How are you? Here's our latest news from Islington Carers Hub, with some ideas and info to hopefully lift your spirits on these chilly days!
Carers Support meeting
Thank you from the ICH Team to everyone who attended the Carers Hub Support Group and the Carers Pathway Forum in the last couple of weeks - great that lots of people were able to attend!
At the Carers Support Group Meeting, it was reported that many carers had been using new skills during lockdown e.g. using IT and Zoom to keep connected. If you would like help to access Zoom, we’ve volunteers who can provide one to one support for this - see the “Tech Break” sessions later in the newsletter for more details.
Carers requested SHINE London (who help households stay well and warm) to present at the next Carers Support meeting on Wednesday 11th November (10.30am - 12) and this has been arranged.
Carers Rights Day - Thurs 26th November
You’ll be glad to hear that the team is busy making preparations for Carers Rights Day on Thurs 26th November. We will be setting up virtual Information Stalls from key partner organisations in the borough.
Make sure that the date is in your diary, and please do contact us if you’d like to practice getting onto Zoom!
Ideas for keeping healthy & happy
1) Painting Appreciation
Tues 20th October, 11-12pm
Join us for a special online Painting Appreciation session, guest hosted by Charterhouse
The Charterhouse team will share images of some of the restored, stunning Great Chamber portraits and give an overview of the Renaissance period.
You'll get to know some of the people behind the portraits better through the session. They were some of the most important people in the country at the time, so we'll also get an insight into this part of history. The Charterhouse team will give a glimpse behind the scenes and reveal images of what the portraits looked like before they were restored.
We hope you can join us. Help is available, as always, if you'd like to try out a Zoom meeting before the event (call 020 7281 6018 to book this). For more details of this special Painting Appreciation event and how to book for it, email Carmen, by clicking the button below.
Choose from weekly sessions running every week day, till the end of November
You’re not too late to join the FREE socially distanced Autumn Park Meet Up activities in Cally Park / Caledonian Clock Tower centre. There's a few places remaining - please contact the tutors to check.
You can try Yoga, Chair Based Yoga, Tai Chi, Gardening, Nature Crafts, Mindfulness and more! The lovely new cafe is open, so you can grab a cuppa afterwards if you'd like! For more information, and contact details of the tutors, click below.
Please note that there is a waiting lists for some activities, so please do let the tutors know if you've booked but aren't able to attend.
Given that everyone enjoyed Natascha’s previous online cooking sessions so much, she’s kindly agreed to host some more sessions.
For the session next week, she’s going to be sharing some tips on low maintenance bread making using the "no knead" method and her sourdough "starter". There will be demonstrations, recipes, tips and laughter!
For more details and to register interest, please click below.
4) Do you or your cared for, miss receiving letters?
If you like writing and receiving letters, why not take part in the wonderful Living Letters project?
The project connects older members of the community with young actors from the Theatre Company Chickenshed. They will write three letters / emails to each other and then have a zoom meeting with their pen pal on the fourth week. All you need to sign up is an email address. Click below to learn more and how to apply.
Keith Oliver, author of the ‘Dear Alzheimer’s – A Diary of Living with Dementia’ is the guest speaker for this month’s cafe. He will be sharing his journey with dementia and his current poetry project raising awareness for Dementia, at 10.15am.
In addition to their regular programme with it’s mix of music, crafts, baking, fun facts and quizzes, they will also have entertainment from performing artists!
To find out about the full morning's programme, please visit their Facebook event page, https://bit.ly/StAnsVC17OctFB
Museum of London
Time for a Cuppa: Music and Fashion
Thurs 5th Nov, 10.30 - 11.30
Join Museum of London staff for a relaxed, interactive session which brings together people living with dementia, older people and their loved ones and carers over shared experiences of living or visiting London. Sing, move, meet new people and reminisce while discovering hidden gems in the Museum of London's collection.
Is it normal for people to lose weight as they get older?
Is losing weight or your appetite in later life something to be concerned about?
Does malnutrition exist in the UK anymore?
Having nutritious and varied food is important for good health and well-being throughout life. Signs of unintentional weight loss often go unnoticed until it has a big effect on a person’s health. You might know someone who’s not eating enough, or it might even be you, or someone you care for? Carers can sometimes neglect their own nutrition because of their caring responsibilities.
For more information about malnutrition, how you can avoid it, click to read our article, with a link to a free booklet "How to Eat Better in Later Life".
Are you getting the most from your smartphone, tablet or pc? This is a fantastic opportunity to get some free one-to-one support (either by phone or Zoom) to help you use your device. Book a session to get answers to any questions that you might have, or ideas as to what else you can do using your device, e.g. sharing photos with friends or family, booking an online shop and much more!
For more details and how to book, please click below.
Earlier this week, the government announced a new "tiered approach" to social distancing with areas of the country categorised into three levels of covid social distancing requirements- medium / high / very high. This is to help reduce the spread of Covid and to not overstretch the NHS.
'Shielding' guidelines
On 15th October, the current advice for people who were previously 'shielding' is that they don't need to do this at the moment (although we know that many people are continuing to 'shield' out of choice). More info here.
New Islington Covid testing site
The local walk-through testing site, in the car park of the Sobell Leisure Centre, will be open from 8am-8pm, seven days a week, for the next six months. You won't be able to get a test without booking. There's more information here.
We'll be here to support you
We would like to assure you that Islington Carers Hub will be continuing to support you with a full range of services, whilst closely following the social distancing guidelines. We're also well prepared in the event of any further changes. For more information about our service, please see our website.
PS. Have you booked your flu jab?
Don't forget to contact your GP or pharmacy to book your flu jab - people who are eligible include those who are 65 and over, have certain health conditions, receive a carer's allowance, or are the main carer for an older or disabled person who may be at risk if you get sick, live with someone who's at high risk from coronavirus (on the 'shielded' list). Also if you're aged 50 to 64, with priority to those who have a health condition. More information is here.
Watch the free Flu jab webinar - Wed 21st Oct, 2.30 to 4pm on Zoom
There is also a webinar being hosted by Healthwatch & Manor Gardens Welfare Trust, that will let you know more about the importance of the flu vaccination, providing accurate information about vaccinations, and specifically the flu vaccination, including ‘myth-busting’. It will also let you know about ways of accessing the vaccination across the Borough.
Starting 21st September, the courts have started to process evictions again, with a priority placed on the most serious cases. Along with this change, the Government has extended the period of notice that some landlords need to provide.
For more information about rent arrears & evictions read the information from the housing charity Shelter below. If you're in feed of any further support to, please call our helpline on 020 7281 6018 / gethelp@ageukislington.org.uk. We can talk to you to understand your circumstances and connect you to relevant local specialist partner organisations.
Did you know that the Islington Council offers free, online adult learning courses every year? Available to those that are unemployed or low-waged, they cover a wide variety of subjects, including digital skills, vocational skills, maths, and English.
So whether you are looking for ways to better use your laptop, or you just want to learn something new, you might want to see what's of interest to you!
The Recovery College run a full programme of courses to help with wellbeing. They have a course about "Dealing with the Debt" on 19th November.
In this course they we will look at the situations that led to us being in debt and our feelings about dealing with the debt. They will look at what to do and what not to do if you are in debt, and explain the difference between priority and non-priority debts plus much more!
Please find further details and how to book on their website.
Aged 18–25 living in London and not in education, training or employment? Front Line Online, delivered by the Old Vic Theatre, offers a series of exciting digital workshops, designed to support you to confidently, take your next steps into employment or training.
You will also take part in weekly mentoring sessions, a mock interview and receive access to online tasks and resources.
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.....
Please do share this e-newsletter with friends and family (over 18yrs), by forwarding it to them!If they'd like it to be delivered to their personal email inbox, they can request this by emailing:
