News (94)
Our outings programme has been in full swing since late Spring with a couple of outings each month to places like a cruise on the Chichester Canal, a visit to the pretty Wickham Village, lunch at the Sinan Warren Hotel, a trip on the Watercress Line. Our latest was an afternoon trip locally up Butser Hill. Everyone enjoyed the views and had a short guided tour from the QE Country Park ranger team, with a stop off at the cafe and shop afterwards. We have such beauty on our doorstep and it was great to be able to take people out to enjoy it.
We had a lovely party this afternoon celebrating and thanking our amazing team of volunteers. We literally could not run any of our services without them. From drivers to lunch club helpers, IT coaches to befrienders, outing escorts to chatty cafe helpers. Myself and the trustees are grateful to them all. And thank you to Shedload who played acoustically for our entertainment.
Attend one of our surgeries with Ellie, Outreach Worker, from Citizens Advice to see if you are eligible for any of the following:
- Attendance Allowance
- Pension Credit
- Blue Badge
- Energy Help
- Carer’s Allowance (basic guidance)
If eligible and you need help with form filling you will be booked into the Citizens Advice office who can assist.
Surgery dates are Monday 6th Oct and Friday 17th Oct. Both 10-12noon in the Winton’s Cafe. No need to book - just turn up.
Come and join like minded people to strengthen every muscle in your body at our Chair Based Exercise classes. The next 6 week block starts on Thursday 18th September, 2.30-3.30pm, at the Winton House Centre. Cost £36. Our experienced tutor Bobbie (pictured here) can adapt the classes to suit your needs and it is also fun!
Iris Holt has been a volunteer with us for many years and as she approaches 90 years of age she has decided to retire. She worked as a befriender in Petersfield Hospital for many years, and has been a lunch club helper bringing her lively personality to all of our clients, along with her bursts of singing. We shall miss her boundless energy, her compassion and good company which we have had the pleasure of over the years. She won’t be standing still though and is already planning her next charity abseil down the Spinnaker Tower.
I hope you like our newsletter which is now produced in collaboration with the Winton House Centre to bring you news of services for older people that are generated from No.18. We run our charity from Winton House and also work closely with them to run joint activities and projects. Click below to see a copy.
Have you nominated someone to look after your health and financial affairs if you are unable to do so? Any of us could lose the capacity to make decisions for ourselves at any time. It is the number one thing you can do to make things easier for your loved ones. We are raising awareness of how easy and affordable it is to complete the lasting power of attorney forms and have made up some packs for you to collect. Each pack contains an information sheet, a Health & Care decisions form, and a Financial decisions form. The cost is £82 per form which is then registered. Call in to the WInton House Centre to collect your pack.
How exciting it was to have Shine Radio on our Wednesday shopping bus! Here they are chatting to the driver Graham and the passengers discovering what the service means to them. There is also a chat with the manager Sheridan about what else Age Concern do and how you can join in. The whole interview has a lovely friendly feel to is which is just what we try to convey in everything we do. Thanks to Mike and Phill who did the interviews - they were fantastic!
The P pod on the Age Concern Bus!
Everyone has a story to tell about their life and we have just held the first session of our life story project. The participants will meet over the next 8 weeks to gather stories and photos from each stage of life to be published in a beautiful book for them to share with friends and family. It is a great project for bringing people together, celebrating all that their lives have entailed and also thinking ahead to what's next. The sessions are run by Rachel Lewis creator of Memories and Milestones, and funded by East Hants District Council.
What a wonderful atmosphere at lunch club today with the bunting and decorations. Two of our volunteers (Peggy and Monique) dressed up as land girls and Shine Radio interviewed John and Julie Woodage who recalled wartime memories in Bordon and a VE celebration party on Rushes Road. Graham was cooking this week and did a delicious roast dinner and everyone had wine to toast the allied forces for bringing us peace.
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Hear the war time recollections and VE day memories from Peter Walker and Shirley Roberts - interviewed by Mike Waddington from Shine Radio. Peter is taking part in our Life Story Book project, and Shirley attends our Body Positive chair based exercise classes. How lovely to hear their stories.
Shirley Roberts -almost 92- remembers the end of the Second World War
New ACP Outing programme for May-October 2025
Written by Sheridan Rocher
We held a drivers meeting last week and it was great to see so many of the drivers there. They all drive the minibus either to lunch club, for shopping in town, or on our outings but due to the nature of the role we rarely see each other so it’s great for them to put faces to names. We also had 2 new drivers come along who will join the rota this month.
Hats (or aprons) off to Graham who has been covering for our cook Marian, over the past few weeks. He has been cooking some fabulous meals - with clients regularly telling him ‘that was as good as Marian’s’ which we know is the highest compliment he can get. Graham trained as a chef originally and recently cooked for the PACT Christmas day lunch. We are so lucky to have him as part of our team.