December 2011

Age Convern Forest Hot Meals

Age Concern Forest of Dean provides a hot, three-course meal, delivered to your door Monday to Friday for only £3.50 per day. To book your meals phone 01594 827927. As well as this, Age Concern Forest's catering department is expanding to provide school meals, wedding banquets and buffets for all occasions. Profits from these ventures will be used to fund Age Concern's other services in the Forest.

Winter Weather Emergency Rations Box

For the past two winters heavy, prolonged snow has taken us by surprise. This year be prepared. Designate a small cupboard or a box under the stairs for your emergency supplies. Fill it with whatever you need to keep you going for a week or two: tinned food, dried food, tea bags, long-life/dried/tinned milk, toilet rolls, biscuits etc. Once the weather starts to improve at the end of February, you can use up these supplies. NB When you are selecting items for your emergency box, remember to pick ones with long use by dates.

Living Books

A Living Book is a person who has a unique talent or life experience. NHS Gloucestershire is building a library of Living Books and you can borrow one to talk to your group by contacting Anna Gibbins on 08454 221500.

Old White Goods/Furniture Disposal

If you have an old three piece suite, old white goods etc. to clear out, the Forest of Dean District Council offers a collection service from the roadside by the home. The charge is £15 for three items. Telephone 01594 810000 and ask the customer services adviser to arrange this. Have your bank details ready and the adviser will tell you which day of the week to put the items out as they cover a different area of the Forest each day.

Age UK Warning

Age UK are warning older people to be aware of an on-line benefits service called "My Benefits Checker". The website offers to help people check for benefits they might be missing out on. If the check suggests this is the case, the claimant has to go through them at a charge of at least 50 per cent of any back payment plus other hidden costs.

Conversation Partners Needed

Could you visit someone for an hour a week for a six month period? We are looking for volunteers who would like to assist with this scheme. The Speech and Language Therapy department will offer you a short training course to enable you to enhance your communication skills with people who have a communication difficulty. Throughout the 6 months you are involved in the scheme, you will have access to support from the Speech and Language Therapy Department to ensure you are happy and both you and your partner are benefiting from the scheme. For further information contact:

1. Rachael Daly, Speech and Language Therapist: 08454 224120
2. Louise Walters, Speech and Language Therapist: 08454 224120
3. Jess Evans, Scheme Administration - Email: Jess.Evans@glos.nhs.uk

RNIB Technology Support

The RNIB has a Technology Support Squad for people with a sight problem who need help with technology in their home. The RNIB has a network of hundreds of volunteers across the UK that can assist a person install software on their computer, with a Daisy Player, help to use their mobile phone, set up a DVD player and similar tasks that a person with a sight problem requires help with.

To find out more or to get support from our Technology Support Squad: phone the Helpline on 0303 123 9999, email helpline@rnib.org.uk or visit www.rnib.org.uk/techsupport.

Carbon Monoxide Alarm

The Gas Safety Trust has issued data that shows that the number of people who have been killed by exposure to carbon monoxide increased more than three fold in the year to the end of June. The number of deaths was 25. This is the time of year when the central heating is put on. Carbon monoxide alarms can be purchased from around £12. Look for a detector bearing the Kitemark and European Standard number BS EN 50291.

What is an Energy Neighbourhood?

It is a group of 5-18 households who are keen to work as a team to reduce their individual home energy consumption. All participants will be given the information and support they need to help them reduce their energy bills just by doing things differently around the home and without involving any financial investment.

From the 1st December 2012 until 31st March 2013 all participants will need to take weekly energy meter readings which will be entered into a specially developed website. This will then visually display the savings that each household is making against the same time the previous year as well as the savings of their neighbourhood. They will even be able to see how they are doing against other neighbourhoods taking part in both the UK and across Europe.

The aim of this competition is not only to help reduce carbon emissions and enable households to make savings on their energy bills but to help people understand that leading a less energy intensive lifestyle does not have to be restrictive or a trial but that it can be about making simple changes to their everyday life.

Become part of your own Energy Neighbourhood and watch your bills go down! If you, a group of friends or neighbours or a club or committee would like to take part, please contact Karen Robinson at Severn Wye Energy Agency on 0800 500 3076 or visit www.swea.co.uk.

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