Still rocking the world with The Zombies and Argent

35 Pages·2012·6.26 MB·English

AGE UK SPRING 2012:Layout 1 05/03/2012 17:13 Page 1
f r ee !
age
matters
Issue 24 Spring 2012
Still rocking the
world with The
Zombies and Argent
Meet Jim Rodford and family
Photographic
Competition
Win a Canon
IXUS 117
HS Digital
Camera,
donated by
Jessops, and your
photo on our front cover
Great Bakes
Your favourite family recipes
Market Values
We visit St Albans Market
Be Smoke Free
in 2012
The NHS can help
Make a difference
Volunteer roles to suit you
Supported by
AGE UK SPRING 2012:Layout 1 05/03/2012 17:13 Page 2
AGE UK SPRING 2012:Layout 1 05/03/2012 17:14 Page 3
In this issue
4 Welcome
5 From the Editor
Love Herts Photographic Competition
6 Your Letters - recording family history
8 Information and Advice - we need volunteers
5
10-11 Fundraising - helping us support older people
14 Age UK Shops – Putting on the Ritz at Age UK’s
Central Watford Shop
List of local Age UK Shops
15-18 Health and Wellbeing - new Blue Badges help
tackle fraud
Improving access to social care
Herts gets £1/2m to keep people warm this winter
Smokers, we can help you make 2012 your 24
time to quit
Routine surgery for very overweight patients
Changes to the QEII’s adult and children’s A&E services
21 Active Ageing - Connecting: the new way to connect to
friends and family
24-25 Community – Market Values
26 Food – Great Bakes: Tattie Scones
27 Reading – ‘Before I Go to sleep’
28 Gardening – From Percy Thrower to Koi Carp
29 Leisure – The Grand Union Canal
30-31 Special Feature - Still rocking the world with The Zombies
30
and Argent. Meet Jim Rodford and family
32-33 Recruitment – Make a Difference: volunteer roles to suit you
Our cover photo shows Jim and Jean Rodford with sons Russell (guitarist) and
Steve (drummer), and granddaughters Anya and Cara (singers)
Age UK Hertfordshire Information and Advice Tel: [phone] Email: [email protected]
www.ageuk.org.uk/hertfordshire Head Office Tel: [phone]
Registered Charity Number 1116662
agemattersis produced with support from Hertfordshire County Council’s Health and Community Services. Health and
Community Services provides advice, support and care to older people, people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities
or sensory needs and other adults who are vulnerable and would have difficulty living independently without support. For
more information about Health and Community Services, Tel [phone]or visit www.hertsdirect.org/hcs
The inclusion of an insert or advertisement feature in agemattersdoes not imply endorsement by Age UK of any product
or service advertised.
agematters 03
AGE UK SPRING 2012:Layout 1 05/03/2012 17:14 Page 4
Welcome
As I am writing this the Met Office has
announced that 2012 has been the coldest
February since the 1980s
Several clients have said they feel intimidated
into attempting to undertake tasks that they do
not feel able to do and one woman in particular
was feeling very distressed as the service was
withdrawn after four weeks despite the fact she
was not fit enough to carry out some of her own
personal care.
This year has started in a very promising way
for Age UK Hertfordshire and the older people
we support. Local pharmaceutical company
Roche Products Ltd have chosen Age UK
Hertfordshire as its Charity of the Year which is
thrilling news. Roche has around 1,300
The hallways of Douglas Tilbe Club employees based at its Welwyn Garden City
lined with Winter Warmth packs office. The company focuses on developing
medicines and tools that enable tangible
improvements in the health, quality of life and survival of
We know that snow and ice can be treacherous for older patients. We will be reporting regularly in agematters on
people (and younger ones too) so we were very fortunate the innovative ways Roche employees have raised funds
at Age UK Hertfordshire to be awarded funding by Age UK for us and taken part in events which raise the profile of
and Hertfordshire County Council to help older people at older people.
risk during severe weather. We made up ‘winter warmth
bags’ containing woolly items of clothing, packets of hot We also have some fantastic news for older people and
chocolate, porridge oats, cuppa soup, biscuits and puzzle their carers who value the support given by our mental
books to distribute through 10 to 3 clubs, day centres, health services. We have just been informed that the Big
Age Concerns and GP surgeries across the county (apart Lottery Fund have agreed to fund Age UK Hertfordshire
from the two practices that said they didn’t have any for three years to continue and develop our mental
older clients who would benefit from these packs). We health work in partnership with Hertfordshire’s Joint
hope that these emergency supplies will provide some Commissioning Team. This is a tribute to the dedication
warmth, nutrition and entertainment for those not able of our Director of Operations, Jan Gough, our Health
to get out for a day or two due to icy conditions. I would Services Team Leader, Dawn Martin and all the staff and
like to thank all the agencies that have been involved in volunteers providing such high quality services to this
this campaign and our staff and volunteers that have vulnerable part of the community. I would also like to
been packing the bags and transporting them around the thank our Fundraising and Marketing Team Leader, Sarah
county. I do hope that it has helped individuals to keep Knight for all her hard work in putting this bid together
warm, safe and well. and Philippa Le Marquand for her contribution to the
final document. The Big Lottery Funding is hugely
I was delighted to receive a Christmas card from a competitive and we feel very privileged to receive our
satisfied client who wanted to let me know how much our third amount of funding from this source. I must be
telephone support service ‘InTouch’ had helped her. We careful not to encourage gambling but I am extremely
know our services make such a difference to older people’s grateful to everyone that buys a National Lottery ticket!
lives but it’s good to have that confirmed sometimes! We
also hear of older people who are not getting the service Marion Birch
they deserve and again, it is Hertfordshire Enablement Chief Executive
which is giving cause for concern. Age UK Hertfordshire
04 agematters
AGE UK SPRING 2012:Layout 1 05/03/2012 17:14 Page 5
From the Editor
Welcome to 2012 and the spring issue of agematters
I love spring, it’s the start of new beginnings. Hedges of Wellbeing Team. If, however, you
golden forsythia line the country lanes and soon want to learn new skills or get
woodland will be covered in a sea of bluebells. involved in your local community
and make a difference visit our recruitment pages 32-33.
This year agematters has an extra four pages and we’re We have a whole range of volunteering roles to suit you.
positively blooming with interesting articles and useful
information. Our cover star is Jim Rodford, bass player with If you love our beautiful county why not enter our fabulous
The Zombies and Argent, and his musical family who, photography competition – details below. You could get
Features Writer, Philippa Le Marquand and our your winning entry on the front cover of agematters. So
photographer, Argent fan Nic Cooper were lucky enough to put your camera over your shoulder, get outside and get
meet. We’ve introduced a new section on recipes and in snapping or sit down with your sunshine filled copy of
our first mouthwatering article you can try your hand at agematters. It’s full of the joys of spring.
Tattie Scones – an old family recipe from Scotland. We’ve
also travelled to the fabulous St Albans Market to meet One of last year’s Art Competition judges, Jackie Bennett, is
street savvy stall holders with a tale or two. exhibiting her work as part of the Herts Visual Arts Textile
Our fundraising activities are now in full swing and you can Group Exhibition ‘Weather or Not’ on 22 April - 24 June
learn how a gift in your Will can help future generations 2012outdoors and inside Gallery 1 at Mill Green Museum,
get the most out of later life. The New Year is a great time Mill Green, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 5PD Opening Times:
to make a real change and if your New Year’s resolution is to Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 10am – 5pm and
give up smoking then help is at hand from the Health and Sundays from 2am – 5pm. Come along and be inspired.
Love Herts Photographic Competition
Chief Executive: Marion Birch
Editor: Alison Smith
Win a Canon IXUS 117 HS Digital Camera Feature Writer: Philippa Le Marquand
Editorial Team:
worth £99.95, donated by Jessops, and
Jan Gough
get your picture on our front cover Neil Anderson
Sarah Knight
Margaret Nash
If you love your county and enjoy taking All entries must be received
Gemma Douglas
photographs why not enter our no later than 18 June 2012. Entrants
photographic competition? We’re looking may submit up to three pieces of work only. Tel: [phone]
for an image that really demonstrates All pieces of work submitted must be the Email:
what makes Hertfordshire such a special work of the individual submitting them. [email protected]
Designed by: Michael Harrison
county to you. Maybe it’s a building or a Images may be of any subject which
Email: [email protected]
landscape or just something special that illustrates the competition’s theme but will Distributor: Mick Barnett
be judged as pictorial in nature. They may
you capture one day. It could be a Printed by:Precision Colour Printing
townscape, a bustling market or a moment be naturalistic, creative or experimental Tel: [phone]
and be digitally manipulated in any Web: www.pcpltd.net
of solitude. You may find inspiration in the
manner.
beautiful countryside with its lush flowers,
Where to Get Your
fabulous waterways, wildlife and birds
The entries will then be judged and the top Copies of agematters
which sums up our county.
10 entries will appear in the autumn 2012
You can get your copy of agematters
issue of agematters where the public will
from your local library, GP surgery, Age
To enter: Please send your entries by
be invited to vote on their favourite entry. UK Shop, local Age Concern group, Age
email or post to Alison Smith, Editor, The winner will receive a Canon IXUS 117 UK Hertfordshire 10 to 3 clubs and day
agematters Photographic Competition, HS Digital Camera worth £99.95 kindly centres, other Age UK Hertfordshire
Age UK Hertfordshire, 1 Silver Court, donated by Jessops, Watford. The winning schemes and other selected outlets
Watchmead, Welwyn Garden City, entry will appear on the front page of the including some residential and
sheltered housing schemes and local
Hertfordshire AL7 1LT winter 2012 issue of agematters and
clubs or online at
Email: [email protected] runners up will also appear in this issue.
www.ageuk.org.uk/hertfordshire
Tel: [phone] A full set of rules should For more information please call
*The competition is open to anyone over the age
be obtained from the editor before Mick Barnett, Distributor on
of 50 including volunteers and trustees of Age
entering and can be viewed online at 01707 323272
UK Hertfordshire but excluding paid members of
www.ageuk.org.uk/hertfordshire staff whether full time, part time or casual.
agematters 05
AGE UK SPRING 2012:Layout 1 05/03/2012 17:14 Page 6
Your letters
Ronald Morton sent a very HALS also coordinate The Making Memories Project
which is about collecting and preserving memories of
interesting letter to agematters
Hertfordshire that might otherwise be lost. Interactive
about recording family history. websites have been set up for people with any
Hertfordshire connections to add their memories,
Mr Morton writes:
research and pictures. The main site,
www.hertsmemories.org.uk is the site for people
“I had no idea Age UK existed until I was given a copy (of throughout the county to add their memories.
agematters) when I visited my surgery. I have to say I
was impressed with the content. I have always been
Other websites have been launched for Welwyn Garden
interested in ancestry and a few years ago I decided to
City, Broxbourne, Hatfield, Hertford and Ware, Stevenage,
write a history of events throughout my life. I would like
Oxhey, Letchworth and Dacorum. Each website has a
to think that if every parent or elder did something
team of volunteer editors who help to develop the design
similar it would be of interest to their descendants over
of the website. They welcome a wide variety of material
hundreds of years to come.”
on the websites. You can add a personal recollection, a
gallery of photos, or some research you have undertaken
Mr Morton has certainly had a very interesting life. He
into any aspect of Hertfordshire‘s past. Staff from
recalled, at the age of 16, having once smoked one of
Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies are able to visit
Winston Churchill’s cigars which his father, a foreman
local community groups to talk about the project and
decorator, had brought back home from Downing Street;
give demonstrations of how to use the websites.
an enjoyable time spent as an evacuee helping out at a
local forge; then back in London as a 14 year old making
For more information contact Daphne Knott, Learning
furtive sorties to watch “the searchlights picking up
enemy aircraft” until a close encounter with shrapnel put and Access Officer Tel: [phone]
paid to it. Later on he witnessed two aeroplanes Email: [email protected]
demonstrating, for the first time, “going through the
sound barrier”. As a Field Service Engineer, Mr Morton
travelled the world experiencing local customs in Japan
STOP PRESS: The
and entertaining a visiting KGB officer from the USSR.
summer issue of
I am sure that many of you, like me will have a mixture agematters will be an
of memories from the momentous to the memorable Olympics specialso if
which you would love to record for family and friends. It
you’ve got memories of previous Olympics,
is a great thing to pass on to future generations and I
if you have taken part in the Olympics or if
encourage you to do so. If you would like to share your
memories with a wider audience Hertfordshire Archives you are going to the Olympics for the first
and Local Studies may be able to help. time we’d love to hear from you, so please
get in touch – details below.
Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies(HALS) offers
a place of deposit where records can be stored safely
and securely and a place of research where members of Write to or email us- we love hearing
the public can gain access to their heritage. The records from you. Whether you want to share your
are preserved in safe and secure conditions for
memories, there’s something we can help
generations to come. They are made available to
you with or you would simply like to get in
students, family historians and anyone else who wants
to see them, free of charge. They are listed and touch, please write to: Alison Smith,
catalogued by professional archivists and where Editor, Your Letters, agematters, Age UK
necessary repaired and conserved. If you are a private
Hertfordshire, 1 Silver Court,
individual HALS would be very pleased to receive
Watchmead, Welwyn Garden City,
documents of historical interest such as deeds, family
papers, photographs, diaries and much more. Hertfordshire AL7 1LTor you can put
mouse to mouse mat and email me at:
Contact:Tel: [phone] or email
[email protected]
[email protected] or write to Hertfordshire
I look forward to hearing from you
Archives and Local Studies, Register Office Block, CHR 002,
County Hall, Pegs Lane, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG13 8EJ
06 agematters
AGE UK SPRING 2012:Layout 1 05/03/2012 17:14 Page 8
Volunteers, could you provide vital
information to older people and
help them claim benefits?
If so, why not join our Information and Advice Team
Brian Saffery Information and Advice Team Leader reports
The volunteer hours are flexible and full training will be
given. You will be joining a dedicated, friendly and
knowledgeable team who will also provide on the job
coaching.
Information and Advice - helping
older people with form filling and
claiming benefits
The other positions available are for volunteers who are
prepared to call on older people, by appointment, in
their own homes and to offer them Information and
Advice. These visits are required in all parts of the
county and volunteers would report to and receive
support from either our Watford or Hitchin offices.
During 2011 Age UK Hertfordshire’s information and
Many older people are completely unaware of their rights
Advice staff and volunteers secured £1.9m in unclaimed
and the benefits that they may be eligible for and turn to
benefits for older people, they took 6,802 calls on our
Age UK Hertfordshire for help, support and guidance. The
Information and Advice Line and visited 1,560 people in
requests are varied and range from paying for care to
their homes.
benefits advice and, if appropriate, filling in benefit
claims. Additional monies from benefits can make a
The team are now looking to recruit volunteers to provide
significant difference to older people and often helps
essential support over the telephone and to visit older
them retain their independence.
people in their own homes to assist them with paperwork
and claiming benefits.
Full training will be given and volunteers for this role
are expected to attend benefit training courses. You
Information and Advice Line
will be joining the same team that also runs our
- helping older people and Information and Advice Line and you will help us
their families make a huge difference to the lives of
older people in Hertfordshire.
Our Information and Advice Line is often the first port of
This excellent project is supported
call for older people, their families, friends, carers and
by the Big Lottery Fund.
other organisations such as Social Services and Health
Workers seeking support and advice. It is open from 9am
to 4pm Monday to Friday and is used extensively by older If you are interested in either of these roles
people and their families. The enquiries are interesting, please contact the HR Team to find out more
varied and sometimes quite demanding. We offer
Tel: [phone]
Information and Advice on a whole range of subjects
Email: [email protected]
from help with transport to benefits advice. The service
can be a lifeline to older people.
08 agematters
AGE UK SPRING 2012:Layout 1 05/03/2012 17:14 Page 9
AGE UK SPRING 2012:Layout 1 05/03/2012 17:14 Page 10
Fundraising -
helping us
support older
people
Sarah Knight, Marketing and
Fundraising Team Leader, reports on
how your money can help Age UK
Hertfordshire provide vital support
to older people in the county
Your Will could Making a Will
help older people
Making a Will is the best way to ensure your loved ones
in Hertfordshire are looked after and that your wishes are carried out
after you die. If you die without having made a Will, your
Age UK Hertfordshire
property may not go to the people you expected it to go
understands that, when
to. Age UK Hertfordshire has outlined some facts on
making your Will, taking
Wills which could help you to ensure your wishes are
care of friends and
carried out.
family comes first. But
“Age UK Hertfordshire perhaps once you have
• When you make your Will, you can choose executors
helped me to regain my taken care of your loved
independence” who will administer your estate according to the
ones you might
wishes you outline in your Will. Executors can be
consider leaving a gift in
friends, relatives or a professional such as a solicitor.
your Will to Age UK Hertfordshire.
Executors can also be beneficiaries in the Will.
Without a Will, your closest relative will
A gift to Age UK Hertfordshire will provide vital
automatically become the executor.
support to older people throughout the county. Your
gift could provide support to isolated older people in
• Two people (aged 18+) must witness you signing
their own homes or enable older people to live more
your Will. Witnesses must not benefit from the Will
active lifestyles and maintain their independence.
and cannot be the same people as the executors of
the Will.
If you would like further information on • You can make your own Will by using packs available
in stationery shops. However, unless your Will is likely
leaving a gift in your Will, please contact
to be very straightforward, it may be better to use a
Sarah Knight:
solicitor or professional Will Writer.
Tel: [phone]
Email: [email protected] • A list of local solicitors can be found through the
Law Society www.lawsociety.org.uk or through
Write to:Sarah Knight, Age UK Hertfordshire,
Solicitors for the Elderly
1 Silver Court, Watchmead, Welwyn Garden
www.solicitorsfortheelderly.com, alternatively
City, Hertfordshire AL7 1LT you can contact Age UK Hertfordshire’s
Information and Advice Line on 0845 601 3446.
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AGE UK SPRING 2012:Layout 1 05/03/2012 17:14 Page 11
John Darby and Mick Barnett
Age UK making Winter Warmth packs
Hertfordshire
Fundraising
We recently received funding from the
Grants Team from Age UK’s London Hub
to produce Winter Warmth Packs for
service users of our 10 to 3 Clubs, as
well as funding from Hertfordshire
County Council to produce packs for
older people throughout the county. Margaret Hulme, Grants Manager
The packs included cuppa soups, from Age UK’s London hub
handing Winter Warmth packs to
sachets of hot chocolate, service users
thermometers, hats, scarves, and
other items to help older people keep
warm and well throughout the cold and icy weather. The
Grants Team from Age UK’s London Hub visited Douglas
Tilbe Club to help distribute the packs they had funded.
Margaret Hulme, Grants Manager was very impressed
with Douglas Tilbe Club and the packs we produced. She
said, “I love it. I want everyone from Age UK’s Head
Office to come out and visit places like this. It’s so
important.” Age UK Hertfordshire distributed Winter
Warmth packs throughout the county. We hope you all
stayed warm and well this winter.
How you can help us
‘AUK01 £5’ to 70070. Donations sent via text will
usually incur your standard text message fee. Please
We could not achieve the vast support we provide to
refer to your tariff for details of your standard text
older people throughout Hertfordshire if we did not
message fee. Please check with the bill-payer before
receive support from members of the Hertfordshire
donating.
community. Every donation we receive helps older
people in Hertfordshire.
• Send a cheque addressed to ‘Age UK Hertfordshire’
How could your donation help? and post it to: Fundraising Team, Age UK
Hertfordshire, 1 Silver Court, Watchmead, Welwyn
£10 could help an older person to learn new IT skills Garden City, Hertfordshire AL7 1LT
£30 could provide goods for an arts and crafts class
at one of our 10 to 3 Clubs
£75 could train a volunteer to provide support to If you would like further information on
older people in Hertfordshire
donating, or on how you could fundraise in
aid of Age UK Hertfordshire, please contact
If you would like to help older people in Hertfordshire,
there are several ways you can donate: Sarah Knight on 01707 386070or
email: [email protected]
• Donate online by visiting
www.justgiving.com/ageuk-hertfordshire
You can make a one-off donation or set up a regular
Thank you to Roche who have made Age
payment.
UK Hertfordshire their charity of the year
for 2012! We are looking forward to
• Donate by text message: Simply text AUKH01 plus
the amount you wish to donate (minimum of £1 and seeing the innovative fundraising ideas
a maximum of £10) to 70070. For example, text Roche staff will carry out.
agematters 11