Launch of the Winter Wardens Helpline

The Winter Wardens Helpline has been launched.

Winter Wardens are trained older volunteers who are equipped with an out of hours contact phone and information and contact details about agencies and organisations who can help older people stay warm in the extreme winter.

Manager of Gateshead Older People’s Assembly, Chris Barker, said “ The idea behind this is that older people in Gateshead will have a single point of contact who will then put them in touch with the right person to help. It could be that their boiler has broken down, or a pipe has burst – whatever it is, a trained Winter Warden will be at the end of the phone to help, day or night."

The Winter Wardens programme is just one strand of a larger project called Glacier (Gateshead Local Awareness Community Information Emergency Response). Working in partnership with other organisations in Gateshead, and funded through Department of Health Warm Homes Fund.

"Our part is aimed towards keeping older people safe and warm during the cold weather”. Chris added “we do not want older people to have to worry about what to do or who to contact if they are cold, for whatever reason”

The contact telephone number for Winter Wardens is: 0191 438 1721 (24 Hours)  

 Launch of the Friendship Groups

This will take place on Tuesday 15th January. All welcome.

New Friendship Groups Announced

Gateshead Older People's Assembly officially announced their new Friendship Groups at a gathering at Gateshead Masonic Hall on 25th October 2012.

The Friendship Group started up a few months ago, and now the Assembly has been awarded  a grant from the Gateshead Housing Company Community Fund, to help expand and run the groups, and they were there to hand over the cheque for £4885.00.

The event was opened by Councillor Catherine Donovan, who said that the Council gave their support to the project.

Michael Laing from Gateshead Council gave a speech emphasising the need to get older men interested in getting out and about.

Everyone who attended took part in a workshop to gather ideas for how the groups should work and what everyone wanted from the groups.

There was an opportunity to browse stands set up by Gateshead Carers, Trading Standards, Arthritis Care, Alziemers Society and the British Lung Foundation, where there was lots of information on hand.

Everyone enjoyed a cup of tea or coffee and a selection of pastries and scones provided by the staff of the Masonic Hall.