Author: ageukcomms

Age UK

Reminder: Join Carers Week 2023 5– 11 June

Find out how you can get involved in Carers Week and join the call for action.

The annual awareness week, which highlights the essential contributions of unpaid carers, takes place next week from 5 – 11 June. We previously provided a pack with resources for you to join us in promoting the week and join the campaign’s call for greater cross-Government action in support of unpaid carers.

This is also an opportunity to highlight the work you do to support unpaid carers too, by promoting your carers services. You can register any events or services you will deliver for carers during the week on the Carers Week website and use the hashtag #CarersWeek whenever you promote something online.

What’s happening during Carers Week?

  • Monday 5 June – The Carers Week report will be published. You can share this from the Age UK Campaigns Twitter account.
  • Wednesday 7 June – Age UK will attend a Parliamentary drop-in, where we will facilitate conversations between unpaid carers and MPs.
  • Friday 9 June – Older carers day. Age UK will publish a press release to coincide with this day which focuses on the experiences of older carers.

Throughout the week, Age UK will also publish a Discover article, featuring an interview with a carer, as well as a new video on our social media channels, featuring another storyteller and promoting the Age UK Advice Line. Keep an eye out for these on our website and our social media channels.

Join the Carers Week Call on the Government

This year, we are joining the Carers Week call for greater cross-Government action in support of unpaid carers. The Carers Week campaign is asking supporters to write to their MPs to support this work and ensure carers get the recognition and support they need. You can join the campaign by sharing the link and using the social media template posts below:

Twitter:

We need a whole system approach to support unpaid carers.

This #CarersWeek, write to your MP and ask for greater cross-Government action in support of carers: https://carersuk.e-activist.com/page/129142/action/1?ea.tracking.id=sc-t

Facebook:

Unpaid carers provide an essential service to their loved ones, often providing 24 -hour care. They can’t do this without help.

This #CarersWeek, to ensure carers are recognised and supported, we are calling on the Government to commit to greater cross-Government action to better identify and support unpaid carers. Join the campaign and write to your MP: https://carersuk.e-activist.com/page/129142/action/1?ea.tracking.id=sc-fb

Channel 4 Dispatches: Britain’s Forgotten Pensioners

A new Channel 4 Dispatches charts the dangerous impact the cost of living crisis had on older people last winter.

10pm, Wednesday 7 June 2023

A hard-hitting new documentary made for Channel 4 in collaboration with charities including Age UK, tells the stories of four older people who are struggling to manage through the cost of living crisis.

The programme features audio recordings of calls made to the Age UK Advice Line in January and February this year.

Working closely with colleagues across the Charity, the Age UK media team provided briefings, storytellers and exclusive statistics to the production company, helping to shape the documentary as it evolved over a 12-month period. The result is an extremely powerful film which shows the bleak reality of life for older people on a low income over the cold winter months.

The media team would like to thank everyone who contributed including advice line colleagues, who identified callers for inclusion in the programme, and data protection and legal colleagues. A special thank you also goes out to Tony Donovan and staff at Age UK Leicester who accommodated the filming crew on a number of occasions and were instrumental in finding two of the programme’s contributors, Harry & Christine, via their veterans’ coffee morning. 

One of Age UK’s storytellers, Rosy, will also feature in an additional one-minute short film for Channel 4’s promotional social media posts, ahead of the documentary’s transmission date.

The following comment has been given to Channel 4 for inclusion in the pre-publicity press release which will go out to the media before the programme airs:

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, said: “Many viewers will be shocked by this programme, and they are right to be. Pensioner poverty fell steadily for a generation but then it rose again and now, as this documentary demonstrates, it’s truly back with a vengeance.

“This winter many older people who never expected to struggle financially found they suddenly were. And others, used to managing on a tight budget and brilliant at making every penny count, were totally overwhelmed by soaring prices. What we see in this programme ought to be a wakeup call that prompts an important discussion about how we ensure every older person can live decently and with dignity, free from the fear of the next big unaffordable bill.

“If anyone is affected by any of the issues in the programme, Age UK is here to help and knows what to do. Older people, their families and friends looking for support should visit www.ageuk.org.uk/support or call the Age UK Advice Line on 0800 169 65 65. The Age UK Advice Line is open 365 days a year (8am–7pm) offering free advice on a range of issues, including feelings of isolation and loneliness, anyone who is worried or struggling to pay their bills and those who need additional support with a benefits check.”

We also have an exciting partnership with Channel 4. Appearing during one of the Dispatches ad breaks, Channel 4 will make a special announcement highlighting the challenges facing older people, before revealing our 60 second brand TV advert. Given the difficult issues raised in the Dispatches programme, it’s essential that we draw attention to Age UK’s vital work in supporting older people.

If you have any questions or would like to find out more about the documentary or Age UK’s involvement, please email Anne-Marie and Helen in the Age UK media team at media@ageuk.org.uk.

Age UK Network News Roundup – 02/06/23

Take a look at the latest weekly roundup of news from across the Age UK Network.

Welcome to the latest Age UK Network News Roundup! There are lots of open roles available this week, including a Support Worker vacancy at Age UK Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, as well as two new positions at Age UK Calderdale & Kirklees.

As always, if you have a story from your organisation that you would like us to share with the Network, such as recent events, campaigns, or awards, please let us know at signpost@ageuk.org.uk and we’ll add it to the next roundup.

Bank SPECAL Support Worker Vacancy at Age UK Nottingham and Nottinghamshire

Age UK Notts are seeking a Support Worker to work within their Sybil Levin Day Service – a specialist day service supporting people with dementia using the SPECAL method.

You will be part of a small team at the Specialist Day Service using an innovative person-centred approach to support people with dementia.

Find out full details on the Age UK Notts website.

Two new roles at Age UK Calderdale & Kirklees

There are currently two new vacancies at Age UK Calderdale & Kirklees: Foot Care Practitioner, Home Helper.

Find out full details of both roles can be found on the Age UK Calderdale and Kirklees website.

Age UK Oxfordshire seeks new CEO

Age UK Oxfordshire are seeking a new Chief Executive Officer. With their present, long-serving CEO retiring later this year they are seeking a new CEO who is aligned with their vision, passionate about their cause and aims, and can bring a diverse range of experience and expertise.

Find out full details on the Age UK Oxfordshire website.

Closing date: Friday 2 June

Deputy CEO role at Age UK Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

Age UK Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are seeking a Deputy CEO to work closely with their board, Chief Executive and Leadership team, and lead on all operational services.

Working at a strategic level, the successful applicant will be instrumental in
taking a forward thinking and innovative approach to development opportunities.

Find out more on the Age UK Cambridgeshire and Peterborough website.

Closing Date: Friday 2 June

Independent Living Support worker role at Age UK Tunbridge Wells

Age UK Tunbridge Wells are currently looking to hire an Independent Living Support Worker.

Duties may include: shopping (e.g. for food, garden plants), medical appointment assistance, personal correspondence assistance, light household duties.

Find out full details on the Age UK Tunbridge Wells website.

Get in touch!

If you have a story from your organisation that you would like us to share with the Network, such as recent events, campaigns, or awards, please let us know at signpost@ageuk.org.uk.

You can also view a full list of open roles across the network here.

Online Misinformation Webinar: Register now!

Join colleagues and volunteers from across the Age UK network at this informative webinar on Wednesday 28 June at 11-11:45.

“Helping Safeguard Older People From Misinformation: How to help older people feel empowered to navigate information online” is aninteractive webinar hosted by NewsGuard’s misinformation experts will cover how colleagues from across the Age UK network and volunteers can support older populations when it comes to misinformation online. This 45 minute webinar will cover topics such as:

  • What is misinformation, and how misinformation can affect older people
  • Common types of misinformation, and how the threat of misinformation is changing 
  • What the risks of misinformation are, and how to spot them
  • Tips and tools on how to support older populations in navigating the internet safely
  • Why empowering older populations is key to their success and confidence online

This webinar is open to all colleagues, support workers, and volunteers from across the Age UK network, so please feel free to share this invitation to anyone who is interested. All attendees will have free access to NewsGuard’s browser extension for one year thanks to the support of DCMS.

Date and time:

Wednesday 28 June, 11-11:45 hosted on Zoom.  The link will be shared after you’ve registered on Eventbrite.

How to join:

Please register your interest by reserving a spot via Eventbrite.

This webinar is a great opportunity to learn more about misinformation, understand the risks it poses for the older populations we support, and ask any questions you may have about misinformation.

NewsGuard is partnering with Age UK on training resources and modules focused on misinformation, and some of our Digital Inclusion Network members have already participated in misinformation training sessions with the NewsGuard team.

World Elder Abuse Day 2023 – 15 June

Training and resources to mark World Elder Abuse Day on 15 June.

World Elder Abuse Day was launched in 2006, by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organisation (WHO) at the United Nations (UN). Whilst older people aren’t a homogenous group, the term ‘elder abuse’ is a term used globally to describe the intentional or negligent act of abuse and harm by any person towards an older adult.

This year’s theme is ‘Addressing Gender Based Violence in Older Age’. For more information visit the UN website.  

In the past 5 years, in England and Wales 44% of those women known to be killed by men, were aged 50 and above.

At Age UK, we are hearing from increasing numbers of older women who are or have been subjected to harm and abuse. Whilst we acknowledge men are also at increased risk as they age, this is predominantly experienced by women, so shining a light on gender-based violence and all forms of abuse is welcome.

We launched a partnership with Hourglass earlier this year and all colleagues from our Age UK network are invited to a free WEAAD23 Hourglass Webinar.

To view the Safeguarding Speaks webinars we hosted last year click here.

Funding for 2023/24 Warm Homes Programmes Scheme Year 13 (SY13) 

As many brand partners have benefited from this funding opportunity in the past few years, we would like to provide an update on where we are with this year’s Warm Homes programme. 

While we were fortunate last year to secure a two-year Ofgem approval towards the two programmes (funded by E.ON and Shell) for 2022/23 and 2023/24, the energy suppliers’ budgets have to be agreed and signed off for each scheme year. Unfortunately, these suppliers have not been able to confirm their level of funding for 2023/24 delivery period yet. Through our ongoing conversations with them, we are aware that this decision-making process is partly delayed due to the end of year and auditing processes (which are expected to have been completed by the end of May 2023), as well as wider implications and regulations set by Ofgem.

We have been assured by both E.ON and Shell of their commitment, so while we are awaiting their budget decisions, we are putting measures in place to launch the programme as soon as possible.  

Age UK’s Warm Homes Project Team have recently reached out to those brand partners who took part in Scheme Year 12 so please note that this particular update is for any other partners who did not take part in the programme in 2022/23 but would like to be considered for the delivery of benefit checks and/or home energy checks in 2023/24. To help us plan for the launch of the programme, it would be helpful for us to understand the level of interest so we would be grateful if partners who didn’t take part in the programme in 2022/23 could complete this very short survey.  

Further information about both benefit check and home energy check services can be found here. 

We would like to thank you for your interest in this programme and we will keep you up to date with developments when we have any further news. 

Reminder: First Cyber Security webinar takes place Wednesday 7 June

A reminder that the first cyber security webinar will take place on Wednesday 7 June. Cyber Security Adviser Jez Rogers will offer some practical steps you can take to protect against cyber crime.

This is a quick reminder that Age UK is running a webinar to offer some practical steps you can take to protect against cyber crime. The webinar will run three times across June and July, with the first of these sessions taking place on Wednesday 7 June. Please read on for full details, including how to book your place.

This 90-minute webinar, delivered by Jez Rogers – Cyber Security Adviser for the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit – will help you to understand the threat and the steps you can take against them in your role at work.

Jez has a very down-to-earth approach, avoiding jargon and technical complexity and will cover:

  • Current Cyber Threats
  • The motivation of cyber criminals
  • Data Breaches
  • Phishing
  • Securing accounts and passwords
  • Improving our privacy online
  • Securing devices
  • Public Wi-Fi risks
  • Response Planning
  • Cyber Drills

This webinar compliments the recent session that Jez ran recently for senior managers, focusing on strategic planning to combat cyber-crime. The webinar is primarily aimed at staff and volunteers and focuses on practical steps you can take to protect against cyber crime.

Book your place!

We will be running the webinar on three days over the early Summer so that all staff and volunteers have an opportunity to access this essential training. 

To register, please click the link below for the date that suits you best:

Please note we will not be able to provide access to a video recording of this training so those wishing to access it will have to attend one of the three webinars.

Age UK’s Brand Advertising Campaign Summer 2023 – Guide for Partners

Find out how Age UK’s Brand Advertising campaign has gone so far and how it will change across the summer when the next phases launches on Monday 19 June.

We’re very excited to share details of the next burst of our brand advertising campaign which will go live from Monday 19 June! Please read on to access the Partner Guide for the campaign, with full details about the content and timescale.

How the campaign has gone so far

We’ve seen some great results since the campaign launched in March. As well as receiving some high-profile press coverage, we saw a 45+% increase in mentions of Age UK on social media, huge engagement with our paid social media posts (200% above forecast clicks), and increases in email newsletter sign-ups, volunteer enquiries and donations. Thank you for all your support for the campaign on your social media channels.

How the campaign will look in June and July

We will be launching an updated, less seasonal version of our 60” film on catch-up TV on Monday 26 June. This film introduces an older woman showing signs of dementia, in place of the heating scene. This will be accompanied by two 30” films, ‘Electricity’ and ‘Isolation’ which you will have seen in the last burst.

To help the campaign to cut through and have the maximum impact, the adverts will once again be highly emotive.

Please note – the above photos from the campaign are not to be shared beyond the Age UK Network until the campaign launches on Monday 19 June.

Find out more about the campaign

You can find out all about the June and July version of the campaign in the Partner Guide below, which includes full details about the content and timescale of the campaign.

Age UK Brand Campaign Summer 2023 – Partner GuideDownload

Next steps

Please look out for our social media update in Signpost on Friday 16 June where we’ll share the new 60” video and suggestions for copy to use when posting the film on your social channels. We hope that sharing the film on social media will be a great opportunity to highlight some of the amazing services the Age UK network has to offer.

Energy Bill Support Pre-payment Meter Voucher Scheme Closes 30 June – Resources to help spread the word

Information and resources to help households using traditional pre-payment meters to redeem their Energy Bill Support Scheme vouchers by Friday 30 June.

Households using traditional pre-payment meters to pay for their energy are being urged by the government to redeem their Energy Bill Support Scheme (EBSS) vouchers before the deadline on Friday 30 June. Please read on for full details and some resources to help your organisation to spread the word, including a factsheet for advisers and a poster.

The EBSS vouchers allow eligible pre-payment meter customers, often in low-income homes, to access the EBSS discount of up to £400 on their energy costs, which other customers received automatically over the winter.

What Pre-payment meter users need to do

Traditional pre-payment meter users can approach their local Post Office or PayPoint, bringing along their EBSS voucher, energy pre-payment key or card and the ID specified in the voucher letter and the voucher can then be redeemed for them at the counter.

Customers should check their post, emails, and texts, to ensure they haven’t missed any vouchers. Vouchers are valid for 3 months, so if customers have expired vouchers, they should contact their electricity supplier as soon as possible and ask for a new one to be sent out.

Resources to help spread the word

The deadline for redemption of the EBSS pre-payment meter vouchers is 30 June 2023.

If you have time, please consider reminding service users about the voucher scheme, given the approaching deadline, to help ensure those who are eligible can access all the financial assistance that they are entitled to in good time, and don’t miss out. To help with this, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) issued a factsheet for advisers and a poster, which can be accessed below.

EBSS Prepayment Meter Poster
EBBS Prepayment Meter Factsheet for Advisers

Alternative Funding and Alternative Fuel Schemes Close 31 May 2023

The EBSS pre-payment meter voucher scheme has been operating in tandem with the Alternative Funding and Alternative Fuel schemes, which enabled any eligible households that do not have a direct relationship with their energy supplier and those that heat their homes using alternative fuels that did not receive help with their energy bills automatically, to still access some financial assistance.

As mentioned in our earlier Signpost article, applications for the Alternative Funding and Alternative Fuel schemes need to be made by 31 May 2023.

Funding Bulletin #34 – Updates on Public, Corporate, Trusts and Public Sector Funding | May 2023

The latest fundraising bulletin is now available for you to view below.

Welcome to the May funding bulletin! This month’s bulletin contains information on Age UKs Warm Homes Project, including the opportunity to give feedback via a survey. There are also details of the Sport England Small Grant Fund.

If you know of a colleague at your organisation who would like to receive this bulletin and other updates from Age UK in our e-newsletter Signpost, please share this sign up form with them. Thank you!

You can view or download the Bulletin below:

Funding Bulletin No. 34 – May 2023Download