. Health Fair 2004 will took place on Friday, October 1st at Kensington Town Hall.
Seminars and support groups
These enable individuals to take control of their health and develop strategies for coping with chronic conditions and disability.
Intergenerational Project
The Sixty Plus Intergenerational
Project aims to create partnerships of mutual benefit between older people
and young volunteers (16 to 24 years).
The Intergenerational Project also promotes one-off schemes to promote
age exchange such as a video project where older and younger people explored
their views on crime and community safety in their neighbourhood.
Our current services include:
The Reading Project
This scheme matches older people who are blind or visually impaired with young volunteer readers. The volunteer visits the older person weekly to help with all aspects of domestic administration such as writing letters, sorting out bills from junk mail or tidying up address books.
Computer and Internet Training
The Computer Project matches an older person who wants to get up-to-date with modern technology, with a young 'computer coach' keen to share some high-tech knowledge. The pairs meet weekly with the learning goals set by the older person. This can range from word processing to computer games to becoming a 'silver surfer'. The service targets housebound learners through the loan of laptops.
English Language Support
This scheme matches an English speaking young volunteer with an older person looking for extra support to improve their spoken English. The emphasis is on everyday communication in natural situations.
Greeting Card Recycling Scheme
For many years Sixty Plus has sent recycled greeting cards to all registered members (currently 1,750) on their birthdays, Christmas, and at other occasions. Used cards are donated in their thousands and then remounted and decorated by Sixty Plus member and volunteer, Cai Martinez. Another older volunteer, Esme Bradley, handles the administration. The scheme is one way that Sixty Plus can stay in touch with its members and offer a reminder of the services available.
Sixty Plus Newsletter
The Sixty Plus Newsletter comes out four times a year and is packed with information about our own services as well as important news from other health and social care providers. Sent free to every member, the last issue gave advice on managing arthritis, opportunities for exercise and information about keeping warm this Winter.
The Sixty Plus Guide
A comprehensive and accessible book of information on services for older people in Kensington & Chelsea, the Guide is currently being updated and will be available free of charge early in the New Year.
Who is eligible for our services:
We may be able to help if you:
• are
over the age of 60,
• live in the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.
Give us a ring and we will arrange for a visit to assess your needs.
Useful links
Royal
Borough of Kensington & Chelsea - www.rbkc.gov.uk
Kensington & Chelsea Primary Care Trust - www.kc-pct.nhs.uk
Kensington & Chelsea Community Transport - www.kcct.org.uk
Open Age Project - www.openage.co.uk
Age Concern, Kensington & Chelsea - www.ackc.org.uk
Age Concern, UK - www.ageconcern.org.uk
Help the Aged -
www.helptheaged.org.uk