Isolation Resources – January

Please see this important email from Age UK Bristol.

This image explains about some of the scams to watch out for at the moment. This BBC article explains more.

We are delighted to be part of a virtual Blue Monday on 18th January. All details here.

Participants needed for Walking in Retirement Study

It’s the Census on 21st March 2021 – it’s compulsory to complete it (with some voluntary questions) and the data collected helps charities and voluntary organisations as well as local and national government. It can be done online this time. Further details on the Voscur website.

Thank you to Subitha Baghirathan for this CASS update.

Changes Bristol are excited to announce that they are launching a mental health support group for Women of Colour. This will provide a safe space to connect, share and feel empowered by a supportive community. This peer support group is open to any woman over 18 who identifies as Black, Asian or of minority ethnicity. This peer support group will be open to discussions on racial experience, Covid-19 disproportionately impacting the Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic communities and any other topics which Women of Colour face with the support of trained staff and volunteers.
Every Monday, 6:30-8:30pm
Online – Zoom
For more details please see here
If you have any questions please email Fayola at fayola@changesbristol.org.uk. 
We’ve been sent this information about a singing group by University of Nottingham: We have just launched a new, online study of singing groups for people with dementia, and we’re looking for participants. Those who take part will have the opportunity to attend weekly online singing groups using the Zoom videoconferencing platform. These sessions will be fun and informal, led by experienced community musicians, and participants don’t need to have any singing experience or skill to join in. The study is open to people with dementia and their carers living anywhere in England. To take part, they will need to have access to the internet and a device capable of accessing Zoom (technical advice will be provided for those who have not used Zoom before). Please note that all aspects of the study including data collection will take place online or over the phone, and so the participants will not need to come in to contact with anyone outside their household.
We hope that you will be able to help us publicise this study by forwarding it to your contacts or any relevant organisations. Our poster is attached, and anyone who is interested in taking part can request more information by emailing preside.research@nottingham.ac.uk. If you have any questions about the study please do get in touch.

Thurs 28 January 10-11am –What’s instore for Health and Social Care in 2021? This webinar will provide insights into the wider UK health and care landscape in 2021 and explore how recent trends, the impact of Covid-19 and future developments could affect people working in the sector, patients and the public.  
        Speakers will answer your questions and discuss issues including:

  • health and care staff wellbeing
  • social care reform
  • population health and health inequalities
  • legislative changes to support the integration agenda.

Register here for a free place with more information here.

There’s still time to book on BRACE’s Good Chat at 11am.

The Purple Angel Campaign is selling keyrings £2.50 + p+p and facemasks £3.50 + p+p to provide much-needed funding for their free MP3 players for people living with dementia. You can order direct from Anne on whelanann88@gmail.com or let us know on office@bdaa.org.uk if you can collect from Tony’s in Bristol.

South Gloucestershire Dementia Action Alliance has set up some peer-support/bereavement dementia groups – here is Lisa’s email, a flyer and referral form.

We’ve received this email from We are possible about transport webinars next week: 
What do you need from transport and use of streets in Bristol and the West of England?
Can you make the journeys you want?  Can you get on the bus with your kids, your shopping, or a wheelchair? What is it like on your street – is it somewhere you want to stop and chat, sit or play?  
Please join us in January to discuss potential transport solutions in East, Central, Northwest and South Bristol

Bristol Beacon (old Colston Hall) has sent us this information to share:

Mail A Musician
Mail A Musician is Bristol Beacon’s new initiative to deliver the joy of live music direct to the hearts and homes of Bristolians over the winter. Mail A Musician is a way that the people of Bristol can send their love to the special people or places in their life, and gift them a personalised musical performance either by video call, phone or as a covid-safe ‘doorstep gig’.
You can nominate anyone in Bristol who you think would love to receive one of these special live performances – it could be an individual, a household or a place, like a doctor’s surgery or care home. Bristol Beacon will select two nominations a week across winter to receive performances, and will as far as possible match the nominees with the kind of music they would most like to hear. For more information or to make a nomination via our online form visit: http://bristolbeacon.org/mail-a-musician.

A New Song for Bristol
A New Song For Bristol is a city-wide invitation for everyone to share their thoughts, feelings and experiences of Bristol in 2020, creatively expressed through words and music. In these extraordinary times, we have experienced loss, lockdown and lost identities – but we’ve also rediscovered our communities, forged new ways of connecting, and renewed our collective spirit.
We want as many people as possible to contribute their words, poems or music to A New Song For Bristol – and you don’t have to be a musician at all! We have developed a creative starter pack for anyone who might need some ideas about where to start. You can write about whatever you want, we just want to hear about how life in Bristol in 2020 has affected you.  For more information and to submit your work visit: http://bristolbeacon.org/news/bristol-beacon/a-new-song-for-bristol/

Thank you to BOPF for sharing this letter from  Bristol City Council in relation to supporting people who are EU Citizens to apply for Settled Status.

This is a great newsletter from BOPF and Age UK Bristol – lots of useful resources and information.

BRACE is hosting this free webinar about call companions on 21st January at 11 am.

Here is We Care Home Improvements’ latest newsletter. 
Please also see Bristol Museums Participation news

Last autumn we ran two Supporting Young People with Dementia sessions as part of Bristol Dementia Charities Network. We are now beginning to discuss how to reach young people (18-65 years old) with dementia and we’re aiming to support them to set up relevant groups (online for now but planning for in-person). On Feb 2 at 8.00.pm, we are holding a session over Zoom to discuss how we can provide support for Young People with Dementia, if you would like to join our call or know anyone who would, please email us at office@bdaa.org.uk.

We were delighted to take part in Blue Monday this week – we made contact with several organisations and offered them free online dementia awareness sessions, workshops for people working with people living with dementia and building audits. If your organisation or group would like one of these sessions please contact us on office@bdaa.org.uk.

South Gloucestershire Dementia Action Alliance is running two groups – one for people recently diagnosed with dementia and one for those grieving the loss of a loved one or for those whose loved one has entered full time care.
Winsome is also trying to reach people living with Dementia who are interested in volunteering and also organisations who would welcome extra volunteers with support. She also wants to hear from organisations who have recruited people living with Dementia to share their best practice.
The outcome would be a toolkit for organisations to encourage them to support people living with Dementia who wish to volunteer.

Bristol Older People’s Forum (BOPF) is carrying out a survey to identify the needs of people who are looking after someone else. This can mean many things from making a regular phone call, helping with housework, shopping or personal care, to full-time round-the-clock care. If you regularly help someone else, whether you live with them or not, we would like to hear your views.

The survey has been commissioned by Bristol City Council (BCC) with a view to reshaping their services and support for people who are looking after others. The data and findings from the survey will be shared with BCC and we will publish the survey results in our newsletter, on our website (https://bopf.org.uk) and via our Facebook page (https://facebook.com/Bristololderpeoplesforum). The questionnaire is anonymous – you do not need to enter any personal data.

https://forms.gle/EWbsMSjrY64ficLE7 
Deadline for completing this survey is 29 February 2021

Healthwatch is reaching out for carers:
‘As part of the local HW project aimed at supporting carers of those with dementia, we are hoping to speak by telephone to a selection of carers and listen to their experiences and needs regarding emotional wellbeing and support. We are aiming to coproduce this project with carers to ensure we are truly representative of their views and produce a reflective report and user friendly local resource as part of our outcomes. The interviews should take no more than 10 minutes, be at a time suitable for the participant and be strictly confidential. We would therefore be very grateful if you could circulate this request to your carer contacts and/or suggest people who may be willing to engage with us’
For further information contact Julie on Julie@healthwatchbristol.co.ukThe Purple Angel Campaign is selling keyrings £2.50 + p+p and facemasks £3.50 + p+p to provide much-needed funding for their free MP3 players for people living with dementia. You can order direct from Anne on whelanann88@gmail.com or let us know on office@bdaa.org.uk if you can collect from Tony’s in Bristol.

South Gloucestershire Dementia Action Alliance is running a telephone cafe group for people who do not have the internet. It’s free and they have chats, quizzes, songs and reminiscing activities. Contact Winsome: on 01454 868570 or email: dementia@southernbrooks.org.uk
They are also hosting an online launch of a report on housing for people living with dementia on 17/2/2021 from 10:00 am. You can find out more here and book your space:
https://www.housinglin.org.uk/Events/Launch-APPG-HCfOP-Housing-Dementia-Inquiry-Report/?mc_cid=cfad8e787d&mc_eid=4bde3a496d

The Carers Trust is running an Advanced care planning and end of life care event for male carers age 50+ in Bristol and South Glos from Tuesday 23rd February.
Alive Activities is offering two ipad webinars. This workshop will introduce touchscreens to people who are new to the technology and allow you to use iPads in an imaginative, creative and fun way through reminiscence, life story and sensory exploration. Further details on their website.

Bristol Community Transport can help get older people/shielding/people with disabilities to their vaccination appointment – call 0845 130 1875 or email bctoffice@hctgroup.org.

Age UK Bristol is piloting a product in the greater Bristol area, called Sparko. It is an adaptation to your TV set which enables you to talk to and see friends and family, stay active with accessible exercises and read information about local services. There are also clips from comedies and films and educational courses to follow, like learn Spanish. 
For the pilot project, we are looking for people who;

  • have a TV with an HDMI portal (most TVs younger than 15 years will have at least one HDMI port)
  • have an internet connection
  • can see and hear well, including with glasses and a hearing aid
  • can learn how to use a simple TV remote, or have a full-time carer who could.

There is support to help you learn how to use Sparko, but please be reassured, it has been designed to be easy to use, with clear visuals and a remote control with only a few, large buttons.
Usually, Sparko costs £189 for the initial kit, and then there is a monthly subscription of £9.99. For the duration of the trial two months, Sparko is free, so that you can decide whether you like it and help Age UK Bristol design content local enjoy. 
If you are interested to find out more, please contact Age UK Bristol at Linkage@ageukbristol.org.uk or call 0117 929 7537. Here is a flyer with details.

BOPF and Bristol Ageing Better (BAB) are running two CHALLENGING AGEISM WORKSHOPS – Making Bristol an ‘Age Friendly City’
The two-hour workshop will enable participants to explore their own thoughts and experiences and look at ways of building new approaches to tackling ageism as an inequality. It will also focus on how ageist beliefs and actions affect both older and younger people.
The workshops also explore how the COVID-19 Crisis has highlighted ageist policy decisions and look at ways we can use in working towards a strategic approach to eradicating structural ageism.
The workshops are delivered by Ian Quaife, BOPF Development & Engagement Manager and Bianca Rossetti, Bristol Ageing Better Programme Officer.

Thursday 4 February 2021, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/challenging-ageism-workshop-tickets-136582157911
Thursday 11 February 2021, 10:30 am to 12:30pm: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/challenging-ageism-workshop-tickets-136583814867

Thank you to BOPF for sharing this information:
Digital Connections for All – Zoom Webinar: Monday 1st February, 11:00 am
The National Pensioners’ Convention will look at how ‘digital poverty’ is isolating and endangering older people at a webinar for Dignity Action Day 2021.
The online summit brings together a panel of leading experts to discuss the need to keep millions of the UK’s oldest and most vulnerable connected. Not only will they examine how to help more older people get online, the speakers* will also consider how to keep those who cannot, or do not want to get online to stay connected.
Jan Shortt, NPC General Secretary said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has shown how valuable online video apps (such as, House Party, Skype, Zoom and others) are in helping older people to stay in touch with family while they shield at home. However, the NPC believes many older people are getting left behind in the ‘digital first’ age. They are often digitally excluded, either because they don’t know how to use, don’t have or can’t afford the broadband and the digital devices – the laptops, tablets or smartphones – to get online.”
“The NPC Connections for All webinar marks the launch of the first part of the NPC’s campaign to end digital poverty and exclusion, and promote digital inclusion for older people through training and access to free broadband, free online security, and to digital devices.”
To read the full press release, get the agenda and to register for the event, please go to the NPC website:
https://www.npcuk.org/post/connections-for-all-webinar

ZOOM meeting delivered by NPC G.A.S. Region: Monday 1 February, 2:30 – 4:00pm
This event will be covering important aspects of Dignity as they relate to older people
DIGNITY & DEMOCRACY FOR OLDER PEOPLE
Ageing is the destiny of all, the distance you travel on the timeline varies by individual fortune or misfortune and, if you live long enough, it appears that somewhere you stop being given full measure for your vote. Or does that apply to all ages now?
DIGNITY AT WORK
How are we going to build a society where workers are respected both by their employers and the general public? Abuse of shop-workers by the public has increased during the pandemic.  Nick Ireland, Divisional Officer, USDAW(Union of Shop Distributive and Allied Workers) will highlight ways in which the public can help.
HATE CRIME ISSUES 
Words can really hurt me
DIGNITY AND DYING 
When will Lord Faulkner’s Assisted Dying Bill become Law?
For further information and Zoom passwords contact NPC GAS Secretary Keith Evans:
kevans1597@btinternet.comThanks to RWA for their latest newsletter – lots of online classes.

We thought you would be interested in this information from World Harmony Orchestra, an ensemble of international professional musicians who play for peace and humanitarian causes. The Orchestra is a registered CIC and a social enterprise with a special aim of providing support to vulnerable people through music.
Since March, they have organised 150 socially distanced ‘Cuppa Concerts’ for people who are vulnerable due to Covid-19, because of age or health issues and they are continuing to give concerts until 3rd March with the help of an Arts Council grant. The concerts are free or ‘pay-what-you-can’, with any donation received going directly towards providing more of these concerts to people in need.
The first concert was filmed by BBC News:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-london-51987343
There are 20 different professional musical acts in London, and 20 further acts in locations across England, performing a wide range of instruments and genres. Our local musical act in Bristol is a oud/singing Arabic duo called ‘Nabra’.
The concerts are live socially distanced (outdoors or indoors where possible), on Zoom or video recorded, always following strict health and safety rules, as well as the Government guidelines related to Covid-19.
Where possible they add the convivial element of ‘sharing a cuppa’ and having a chat with the audience.
In February, they are delivering a series of Zoom Cuppa Concerts featuring a wide range of genres.
Video-recorded concerts are also an option and can be more accessible than the Zoom ones, as people only need to click on a Youtube link. 

If you know anyone who could benefit from an MP3 Player please let us know on office@bdaa.org.uk. We have already received funding to provide MP3 players for locals. We simply need a name and delivery address and 15 song titles and artists.