They competed in various categories at the event including the ‘Foliage Display’, ‘Pot Plant’ and ‘Photographic’ categories – which featured beautiful photos of the spectacular garden at Perrins House.

Despite the weather, nothing could dampen the spirits of the residents who were particularly pleased to meet the presenters of the television show ‘Gardeners World’, Monty Don and Carol Klein.

Residents were able to explore the stunning collection of Show Gardens and a Floral Marquee followed by tea and cake to complete a wonderful afternoon. Mrs Angela White, resident at Perrins House exclaimed “it was wonderful and the flowers were beautiful.” Whilst another resident, Miss Margaret de Bartolome, suggested the Perrins House Foliage Exhibit “looked as if it should have won! A great day out!”

We’re looking for enthusiastic  Bank  Health Care Assistants to provide a high standard of personal and social care to meet the individual needs of each resident.  By doing this, you will encourage our residents to maintain their independence, choice and dignity in order to enable them to lead a full and active life.

To apply please download an application form  and return to:

Lyn Spivack
Home Manager
Moor House
Vicarage Road
Staines
Middlesex
TW18 4YG

Tel: 01784 453 749

Email: mhmgr@fote.org.uk

Health Care Assistant Job Description
Application Form Homes Community Services

Friends of the Elderly is an equal opportunities employer.

The staff, residents and families of

The event, to which all are welcome, will begin at 2pm. Admission is £4 for adults, and includes a strawberry cream tea.

Entertainment will feature live music from the popular Bill Clayton Band, a cake sale, lucky dip and tombola with lots of exciting prizes. Pimms and a variety of soft refreshments will also be available.

Redcot boasts fantastic mature gardens with stunning views across the South Downs, and surrounded by National Trust preserved countryside; a perfect setting for an afternoon of summer fun for all of the family. 

Why not come along, to: Three Gates Lanes, Haslemere, Surrey, GU27 2LL. 

The event will begin at 2:30pm with music from The Swingtime Sweethearts, who have previously appeared on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’. There will be a raffle and tea & cake for only £3.50, all proceeds will go towards the Moor House social fund.

The vintage tea party will be a fun-filled afternoon and is designed to entertain everyone whilst also thanking staff for all their hard work. It is an ideal opportunity for people in the local community to join in, get to know the residents and to consider volunteering at Moor House. The residents at Moor House gain so much from these events and especially enjoy spending time with fresh, friendly faces.

If you would like to know more about the tea party or are interested in volunteering, please do not hesitate to contact Lyn Spivack, home manager, on: 01784 453749 or moorhouse@fote.org.uk.

The Rising Star award will be presented four times a year and is open to all members of The Lawn’s staff including those working in maintenance and catering as well as care. The ‘Rising Star’ will be selected following a vote from The Lawn residents, families, visitors and other staff members and awarded to those who have shown the upmost dedication and quality of work.

Dawn Whapshott, a Health Care Assistant at The Lawn, receives the first ‘Rising Star’ award in recognition of her continued loyalty at support of the Home over the past nine years. Dawn is sadly leaving at the end of April and this award is a sign of thanks and appreciation for all Dawn’s endeavours for almost a decade.

Dawn Doyle, Manager at The Lawn comments:

“We have wonderful staff at The Lawn and I am absolutely delighted to be able to launch the Rising Star Award to honour them in this way and participate in Good Care Week.

I am particularly delighted to acknowledge Dawn as the first recipient of the ‘Rising Star’ award in gratitude of all her hard work over the years.”

“I was a little disappointed with the time but so pleased to finish, despite my injury. The difference that FotE makes is remarkable and I was so honoured to be running for them. The final total raised has made all the pain worthwhile!”

Naomi became aware of the charity through our Phoning Friends service. She was touched to hear about the case studies and shocked that 50% of all older people consider the TV as their main form of company. As such, she felt the work the charity undertakes is fundamental and was inspired to raise money for the cause.

If you would like to support Naomi’s marathon efforts and donate to Friends of the Elderly please visit her charity page here. If you are interested in fundraising for us, find out more here. 

The city of Belfast can now officially boast being the friendliest place for older people in the United Kingdom.

Based on a range of factors related to wellbeing in later life including respect, dementia awareness, housing, facilities, safety, public transport, environment, whether residents would recommend their city to others and its friendliness in general the Friends of the Elderly ‘Frienderly Town’ Survey has found Belfast to be the best possible place to live for older people.

The city scored particularly highly in the respect and dementia categories where we asked respondents if they felt older people in their communities were valued. People in Belfast felt more satisfied with the opportunities for older people, their social inclusion and levels of awareness and access to dementia resources in their city than anywhere else in the UK. 

Affordable, accessible housing and whether its residents feel safe in the city also contributed to Belfast taking the top spot on the ‘Frienderly Town’ league table.

Belfast is followed by Edinburgh (2) which scored highly for its frequent, accessible public transport, good communications for older people and pleasant environment while Southampton (3), Plymouth (4) and Newcastle (5) complete the top five.

Sheffield (22), Cambridge (23), Coventry (24), York (25) and London (26) scored the lowest across the categories positioning them as the five least ‘Frienderly Towns’.

No geographical divide can be seen between the top and bottom cities.

While the overall ‘Frienderly Town’ league table takes into account performance across all categories some cities with a lower ranking did top individual categories but were let down by poor performance in others. Key highlights:

• Manchester, twelfth in the overall ‘Frienderly Town’ league came first for its overall feel of friendliness but was let down by inadequate access to appropriate housing for older people (23), its residents’ safety concerns (26) and environment (23).

• Norwich came first for its safety and second for its housing options but scored low for its community’s respect (23) for older people including insufficient opportunities for social inclusion leaving it eleventh in the overall rankings.

• Birmingham, with a below average ranking overall of 18 came first for its facilities offered to older people but scored poorly for respect (22) and its safety (25)

• Glasgow, 19^th overall came second for its regular, affordable and accessible public transport and residents’ willingness to recommend their city to others, however their low opinion of the aesthetics and practicalities of their city’s environment (26) pushed Glasgow way down in scores.

• London, last in the overall league scored consistently low in all categories – especially for willingness to recommend their city to others (26) and provisions for people with dementia (22). The city did however achieve above average scores for its respect (13) and environment (11).

Overall the survey found that people rate respect, provisions for dementia and housing to be the most important elements that contribute towards how friendly older people find where they live is. Safety is however perceived to be of lesser significance compared to the other categories.

Access to, and awareness of, dementia resources were found to be the elements most lacking everywhere in the UK while safety is the area people feel most confident about in their city.

Richard Furze CEO, Friends of the Elderly comments:

“This survey has indicated that the most important factor for the happiness and wellbeing of people over 60 is the level of respect shown towards them by society.  In the top ‘Frienderly Towns’, people over 60 feel part of their community – involved, valued and included. They have opportunities to share their skills, volunteer, and don’t feel isolated.  Ranking lowest on this survey, it is clear London has significant work to do in order to make the city friendlier for older people.

“People over the age of 60 make up nearly a quarter of our society and have a huge amount to contribute. They deserve to be treated with respect and have the opportunity to live fulfilled lives. Everyone can help to make our towns and cities more ‘Frienderly’ for older people. A simple gesture such as offering to help someone with their shopping or popping in for a chat with a neighbour living on their own can make a world of difference.

“The most concerning aspect of the survey is that there is such poor perception of provisions for people with dementia across the UK – even in the places considered most ‘Frienderly’. Dementia is a growing problem. Access to appropriate services and support are vital for these people and their families.  Friends of the Elderly along with other charitable organisations and initiatives such as the Prime Minister’s Dementia Challenge are working hard to tackle this problem although there is a huge amount to be achieved.”

Based on a range of factors related to wellbeing in later life including respect, dementia awareness, housing, facilities, safety, public transport, environment, whether residents would recommend their city to others and its friendliness in general the Friends of the Elderly ‘Frienderly Town’ Survey found Edinburgh to be the second best possible place to live while the Northern Ireland city of Belfast took the top spot.

The survey was conducted among 2,652 people over the age of 60, across 26 UK cities, with at least 100 people in each city and found Edinburgh to be the second best possible place to live for older people.

Edinburgh (2) scored highly for its frequent, accessible public transport, good communications for older people and an overall pleasant environment. Edinburgh was followed by Southampton (3), Plymouth (4) and Newcastle (5), which with Belfast coming first formed the top five.

Sheffield (22), Cambridge (23), Coventry (24), York (25) and London (26) scored the lowest across the categories positioning them as the 5 least ‘Frienderly’ Towns[2].

No geographical divide can be seen between those cities which top and bottom the table.

Overall the survey found that respect, provisions for dementia and housing were the most important elements contributing towards how friendly older people find their city, for all of which Edinburgh ranked in the top 5. Edinburgh ranked in the top 3 for safety which is however perceived to be of least significance when compared with the other categories. Access to, and awareness of, dementia resources were found to be the elements most lacking everywhere in the UK. This is particularly resonant given recent estimations which suggest over one million people will be living with dementia in the UK by 2015 and currently one in three will die with a form of dementia.

Richard Furze CEO, Friends of the Elderly comments:

“We are very pleased to announce Edinburgh as one of the UK’s ‘Friendliest’ Towns.  The survey has indicated that the most important factor for the happiness and wellbeing of people over 60 is the level of respect shown towards them by society.  In the top ‘Frienderly Towns’, people over 60 feel part of their community – involved, valued and included. They have opportunities to share their skills, volunteer, and don’t feel isolated.  Everyone can help to make our cities and towns friendlier for older people.

“People over the age of 60 make up nearly a quarter of our society and have a huge amount to contribute. They deserve to be treated with respect and have the opportunity to live fulfilled lives. Everyone can help to make our cities and towns more ‘Frienderly’ for older people. A simple gesture such as offering to help someone with their shopping or popping in for a chat with a neighbour living on their own can make a world of difference.

“The most concerning aspect of the survey is that there is such poor perception of provisions for people with dementia across the UK – even in the cities considered most ‘Frienderly’. Dementia is a growing problem. Access to appropriate services and support are vital for these people and their families.  Friends of the Elderly along with other charitable organisations and initiatives such as the Prime Minister’s Dementia Challenge are working hard to tackle this problem although there is a huge amount to be achieved.”

The survey was specifically designed to track which cities in the UK are the most ‘Frienderly’ for those over 60 by ranking them according to a range of factors related to wellbeing in later life. These included respect, dementia awareness, housing, facilities, safety, public transport, environment, whether residents would recommend their city to others and its friendliness in general. The survey was conducted among 2,652 people over the age of 60, across 26 UK cities, with at least 100 people in each city.

Southampton, which ranked third of the 26 cities surveyed, scored highly for its accessible and affordable housing, safety and extensive facilities appropriate for older people. Frequent, accessible public transport, an overall pleasant environment and the respect offered to those in later life are additional categories where Southampton ranked well. Southampton was followed by Plymouth (4) and Newcastle (5), and preceded by Edinburgh (2) and Belfast (1), to complete the top five.

Sheffield (22), Cambridge (23), Coventry (24), York (25) and London (26) scored the lowest across the categories positioning them as the 5 least ‘Frienderly’ Towns.

No geographical divide can be seen between those cities which top and bottom the table.

Overall the survey found that people rate respect, provisions for dementia, and housing to be the most important elements contributing towards how friendly older people find their city. Although rating well in the housing and respect categories, Southampton’s ranking for provisions for people with dementia was average. Access to, and awareness of, dementia resources were found to be the elements most lacking everywhere in the UK. This is particularly resonant given recent estimations which suggest over one million people will be living with dementia in the UK by 2015 and currently one in three will die with a form of dementia. Safety is perceived to be of lesser significance compared to the other categories, for which Southampton ranked in the top 4.

Richard Furze CEO, Friends of the Elderly comments:

“We are very pleased to announce Southampton as one of the UK’s ‘Friendliest’ Towns.  The survey has indicated that the most
important factor for the happiness and wellbeing of people over 60 is the level of respect shown towards them by society.  In the top ‘Frienderly Towns’, people over 60 feel part of their community – involved, valued and included. They have opportunities to share their skills, volunteer, and don’t feel isolated.  Everyone can help to make our cities friendlier for older people.

“People over the age of 60 make up nearly a quarter of our society and have a huge amount to contribute. They deserve to be treated with respect and have the opportunity to live fulfilled lives. Everyone can help to make our cities more ‘Frienderly’ for older people. A simple gesture such as offering to help someone with their shopping or popping in for a chat with a neighbour living on their own can make a world of difference.

“The most concerning aspect of the survey is that there is such poor perception of provisions for people with dementia across the UK – even in the cities considered most ‘Frienderly’. Dementia is a growing problem. Access to appropriate services and support are vital for these people and their families.  Friends of the Elderly along with other charitable organisations and initiatives such as the Prime Minister’s Dementia Challenge are working hard to tackle this problem although there is a huge amount to be achieved.”

The survey was specifically designed to track which cities in the UK are the most ‘Frienderly’ for those over 60 by ranking them according to a range of factors related to wellbeing in later life. These included respect, dementia awareness, housing, facilities, safety, public transport, environment, whether residents would recommend their city to others and its friendliness in general. The survey was conducted among 2,652 people over the age of 60, across 26 UK cities, with at least 100 people in each city.

Plymouth, which ranked fourth of the 26 cities surveyed, scored very highly for its pleasant environment and the respect shown to older people. This is particularly significant as ‘respect’ was one of the categories which overall was considered a pivotal factor in defining a city as ‘Frienderly’. Plymouth (4) was followed by Newcastle (5) and preceded by Southampton (3), Edinburgh (2) and Belfast (1).

Sheffield (22), Cambridge (23), Coventry (24), York (25) and London (26) scored the lowest across the categories positioning them as the 5 least ‘Frienderly Towns’.

No geographical divide can be seen between those cities which top and bottom.

Overall, in addition to respect, the survey found that provisions for dementia and housing were the most important elements contributing towards how friendly older people find their city. Although not ranking particularly well for housing, Plymouth ranked in the top 5 for provisions for people with dementia. Overall however, access to, and awareness of, dementia resources were found to be the elements most lacking everywhere in the UK. This is particularly resonant given recent estimations which suggest over one million people will be living with dementia in the UK by 2015 and currently one in three will die with a form of dementia. Safety is perceived to be of lesser significance compared to the other categories, for which Plymouth ranked in the top 5.

Richard Furze CEO, Friends of the Elderly comments:

“We are very pleased to announce Plymouth as one of the UK’s ‘Friendliest’ Towns.  The survey has indicated that the most important factor for the happiness and wellbeing of people over 60 is the level of respect shown towards them by society. 
In the top ‘Frienderly Towns’, people over 60 feel part of their community – involved, valued and included. They have opportunities to share their skills, volunteer, and don’t feel isolated.  Everyone can help to make our cities and towns friendlier for older people.

“People over the age of 60 make up nearly a quarter of our society and have a huge amount to contribute. They deserve to be treated with respect and have the opportunity to live fulfilled lives. Everyone can help to make our cities and towns more ‘Frienderly’ for older people. A simple gesture such as offering to help someone with their shopping or popping in for a chat with a neighbour living on their own can make a world of difference.

“The most concerning aspect of the survey is that there is such poor perception of provisions for people with dementia across the UK – even in the cities considered most ‘Frienderly’. Dementia is a growing problem. Access to appropriate services and support are vital for these people and their families.  Friends of the Elderly along with other charitable organisations and initiatives such as the Prime Minister’s Dementia Challenge are working hard to tackle this problem although there is a huge amount to be achieved.”