The Echo - E Bulletin of the Elders Council

Older Voices, Radio Show of the Elders Council
Next programme is Sunday 26th February 2023 from 2-4pm

You can listen to Older Voices every Sunday afternoon on Nova Radio North East 102.5fm,
You can also listen again on the Later Life Audio and Radio Co-operative’s mixcloud page, link below to the latest programme.
Older Voices 19.2.23: Mental Health: Counsellor/Researcher; Alzheimers Society; yoga teacher. by LLARCooperative | Mixcloud

The style of the programmes will vary as every other week there will be a single topic with only one presenter.

If you would like to hear about the stories and the people who helped to create the Elders Council, listen in to our Older Voices podcast Older Voices 220, 12 February 2023: The birth of the Elders Council by LLARCooperative | Mixcloud.
We would love to hear your feedback.

If you have a story to tell about how you first got to know the Elders Council, call us or email or write in. It’s your story too!

☎ phone: 0191 208 2701
or email info@elderscouncil.org.uk

Later Life Sexual Health, Wellbeing and Intimacy (LLARC podcast)

An episode of Care Speaks in which Mervyn Eastman talks to Sharon Hinchliff of Sheffield University on this seldom talked about topic.
Care Speaks is a brand new podcast hosted and produced by the Institute of Health and Social Care Management in partnership with Later Life Audio and Radio Cooperative.
Please let us have your feedback on this and other LLARC podcasts.
Care Speaks Meets Sharon Hinchliff by Care Speaks (anchor.fm)

☎ phone: 0191 208 2701
or email info@elderscouncil.org.uk

Active Travel Strategy Consultation

Wednesday 1^st March 2023 – 11.00 am –12.30 pm at Elders Council office, Campus for Ageing and Vitality

Come along to find out more about the North East Active Travel Strategy North East Active Travel Strategy Public Consultation - Transport North East and what it might mean for you.
Please let us know if you can come so we can organise ☕🍪

☎ phone: 0191 208 2701
or email info@elderscouncil.org.uk

Pension Credit

Last year, the Elders Council asked Newcastle City Council to support a Pension Credit Campaign.
The Council responded by writing to 775 individuals who, according to their records, might be eligible for Pension Credit. Of those, 211 are now on Pension Credit (over 27%). It’s hoped the exercise will be repeated for the other 500 individuals.
If you are on a low income and think you may be eligible for Pension Credit, please check Pension Credit - Information Now.
It could make a big difference to your life.

☎ phone: 0191 208 2701
or email info@elderscouncil.org.uk

Wellbeing for Life, Jesmond Library
Wednesday 1st March from 1030-12 noon

'Bread and Cheese' is the topic for this session and everyone is being encouraged to attend in person where possible. If you haven't been before, perhaps you are new to the area or interested in finding out about local activities, you will be made very welcome. Light refreshments are available at the end of the session.
If you would like to join via Zoom or find out more, then the contact details are shown below.

email: events@jesmondlibrary.org

Need help with your smartphone, tablet or laptop?

Wednesday afternoons (term time) 2.00 – 4.00 pm in Room 208, Squires Building, Sandyford Road, NE1 8SB
Northumbria University City Centre Campus

Northumbria University student volunteers will be there to help you solve IT problems.
No need to book, but contact us below if you would like more information about the sessions or directions to the venue.

☎ phone: 0191 208 2701
or email info@elderscouncil.org.uk

Have your say on Urgent Care Services
Tuesday 14^th March 2.00 – 4.00 pm

The Elders Council has been invited by the NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board to hold a focus group on people’s experiences and expectations of Urgent Care Services in the City.
The focus group session will take place on at our offices on the Campus for Ageing and Vitality (Old General Hospital).
We would like you to join us as your views and experiences are invaluable.
Please contact us below to book your place.

☎ phone: 0191 208 2701
or email info@elderscouncil.org.uk

Thank you for your support

The Elders Council would like to thank UNITE Retired Members for their recent generous donation, following a presentation to their group by one of our volunteers.

We would also like to thank EC members who regularly send in donations.
Your contributions are greatly appreciated and help us to continue the work of the organisation.

☎ phone: 0191 208 2701
or email info@elderscouncil.org.uk

Facebook and Twitter

Often between e-bulletin issues we share information or upcoming events on social media.
If you have a presence on either of these platforms don't forget to 'follow' and 'like' our posts as this means others will be able to see what we share.

Hew Locke – The Procession
18th February to 11th June 2023 at The Baltic, Gateshead quayside

Don’t miss the opportunity to visit Hew Locke’s The Procession.

It’s an extraordinary and thought-provoking piece and you can take a preview by clicking the link below.
Hew Locke The Procession | Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art

If you visit the exhibition, send us a message to tell us what you thought.

☎ phone: 0191 2082701
or email: info@elderscouncil.org.uk

WinG Outdoor Activities Programme

WinG are back for 2023 with a selection of wonderful Outdoor Wellbeing Winter Activities which are
available now for adults, charities, NHS referrals and groups.

1. Winter Cheviot Walk: Tuesday 21st Feb
2. Country Cycle ride: Saturday 25th Feb
3. Canoe river trip: Friday 3rd March
4. Hadrian’s Wall Walk Saturday 11th March: Pick up 9:30am - Finish 5:00pm COST: £20 per person Discounts available.
All essential outdoor equipment and minibus transport provided
You must book by

☎ phone: 07506 176 888
or email: info@wingoutdooractivities.org
WinG Outdoor Activities Website: www.wingoutdooractivities.org

School Half Term Activities in Newcastle

Newcastle Discovery Museum

Great North Museum

Brunswick Club Programme for March 2023
Every Tuesday from 1030 - 12 noon at Brunswick Hall, Newcastle

March 7: Christopher Tipple Tchaikovsky, a Life in Torment
March 14: David Faulkner 60th Anniversary Meeting Three American Visitors to Newcastle Martin Luther King, Jimmy Carter, Muhammad Ali.
March 21: Gordon Henderson Roman Medicine
March 28: Geoff Hughes Newcastle Through the Ages

Everyone welcome, £3 per session or your 1st visit free

Bannocks & Blood
An interactive evening and fundraiser with Ann Cleeves
Sunday 5^th March at 6.30 pm at The Black Swan Art Centre, Newcastle

Boho Arts are all about creating workshops, performances, events, projects and experiences that involve, include and inspire people.
There’s nothing they love more than bringing people and communities together to connect, collaborate and be creative.
You may like to find out more about them by joining their next fundraising event.
Tickets are limited so if you are interested be quick, and you can find out about accessibility and prices by clicking the link below.

Fundraiser Events | Boho Arts

St James Heritage & Environment Group
Memories of old Benwell Village - Monday 6th March, 1pm at West End Library

There are a few places left for the talk, so be quick. They would like to hear your own memories of the village and St John's Church, so do take along any old photographs you would be willing to share.

Spring has come to the Graveyard

The first Spring flowers have appeared in St James' graveyard, snowdrops, crocuses, primroses and daffodils, with many more still to come. Visitors are welcome on Wednesdays between 10am to 1pm.

Volunteering, Research and Consultations

If you were listening to our Older Voices show on Sunday 19 February, you’ll remember Anne Hayward, Counsellor and Researcher, talking about older people’s mental health.
During her chat with us, she said that she would be grateful for volunteers to take part in her study of older adults’ experience of engaging with psychological therapies.
If you’d like to do that, please write to her at
A.Hayward@exeter.ac.uk

Have you created a workspace at home to enable you to work/volunteer?

Our colleagues at Northumbria University are seeking to have discussions on volunteering/working from home with older people who have a long term condition.
Long term conditions may include musculoskeletal problems, cardiac problems, diabetes, Parkinson’s Disease or individuals with mobility restrictions or requirements for adaptation to their work space for desk-based work.
So, if this is you, or someone you know, please get in touch to find out more about what is involved.
Elders Council members who took part in the first phase of this project really enjoyed it, so we think you will too.

Contact Barbara at barbara.douglas@elderscouncil.org.uk or call 0191 208 2701.

North East Devolution Consultation 2023
13th March between 1-2.30pm at Newcastle City Library

Newcastle City Council are inviting residents and organisations to air your views about the devolution proposals for North East England.
To register to attend this event, please use this link and click on the 'Reserve a spot' button:
North East Devolution Consultation 2023

Here is a map showing the location of the library: Newcastle City Library.
If you have accessibility questions or require information in another format, please email: letstalk@newcastle.gov.uk or call 0191 277 3560, and leave a message
.
Background information The leaders of County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland councils have agreed in principle to a devolution deal which the Government has confirmed it is ‘minded to’ approve.
What do you think about this?
As well as attending the event, you also have the option to visit the webpage to find out more, and complete a short form to give us your views:
North East Devolution Consultation 2023.
Or you can write to us at: FREEPOST Letstalk.

Newcastle Libraries Customer Survey

Newcastle Libraries would like to know what you think of the current library service, how you use their buildings and what ideas you may have to improve what they do.
Please tell them by clicking the link below.
Newcastle Libraries Survey

National Institute of Health Research Survey

A team of researchers from the NIHR Innovation Observatory are inviting us to share our view on innovative technologies to aid every day activities.

They are working on a horizon scanning project looking for technologies which can be built in, or be part of the fixtures and fittings within a residential environment, to enable people to live independently for longer.
For example, by preventing functional decline or rehabilitating function back to previous levels. By functional decline they mean decrease in physical and/or, cognitive functioning that allows a person to engage in activities of daily living (ADLs) such as washing themselves, sitting down and standing up or cooking.

Please share your own views and experiences by completing this short survey, which should take around 15 minutes and will close on 1st March at 12 noon.

https://newcastlehealth.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9v6XLv1S2RwViEC

Intergenerational Thinking
Online from 11:30am – 12:45pm, on Wednesday 22^nd February 2023

My Home Life England and The Linking Network will be hosting a webinar exploring 'What are the benefits to health, wellbeing and education when children and young people link together with older people living in care homes?'
At the webinar, attendees will hear the stories and positive outcomes from the largest intergenerational project with care homes.
Listen to the impact of these projects on young and older people.
Be able to harness future opportunities for individuals and communities based on the research findings and get access to digital and hard-copy tools and guidance for Intergenerational Linking.

Please use the link here to register for the event.

VOICE
Members are invited to share their PPI (Personal and Public Involvement) experience by helping on a trial steering committee for the PREMISE trial to compare the clinical effectiveness of minimally invasive treatments. Interest closes on 27th February at 12 noon so be quick if you would like to be considered.
Apply here: https://t.co/yUZsF0qy8L

Department for Transport
The £2 bus fare cap on single journeys in England is to be extended until the end of June 2023. DoT have also committed £80 million to protect vital bus services 🚍
Find out more here: https://t.co/RwMc0D7FN9

Concessionary Travel Passes
Expiry on or by 31st March 2023

We understand that bus passes due to expire by the end of March will be automatically renewed, providing you have met the following criteria.

1: You have used the pass in the past 12 months
2: You have not changed address since it was last renewed (if you have moved then let NEXUS know)

If you also use a Gold (metro) card then you can purchase and add to the new card from 26th March (only 7 days allowed to predate the card)

New cards have begun to be issued but unfortunately may be subject to postal delays as a result of strikes.
You can read more about the Concessionary pass here.

Driving Assessment - Do you have a medical need or just a few concerns?

North East Drive Mobility is a service that offers help and advice to people who have either been advised to stop driving, or are worried about their own ability to continue driving, or even being a passenger.

Driving ability is assessed and recommendations are made.

Information, advice and support is given including how to access public transport, information on accessible transport and help to improve confidence to travel. Self referrals are accepted.

For further information:

https://www.cntw.nhs.uk/services/north-east-drive-mobility-independent-assessment-advice-service-walkergate-park/

Safer Internet Advice 🔒

✅If you are offered 2 step verification to protect your email or social media accounts, always use it.
Check out the information provided by the National Cyber Security Centre below.

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberaware/home

SEARCH Newcastle

Search will be opening 3 new regular Advice and Information Sessions over the coming weeks, helping people aged 50+ with Benefit, Pension, Energy, Welfare Rights, Consumer and Housing enquiries.
New drop in at Kenton Library opens on Friday 17th February, every Friday morning from 10am until 12.30.

No Smoking Day 8th March 2023

In preparation for No Smoking Day on Wednesday 8 March 2023, ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) has created a new communications toolkit to support your local quit smoking marketing activity.

The theme for No Smoking Day this year is brain health and the link between smoking and dementia. ASH has been working with Alzheimer’s Research UK in development of the toolkit whose research demonstrates low awareness amongst smokers of the increased risk of dementia caused by smoking. The campaign will encourage smokers to ‘never give up giving up’ and signpost them to the NHS Better Health Quit Smoking website which includes a wealth of information and support to help smokers on their quitting journey.

ASH will launch their PR and social media activity on 22 February, running through to No Smoking Day on 8 March.

There’s also a range of free quit smoking resources available on the DHSC Campaign Resource Centre to support ongoing quit smoking activity. Please send any queries or examples of No Smoking Day activity directly to ASH: enquiries@ash.org.uk

HEALTH & WELLBEING

GP Led Health event on Tuesday 14th March 2023 from 3.30-6pm
Check out the link attached and if any of these issues affect you then why not make an appointment?
Booking is essential

NHS Integrated Care Bulletin issue 17th February 2023

Contact us at: info@elderscouncil.org.uk

Please note that when our office is closed the phone will have an automated reply service.
We WILL contact you as soon as possible if you leave a clear message, your name and telephone number. Thank you.

Issue 136 19th February 2023

What's the Elders Council doing?

Interests and Activities

Newcastle Libraries Customer Survey

Information

We want to know what you think!