How are you? There are glimmers of a return to more normal times as we further creep along the government's roadmap out of lockdown.
In less than two weeks, on May 6th we all have the local elections - for both our local councillors, the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. For more information, there's a useful article on the BBC News website. There's also some local information from Islington Council that might be helpful.
To keep us all active and connected, we'd like to share details of our upcoming activities, and those of our partners, as well as the latest information about topical issues.
Dates for your Diary
Carers Week - 7th to 13th June 2021
Make sure you've Carers Week 2021 in your diary - it will be a mix of info and fun!
We're delighted to announce presenters from Islington People's Rights, Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, Centre 404, Macmillan, and we'll also hear from local carers that have generously offered to share "A Day in The Life ".
There will be sessions about supporting a 'cared for' with dementia, mental health issues, learning disabilities and cancer as well as help with finances and benefits.
The next Carers Support Group will be hosted by one of the Islington Carers Hub team and will take place online on Wednesday 28th April, 10.30am to 12pm.
Are you interested in music and a variety genres? If so, you might want to join our weekly Music Appreciations sessions. A new series of sessions is starting this Friday!
We'll be experiencing and discussing different pieces of music from different themes including folk, opera, jazz, ballet, and so much more! Sessions will be hosted by Mary Tyler over Zoom. For more info and to book, click the button below.
We'd like to let you know about a special edition of our regular online Reminiscence session that's taking place next week. We're delighted to be joined by Islington based artist, Francisco Gutierrez.
Francisco captures his own experiences and impressions through his paintings. He works with cityscapes, pubs and a mix of buildings and nature. We’ll chat about places featured in his paintings and there'll be plenty of opportunity for questions and discussion.
Do you enjoy dancing, singing, writing? You might want to see what's going on at the Age of Creativity Festival organised by Age UK Oxfordshire. For the whole month of May, there are lots of creative opportunities, including lots of activities for people living with dementia. For more information, click the button below!
During this pandemic, so many people have experienced a dip in their mental health, or seen a loved one struggle. Not being able to see friends and family, loss of income, delays in accessing healthcare and other support have taken their toll on the mental health of many. If this resonates with you, do join us for a special Let's Talk session on Wed 5th May.
We're delighted to be joined by directors of two local services: Good Thinking and Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust's Peer Coaching service.
As usual, there'll be lots of opportunity for discussion and to share your thoughts and what's going on for you!
Join us for two free special online workshops brought to you by the Future Matters team for the national Dying Matters Week campaign, 10th to 16th May.
Whilst many people know that putting a Will in place is something that we should all ideally do, not so many people think about other aspects of end of life planning.
The aim of Dying Matters week is to raise awareness of the importance of end of life planning. The theme of this year's campaign is being in a "good place to die" and it's equally relevant whether you're 20 or 90 years old - for both yourself and your relatives.
For more information and to book a place on one of the free online workshops, click below.
In the past year, many Islington residents have found themselves at home for longer periods of time and for many this may have made them feel less secure in their home or more vulnerable to burglary.
Although being isolated can induce feelings of insecurity or anxiety, in reality the likelihood of being burgled is very low and, across the borough, burglaries have in fact fallen this year by 20%.
Taking simple steps to improve your home security can reduce your risk of burglary considerably. To help you with this, Islington Council have provided a checklist of some of the small changes you can make which can have a big impact on your security.
Residents living in Tollington Ward who are over 65 yrs might be interested in a pilot project, Operation Acorn. It run by Islington Council and the Metropolitan Police. It is offering a free home security check and possible help to improve home security if this is needed.
For the home security checklist and more information about Operation Acorn (Tollington Ward residents only), click below.
Are you worried about other things? You can call to talk to us about anything that you are concerned about. This might be if you're feeling low, for bereavement support, or about housing or money worries.....
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