Age Concern Bristol

Age Concern Bristol is an independent charity (federated to Age Concern nationally) established in October 1994 and reliant on the goodwill of local people to support its work with older people living within the city of Bristol. Dianne McCarthy, Director of Age Concern Bristol, told us more about the organisation and its services.

What do you do and what services do you offer?

We promote and provide services that minimise risk and enable older people to live as independently as possible. These include an information & advice service; practical services including gardening and small DIY jobs & a vetted trades persons list; Link-Up Scheme; Roundhouse day service; Floating Housing Support Service & Trading Services.

New work includes outreach information and advice work, advocacy, supporting older people to have their views heard. We also work with Age Concern England to support campaigns such as Pensioner’s Rights, Age Discrimination and ‘Hungry to be Heard’.

The ‘Hungry to be Heard Campaign’ is tackling the widespread problem of malnutrition in hospitals. From January, there will be two free brochures available from Age Concern which are aimed at helping reduce the risk of older people becoming malnourished whilst in hospital and alerting people to the early warning signs of malnutrition.

For the last nine years, Age Concern Bristol has been working alongside Brunelcare to hold quarterly Research Forum meetings aimed at communicating the results of relevant policy research to planners, managers, service providers and users in the Bristol area. Many of these talks have had positive outcomes and the researchers have been able to discuss with people present the sensitive issue of access to staff or service users in future projects.

What is your staffing structure?

We employ 10 full time and 21 part-time staff. A Board of 14 Trustees made up of volunteers with a range of relevant knowledge and skills take overall responsibility for the governance of the organisation.

What do your volunteers do and what training do you offer your volunteers?

Without the hard work and commitment of volunteers, Age Concern Bristol (ACB) could not provide many of its services. Volunteers are important and valued members of the team at ACB. Volunteers are trained and supported to:

• Provide a telephone information and advice line.
• Visit isolated older people in their own homes and link them to the services they need.
• Help to run activity groups and be a listening ear at our day centre.
• Help with administration and reception services.
• Undertake practical DIY tasks & gardening jobs.

We offer induction training to all our volunteers as well as other training opportunities. These have included Welcoming Diversity, Elder Abuse and Age Discrimination. We also organise volunteer meetings, have a volunteer rep on our board and produce regular news sheets for volunteers.

What challenges are you facing as an organisation?

Bristol has an ageing population who are living longer and subsequently may have increasing economic, health & social care needs as they get older.

As with most voluntary & community sector organisations, funding is an ongoing worry. Finding funding to sustain existing services (and develop new ones) to meet the growing demands of an ageing population is a challenge.

What do you think of the service provision for older people in Bristol?

We all have to face getting older. Services will have to become more flexible if they are to respond effectively to the expanding but changing needs of older people.

While technology can increasingly provide more efficient support systems particularly in reducing physical risk, more people are living alone and as they get older may become more socially isolated.

There is a need to widen choice and challenge age discrimination. Older people have the right to work, participate in leisure and educational activities as well as have access to quality health services.

Transport services need to be more responsive to local need if older people are to be encouraged to ‘age well’ & participate fully in community life.

Do you have any events or new services being launched in 2007?

Winter Gardening - We are starting a pilot scheme where we undertake pruning and general tidy-up in gardens during the winter months.

Home Safety Advisor Scheme - an exciting development from our very popular Handyman scheme. We are currently training our first Home Safety Advisor, who will offer a free home safety check, which will include hazard assessment, signposting and an offer of repairs under the Handyman scheme.

Cyber Café – to be opened in the New Year and based at our offices in Canningford House.

What do you get out of being a member of Voscur?

Regular information about the voluntary sector

How can people get in contact you?

Age Concern Bristol, Canningford House, 38 Victoria Street, Bristol BS1 6BY Tel: 0117 929 7537 Email: admin@ageconcernbristol.org.uk www.ageconcernbristol.org.uk