Age UK Waltham Forest Annual Report and Financial Statements 31 March 2024 Charfty Raglstrallon Number 1048212 Company Llmlted by Guarantee Registration Number 02334459 IEnglaThJ and W￿9$} Reports Rèférènc8 and admlnlstraiive dètalls Chairfs Introductton Trustees, report Independent auditorfs report 30 Financial statèm8nts statement of financial activities 36 Balance sheet 37 ststement of cash flows 37 Principal accounting policies Notes to the financial statements 38 43 Age UK Wahham Forest Annual Rewl and Financial Ststements for the year ended 31 March 2024 Trustees Barry Coldan Chair Paullne Martlndalè Rlchard Freitsg Honorary Treasurer Yvonne O'sullivan Andy Barrick lappoinled 29 Febnjary 20241 Olufunmllayo Oludare lappoinl&J 29 Febwary 20241 Rupert Williams laFpJi)ta 29 February 20241 Leo van dèr Borgh 18ppointed 29 Febnjary 20241 Tanya Wilkinson lapponted 29 Febw8ry 20241 Stsff Central Team Emma Tozer Chief Executive Helen Bigham Gommunily Fundraiser Chrl$tine Bateson Project Support Eric Callow Project Support Carolyn Stiles Reception and Office Assistant Emma Pajarillaga Volunteer Co-ordinator Arlene Williams Finance and Personnel Informatlon and Advlce Chearlne Alphonse Inform81ion and Advice Manager Ingrid Ambrose Adviser, Information and AdviGe Carol Moy Administrator Independent Llvlng Team Emma Levine Community Services Manager Liz Byrne Co-ordinator Beverley Rai50n Nail Care Te¢hni¢ian Befriending Terry Day Befriending Manager Kale Ash¢roft Befriending Co-ordinator Harriet Sirnmons Befriending Co-ordinator Muzammil Raza Adminislralor Corazon Callow Julie St Roman Angela Wright Julie Jarvis Kay Reid Angela Jordan Help at Home Support Workers Denlz Mustafa Handyperson Activities and Digital Inclusion Eleanor Jew&ll Activities & Communications Lead Tyler Alexander Digit81 Outreach WoH(er Jason Davie5 Digital Outreach Worker Veterans Support David Hale Veterans Co-ordinator Alistslr Martin V8t8rans Cowordinalor Cf)mpan Secretary Charity Number Websile Registered Address Emma Tozer 1048212 eukwalthamforesLo .uk Waltham Forest Resource Hub North, 58 Hall Lane, Chin ford, E4 8EU Buzzacott LLP, 130 Wood Street, London EC2V 6DL CAF Bank, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Mallin , Kent ME194JQ Accountsnt Chari Number Ricca Bunda 1048212 Auditor Bankers Investments CCLA Fla stone Investments Age UK Wallham Forest Annual Report and Financial Stalernents for the year ended 31 March 2024 Chair's Introduction I've been Chair for just under a year and before that Treasurer for five years. In that time, I have witnessed and experienced the many On behalf myself and the other Trustees, challenges and successes of Age UK thanks to all the great people who work, Waltham Forest. What has struck me is volunteer, and help in so many ways at how adaptable we are. Look over the last Age UK Waltham Forest. few annual reports and you will see how Age UK Waltham Forest has had to Dip into our annual report and share in manage changes in its funding streams, our sense of pride and achievement refocusing services, enlarging some and introducing new schemes to meet the needs of the people we serve. The same here is another French expression 'esprit de corp. that you notice, if like me, you hang around The Hub, on Hall Lane for any length of time. The sense of pride, the shared sense of purpose and the humour are trademarks of Age UK Waltham Forest. Barry Coidan, Chair We are not a big charity when compared to other London Age UKS but I know we punch well above our weight. We offer a range of services and activities that we can be really proud of. From Information and Advice. Befriending, Foot Care, Silver Surfing classes, Yoga, Book Club to shopping for house bound residents and handyman services and Veterans Club. There is a French colloquialism "Plus Ga change, plus c'est la mème chose. The more things change the more they remain the same." Age UK Waltham Forest is constantly adapting, yet in one important aspect it remains the same. The same dedication of its staff and volunteers, the same focus on delivering the best service, be it advice, support and helping our clients to live life to the full. Age UK Wallham Forest Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024 TRUSTEES, REPORT The Trustees present their report together with the financial statements of Age UK Waltham Forest ('Age UK WF, or 'AUKWF') for the year ended 31 March 2024. The report has been prepared in accordance with Part Vlll of the Charities Act 2011, and constitutes a directors, report for the purpose of company legislation. The financial stalements have been prepared in accordance with the acGounling policies set out on pages 39 to 43 of the attached financial ststements and comply with the charitable company's Memorandum and Articles of Association, applicable laws, the Companies Act 2006 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities.. Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their acGounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102). Introduction The company is established for charitable purposes. Its principal object is to improve the quality of life of all older adults in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. This objective is fulfilled through providing direct services, raising awareness of and represenling the needs and wishes of older adults, and participatron in joint initiatives wilh statutory authorities and nOn￿OVernMental organisats'ons. Age UK Wallham Forest Annual Report and Financial Ststements for the year ended 31 March 2024 GOVERNANCE, STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT Governance Age UK Waltham Forest is constituted as a company limited by guarantee (Company Registration Number 02334459 (England and Wales)) and is a charity registered for charitable purposes wilh the Charity Commission (Charity Registration Number1048212). Liability of the members In the event of the charitable company being wound up during the period of membership, or within the year following, company members are required to contribute an amount not exceeding £1. Trustees The Trustees of the charitable cornpany constitute the directors of the Charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006 and other company legislation. Details of the Trustees who served during the period of report and up to the date of approval of this report are provided within the referen￿ and administrative information at page 1. Trustees, responsibilities The Trustees {who are also directors of Age UK Waltham Forest for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Truslees. report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practi￿). Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the Charity for thal period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to.. • select suitsble accounting policies and then apply them consistenlly. • observe the methods and principles in Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statemenl of Recommended Practi￿ applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with Financial Reporting Stsndard applicable in the United lfjngdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102). + make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent., • state whether applicable United Kingdom Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any Material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements. and prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Charity will continue in operation. Age UK Waltham Forest Annual Report and Flnan¢ial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024 The,'Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and deteclion of fraud and other irregularities. Age UK Wallham For8St Annu* Repjt and FSrRncial Stalements for the year ended 31 March 2024 Each of the Trustees confi￿nS that: • so far as the Trustee is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the Charivs auditor is unaware., and • the Truslee has taken all the steps that helshe oughl to have taken as a Trustee in order to make himselflherself aware of any relevant audit information and to establish thal the Charity's auditor is aware of that infomiation. This confirmation is given and should be interpreted in accordance with the provisions of s418 of the Companies Act 2006. The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information induded on the charitable company's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and disseminalion of financial staternents may differ from legislation in other jurisdidions. Key Management Personnel The overall responsibility of Age UK Waltham Forest ultimately lies with the Trustees who meet on a quarterly basis. Day-tolay management of the Charity is delegated to the Chief ExecutlV8 who reports to the Trustees on a fomal basis at each Trustees, meeting and regularly throughout the year on an ad hoc basis. No Trustee receives any remuneration or payment in respect of their services as a Trustee. The Chief Executive re￿iVeS a monthly salary which is set by the Truslees after having reference to other charities. particularly Age UK charities and other organisations (with similar objects to Age UK Waltham Forest) of a similar size. Working with other organisations Age UK Waltham Forest is committed to collaborative working in furtherance of its aims. At a local level, Age UK Waltham Forest seeks to work closely with Waltham Forest Council and North East London Integrated Care Board, both formally and informally, in representing the needs and views of older adults, in the development of policy, and in the monitoring of its implementation. Ordinarily the Trustees meet on a quarterly basis to review progress, discuss issues and agree strategy. Age UK Waltham Forest also works with a wide variety of other organisations induding Citizens Advice Waltham Forest and HEET {Home Energy Efficiency Training Ltd) and with other local Age UKS where we can mutually extend our reach to support more older people. During this financial year Age UK Enfield and Age UK Waltham Forest have continued to partner to provide a Veterans Support service across both boroughs. Age UK East London, Age UK Redbridge, Barking and Havering and Age UK Waltham Forest share the same Integrated Care Board footprint and recognise the Importan￿ of joint working to provide older people in these areas responsive seNI￿s, therefore the three organisations have agreed to work in pathership lo respond to need, meeting on a monthly basis to collaborate. As a member of the Age UK Federation, Age UK Wallham Forest tskes part in a number of regional and national initialives and campaigns. Age UK Wallham Forest Annual Rep)rt and Financial Stslemenls for the year ended 31 March 2024 GOVERNANCE, STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT Quality Marks and Professional Memberships We are proud to have achieved the Organisational Quality Standards for local Age UKS in England. Our achievement of the Oiganisalional Quality Standards recognises the high standard of our perfom)ance as an organisation. It certifies that we are a Well￿0verned and effective organisation committed to the wellbeing of older people, our staff and volunteers and to working in partnership with others. The Standards are externally assessed by industry leaders SGS and endorsed by the Charily Commission. W8 are also holders of the Advic8 Providers Quality Mark and The Age UK Information and Advice Quality Programme (IAQP) which shows that we offer a quality assured service. It demonstrates our commitment to providing consistent, relevant and effective advi￿. to customer care, and that our service has clear and relevant procedures in pla￿ to manage the delivery of good quality infomiation and advi￿ to clients We are London Living Wage and an Age Friendly Employer, Cyber Essentials Accredited, members of the Befriending NebNork and the Confederation of Service Charities. Risk management In line with the requirement for Trustees to undertake a risk assessment exercise and report on the same in their annual report, the Trustees have looked at the risks the Charity currently faces and have reviewed the measures already in place, or needing to be put in pla￿, to deal with them. The Trustees have identified five main risk areas for the Charity: Governance- ensuring Trustees are skilled and have the knowledge they require through involvement in the development of Age UK Waltham Forest. including the provision of information to enable informed decisions. A review of governance takes place regularly to ensure that Age UK Waltham Forest's governance is fit for purpose for both partnership working and future contracts. Finance - Age UK Waltham Forest continues to seek new ways to ensure the Charity's sustainability while meeting the needs of older people and carers in an area of increasing deprivation. Stsffing - retaining key staff by regularly reviewing their terms and conditions, providing training to develop their skills and involving them in the development of the organisation. The willingness of staff to be flexible and take on new projects has contributed significanlly to the success of Age UK Waltham Forest as has our continued focus on holistic and individualised services for older adults. Premises As reported previously, it is understood that the Council still plans to close the premises where the Charity's offices are located. We have now been infonned in writing that it will not ask us to 18ave the building without enabling us to locate suitab18 alternative accommodation in the Borough. Until such time as replacement accommodation is located, we have been offered and have signed a lease until 2027. The Council recognises the important work we do and the need to have accessible Spa￿ to support older people in our Borough. The Trustees and the Chief Executive continue to monitor this situation closely to ensure that the Charity has suitable premises for its work. Age UK Wallham Forest Annual Report and Finanoal Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024 Changes In pollcy and legislation- Age UK Waltham Forest continues to respond to changes in local and national policy and legislation as they affect the voluntary sector and the provision of health, social care and other services. In summary, the Trustees have assessed the major risks to which the Charity is exposed, in particular those relating to the specific operational areas of the Charity and its tinances. The Trustees believe that by monitoring reserve levels, by ensuring controls exist over key financial systems, and by reviewing the operational ariangements and business risks fa￿d by the Charity, they have established effective systems to mitigate the identified risks. The impact of the charity's operations on the environment We recognise the impact of our operations on the environment- a number of mitigation measures have been in place for many yeais e.g. in 2021 we moved to a new IT system and the redundant computers were either given to local schools or recycled through an appropriate carrier rather than going lo landfill. When purchasing furniture and equipment we choose used rather than new as our first option. We use sensor lighting in our hub, auto-hibemation of laptops after 5 minutes of inactivity and ensure equipment is tumed off at night and not left on standby. We recyde paper, cardboard, plastics and inkltoner cartridges. These measures have enabled us to move from weekly to fortnightly waste collections reducing the need for diesel powered lorries to visit us by 500/0. Where it is feasible to do so, we are maintsining online meetings to reduce the need to travel. We are limited as to the suppliers of our gas and electricity as these are provided by the landlord (the local authority). We have carried out an independent Ec￿AudIt to examine where we can further redu￿ our environmental footprint and the results were presented to staff and Trustees in Augusl 2023, consequently we have increased our recycling and reduced our waste outputs. reviewed our staff travel arrangements and redU￿d our use of plastics. ACTIVITIES AND SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES Age UK Waltham Forest aims to improve the quality of life for older adults and their carers in Waltham Forest by providing direct Servi￿$, campaigning for the rights of older people and older carers, and participating in partnership working with statutory authorities and non-govemmental organisations. Age UK Waltham Forest's Memorandum and Articles of Association enable the provision of services to all adults when appropriate. Age UK Waltham Forest is an equal opportunities organisation that welcomes the diversity of the Waltham Forest community. When setting the objectives and planning the work of the Charity for the year, the Trustees have given consideration to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit. The activities of Age UK Waltham Forest are described below. Age UK Wailham Forest Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024 Our mission "The object for which the charity is established is "to promote and enhanc8 the well-b8ing and quality of life of all older people in Waltham Forest, to help make later life a more fulfilling and enjoyable experience and to support people especially at those points in life when the right help can make a signifiGant difference. Our Services Volunteering Information and Advice Jp io The organisation has a unique ability to meet this mission through having developed strong connections and credibility locally, as well as having membership of the Age UK England Association nationally, providing the organisation and its members with a voice in national and regional initiatives and campaigns. Befriending and Social Groups Winter Warmth We alm to create a culture which: is clearly centred on the needs and aspirations of older adults, their carers and their diverse communities; is constantly striving to become a Gentre of excellence; welcomes feedback. is characterised by innovation and creativity. works as part of a collaborative local system. enables service users and the general public to influence the providers of services. Exercise Classes Digital Inclusion Footcare Handyperson Working with other organisations We work with a wide variety of organisations on initiatives. Help at Home These include: Citizens Advice Waltham Forest HEET- Home Energy Efficiency Training London Borough of Waltham Forest Age UK Redbridge, Barking, Havering and Age UK East London Shopping and Prescription Services Footcare Veterans Support Age UK Waltham Forest Annual Report and Financial Slalements for the year ended 31 March 2024 io Volunteering Age UK Waltham Forest is proud of its We recwit volunteers in many different volunteer workforce. Without our ways including leaflet drops, adverts in fabulous team of volunteers, we could local papers, online via volunteer not carry out the work that we do. recruitment sites, social media and Working alongside staff, they bring a at recruitment fairs. wealth of experience, a valuable and objective viewpoint and a wide range of skills to the many and varied tasks We can never repay the dedication, nor which they perfom. These range from thank our volunteers sufficiently for their providing Befriending Services. form- greatly valued contributions. filling for our Infonnation and Advice Service; helping at our Walking Football. shopping for vulnerable adults, through to teaching computer skills, as well as staffing our front desk and making our offices a warm and welcoming place for all that visit us. 340 volunteers provlded We continue to work with a large number of volunteers, this year we operated with a ratio of 340 volunteers to 23 employed staff. 28,455 hours of support Age UK Waltham Forest Annual Report and Financial Slalemen li Information and Advice Service Our team of dedicated staff and Home visits. For clients with complex volunteers provide free, confidential and issues, disabilities, bedbound or house independent information on a wide range bound. who cannot get to an outreach of subjects. appointment. In particular we specialise in: Drop-in Service. Clients can access Welfare Benefits advice for those who our service once a week, held in Priory are pensionable age, including benefit Court Community Centre checks to work out if they are entitled to Walthamstow. The drop-ins are held on means tested and disability benefits, and Wednesdays only. We have seen 311 assisting people to complete claim fomis people delivering form filling and benefit such as Attendance Allowance, Personal calculations. All complex enquiries are Independence Payment forms and on- referred to the main office in Chingford. line benefits such as Council Tax Support, Discretionary Housing Benefit It's been an incredibly busy year for the and Housing Benefit. I&A team and a Challenging time for people living in Waltham Forest. Social Care to help people identify care and support services appropriate to their We have seen many residents continue needs, accessing adult services and to struggle with increasing costs to heat advising and completing home adaptation their homes, buy food and stay on top of forms, grants for white goods, small prioritybills. repairs. and digital connections and financial support for unexpected bills. We have also worked closely with the food banks and understand that there has Local Community advice for older been a sharp rise in older clients people on the services, support groups, accessing food banks and this has been activities and concessions available reflected in the type of support that clients locally needed from our I&A servic8. Our service includes: The service has far exceeded their reach Information guides and factsheets on a this year by supporting 2,358 local wide range of subjects affecting older residents, which is just over a 48% people and those who care for and increasefromlastyear. support them We have also seen a significant increase Face-to-face office appointments. We of known clients accessing our service ask that clients contact us to arrange an again to reapply for the higher rate of appointment rather than 'dropping in, so their existing benefit due to the that we can ensure that they will be seen deterioration in their health andlor to without having to wait, and that we can access more money to help with their tell them about any documentation that day-to-day living costs. we would need them to bring along to the appointment Age UK Wallham Forest Annual Rewrt and Financial Statements for Ihe year ended 31 March 2024 12 The main issues included support with claiming welfare benefits, income maximisation and benefit checks, information on housing and increasing rents and accessing grants, as well as care options information. customer care, and that our service has clear and relevant procedures in place to manage the delivery of good quality information and advice to clients. We have completed 550 benefit checks an increase of 56.5% from last year where clients were able to apply for Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support, Pension Credit Savings and Pension Credit guarantee. Our service was accessed by 2,358 people, a 49 % increase on 2023-2024. On an individual basis our team generates on average over £5,200 annually per person through benefits which has made a real difference to their lives. Our team were also able to refer eligible clients onto the Household Support Fund which is being administered by Waltham Forest Council, and this has helped clients who could benefit with a one-off grant. Our I&A Team successfully accomplished the Quality of Advice Stsndard (QAS) and Advice Quality standard certificates (AQS) which shows that we offer a quality assured service. It demonstrates our commitment to providing consistent, rolovant and effcctivc advicc; to During the year we successfully achieved £2,265,955 of extra welfare benefit income for older people in Waltham Forest. This claimed income can improve their quality of life, maintain independence and support local services. In 2024-2025 we look forward to expanding our service and provide a drop-in service in our Chingford Hub office. 2,358 individuals were advised on claimed 3,550 £2,265,954.60 in previously unclaimed benefits matters Age UK Wallham Foresl Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024 13 Just Connect Befriending Service This was a year of very high demand for befriending. By the start of December 2023 we had already received 112 new referrals, with 56 people on the waiting list., It was also a year dominated by uncertainty. The Council first announced that they were putting the Befriending Service out to competitive tender in October 2022, yet by the end of March 2023 despite us having put hours into extended 'engagement sessions. with the Council - there was still no definite timescale for this to take place. Our contract with the Council was extended temporarily several times. people aged 60+ who live alone. The average age of people being befriended is 82. Only 15% are in their 60s, 59% are aged 80+, and 20/0 are 100+ The core purpose of befriending is to combat loneliness. But our volunteers go above and beyond this over and over again. Many of the friendships we create go on for a long time some become friendships for life. 38% of the older people have been having visits from a befriender for over 2 years. Nearly 10 % of them have been visited weekly for over 4 years. As a result of this Un￿rtaInty we made the hard decision to close the waiting list in December 2023, not wishing to make promises to older people which we might not be able to keep. Assuming new referrals would have continued at the same rate, we would have had 168 new referrals in the whole year, an 80/0 increase on last year. We work hard to ensure that the befriending service reaches all the diverse communities in Waltham Forest. dllLI dre pleclSgLI wlLlI Ilie igsulls. Tlils year 67.8 % of the people we befriended were white, compared to 67.1 % white people in the population of Waltham Forest aged 60+. We have a significant over-representation of Black elders using this service: 21.5% of those who have a befriender are Black, compared to just 14% of the Waltham Forest 60+ population. Asian elders are, however, under-represented among our service users at 7.5 %, compared to 15 % of the Waltham Forest 60+ population. We suspect that this is due to a higher proportion of Black elders living alone, and a lower proportion of Asian elders living alone, but do not have the data to make an accurate analysis. Even with closure of the waiting list two thirds of the way through the year. we still had 37 people on the waiting list for befriending as at 311312024. Each of our volunteers befriends one isolated older person who lives alone, visiting them every week for at least an hour. In 2023124, 308 individuals were visited by a befriender. We do have to impose some eligibility criteria on this service, as demand is far higher than we can meet, so the service is only open to Age UK Waltham Forest Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024 14 The befriending service plays a good role in the Borough's safeguarding system. We made 7 safeguarding reports on behalf of people we befriend during this last year. This year we have seen a rise in the number of safeguarding concerns arising from poor quality paid care (carers sleeping on the job; carers occupying parts of the older person's house without permission). We've also been able to report cases of older people being abused by their family members; older people at risk of wandering and setting fire to themselves. We are proud of the role we play in keeping older people safe from harm. Windrush. 35 older people attended our Black History event in October. 28 people attended a wonderful Christmas dinner put on specially for our service users by the Connaught Club. With all these events, many of the people could only attend because of a volunteer driver giving them a door-to-door lift. We were also delighted this year to gather 14 life stories from some of our Caribbean elders, and put these into an exhibition Unheard Stories. This was displayed at the Town Hall during Black History Month and was very well received. As always, the Befriending Service is nothing without our amazing, dedicated, caring volunteer befrienders. At 311312023 we had 212 befrienders. 43 new volunteers started during the year. and 31 volunteers left. We were delighted this year to support some of the older people to get out of their homes and attend events. 110 P8ople attended our Windrush Garden Party, celebrating the 75-year anniversary of the arrival of the ship the 308 Volunteers gave older people received weekly befriending visits 15,171 volunteer hours, making 648 phone calls and 6,932 visits to older people's houses Age UK Waltham Forest Annual Report and Financial Statemenis for the year ended 31 March 2024 15 Social Groups Tackling social isolation has become chat over a hot drink and biscuits. Great more important than ever, as we friendships continue to grow in this group continue to see the social impact of not only between the service users, but Covid-19. This year, we have between the service users and our five continued to run our Wednesday dedicated volunteers. Many of the Coffee Morning to help reduce attendees boast of making great friends isolation for our service users who and enjoying the opportunity for good cannot attend any of our physical company and companionship. It's also activity classes. the Chan￿ for those in the group to celebrate, as we have hosted a 101st Although we have reduced our birthday in the group and held two provision of social groups in our Christmasparties! timetable to just one a week, the The social group has also provided opportunities for different organisations to provide help and support to Ihe group. We have held talks from Barclays on scams, Eon and HEET on energy saving measures as well as a monthly visit from the early prevention team to help signpost user to council services. number of attendances to our social groups has nearly doubled since last year and we have an additional 21 regular members. We continue to run Coffee Time, which is now a part of the council's community living room programme and meets once a week fora 1,543 Attendances by 149 Individuals at 48 Coffee Mornin Age UK Waltham For8st Annual Report and Financial Sta18m8nls for the y8ar end8d 31 March 2024 16 Winter Warmth Initiative Influencing This year we provided 205 Warmth We have contributed this year toward Packs to residents in the Boi-ough. To strengthenlng the voluntary sector as a ensure we were meeting those most in whole in Waltham Forest and in raising need, referrals for packs were accepted older people's issues and amplrfying older from professionals in the Borough people's voices when needed: including Social Services, Social Prescribers and Housing Officers. A We are part of the Voluntary and small team of volunteers delivered Community Sector Leadership Group Warmth Packs consisting of a fleece which seeks to strengthen the Vol￿ of jacket, hat, gloves, scarf, ice gripper for the VCS sector within health and social shoes, walking sticks, blanket and care. As part of this we ran a very information on how to save money on successful workshop on older people's energy directly to older people's issues at a big VCS event in October homes. We were also able to provide 2023. Electric Blankets to more vulnerable or at risk clients. We have contributed to a project which is attempting to re-establish an umbrella This work was funded from income body for the voluntary sector in Waltham raised from our own fundraising efforts, Forest: Community Voice. a small grant from Age UK national, and funding from the London Borough of We have been advising Barts Health as Waltham Forest. they establish an Academic Centre for Healthy Ageing. We also referred 62 older people to HEET who gave free advice on how to In February 2024 we joined forces with make homes safer and warmer. In Afro-caribbean Elders Association, some cases HEET fitted energy Alzheimers Society, Carers First and efficiency measures that will help to CREST to lobby the Council not to save money on heating bills. abolish the paper parking permit system, We promoted the Servi￿ via our forcing everyone who lives in a Controlled Newsletter and through our networks, Parking Zone to go online each time they including Social Prescribers in the have a visitor. We knew this system Borou would be unworkable for many, many older people. Although we did achieve some concessions from the Council, they have pressed ahead with their new system and we remain deeply concerned at the impact on the many older people who are not online. Provided 205 Warmth Packs Ago UK Waltham Forest Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024 17 Exercise Classes One significant problem of old age is loss Although the number of classes we of independence. Reducing the risk of provide has decreased we are still falls, exercising regularly and attaining a seeing an increase in the number of reasonable degree of physical fitness, individuals attending our classes. By helps an older person meet the demands consolidating our classes, we can of their daily routine and live provide a better experience for our independently for as long as possible. service users as all the classes are well attended, which increases satisfaction During this financial year we have overall and leads to high levels of re continued to provide face to fa￿ attendance. exercise classes across the borough designed especially for those over 50. As a result. in 2023124 the number of We provide 20 well attended in-person individuals attending any of our classes each week and 3 online classes. exercise classes has increased from This provision includes 9 Tai Chi groups 7,500 to over 10,000 from the previous both online and in-person, Table Tennis year. and Yoga classes at the Hub. We also host new classes such as Walking Football, and Fitness classes at different venues in the Borough and we have introduced a second Pilates class, which is highly popular. Each week we pmvide 25 physical actlvity Classes across the Borough." Walking Group 2 Walking Football Groups 12 Tai Chi Groups 2 Table Tennis Groups 2 Seated Yoga Zumba Dance Healthy Hearts Exercise Group Bollywood Dance Circuits Class Pilates This year we have also sought to continue our provision of exercise classes in the south of the Borough. We have had to reduce the number of Tai Chi classes we provide in sheltered housing and community buildings in Chingford, Walthamstow, Leyton and Leytonstone. However, we continue to provide 12 Tai Chi classes in all locations of the Borough. All of these allows more older residents of Waltham Forest to take steps in improving their h sical fitness. 1,072 10,156 attendances by 836 Indlviduals exercise classes Age UK Waltham Forest Annual Report and Financial Ststements for the year ended 31 March 2024 18 Digital Inclusion Silver Surfers Overall, 193 individuals attended the Our Digital Inclusion work began in online sessions and gained confidence 2008 as the Silver Surfers, Project. with technology and have been equlpped The aim of the project was to teach With skills to access information. older people the basics of using a computer. Each course lasted for 10 Digital Buddies weeks and cover8d the essential Our new Digital Buddies programme elements of using a computer, aimed to help improve digital exclusion by accessing the internet and emailing. providing 1-2-1 tech support for service users on their own devices. This allowed In 2014 we began offering topic- service users to tackle specific problems based classes. The programme is that might not be covered in one of our shaped by what students tell us general Silver Surfer classes. they want to leam and includes subject such as Introduction to The programme has recruited eight Tablets, Internet SecuritylScam- volunteers who have provided tech Awareness, getting to know your SUPPOrt via 72 home visits to 44 older iPad, Skype for Beginners, eBay, people. Twitter, cloud storage and Google Maps. w. For 2023-2024 we continued to provide the sessions in a Hybrid fashion - this enables us to support both people who can travel to our hub but also those that join by Zoom from their homes. The on-going success of this programme is attributed to the commitment of the volunteer team who compile and deliver the courses. 652 48 topics 53 classes 13 Tech Support Groups 3 Techy Tea Parties 72 home visiting sessions attendances by 237 Individuals Age UK Wallham Forest Annual Rep)rt and Financial Slatém&nts for the year ended 31 March 2024 19 Help at Home and Handyperson Services Help to find a safe, reliable handyperson If the job requested is not one that our or cleaner at a reasonable cost has been team can do, for example anything a regular request from many older related to heating or electrics, then we people. In 2022 we successfully set up help them source a reliable alternative. both these services, and the requests keep on coming throughout the borough Our Help at Home servic8 is all about and the number of clients - and workers basic housework, and jobs usually is constantly increasing. Our include cleaning, vacuuming, bed Handyperson and Help at Home services changing and laundry. Our workers also are vital to enable older people to live as offer assistan￿ with letters or phone independently and safely as possible in calls and other admin tasks that the their own homes. And, as all our workers client might find difficult. have been through the necessary recruitment process and DBS checks, clients have peace of mind that they have trustworthy people in their homes. The Handyperson offers help with, practical jobs around the home such as putting up shelves, fixing a toilet seat or minor plumbing jobs such as changing a a washer. They also do gardening and painting and decorating jobs, which are much in demand. As part of our handyman service, we have offered a service to install grabrails - usually in the bathroom, toilet or outside the front door, plus installing stair rails. Many of these requests have come from social prescribers, GP surgeries or via community groups. Our handyman would visit and discuss with the client the most useful and practical place for the rail, and ensures that it is a safe place to install. This is a free service where the client does not have to pay for materials or labour although donations are encouraged! 2,432 hours delivered for Help at Home clients 665 hours delivered of handyperson jobs 70 GrabraOI8 & stalr•ralls installed Age UK Waltham Forest Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024 20 Shopping and Prescription Services The Shopping and Prescription Services Our busy footcare service provides toenail were created in April 2020 when Covid19 cutting and promotes good foot health, which hit the community and many older people helps older people remain physically active, were shielding - orjust afraid to go out. more mobile and therefore more independent. Toenail cutting is a challenge for many older Although the numbers have decreased people, especially for those who are frail or since then, we have continued to offer unable to bend. these essential ServI￿S for those who are housebound or unable to manage We run the service in our specially created their own shopping. Some use the treatment room at the Hub. every Tuesday service each week, others on an ad hoc and Wednesday. It's Ca￿led out by an basis, but everyone is aware that it is a experienced nail care technician who also has friendly, reliable service and we just many years. experience in nursing. charge the client an extra £2 ft)r the service, which goes towards admin costs. We are clear in the service's limitations". this is The team of volunteers ensure that this is not a full podiatry service, which enables us to borough-wide service. Some also keep the cost to the client as low as possible collect and deliver from local food banks at a very reasonable £21 (increased to £22 in an essential service. Jan 2024). If anyone requires further treatment beyond our service, we assist a We also offer a prescription service, to referral via their GP or can advise on local collect medication from the pharmacy podiatrists who can treat them. and deliver to the client. most of whom are housebound and have no friends or This is a very popular service with many family to help. repeat clients, and also new ones each month. We assisted the Dementia Hub in Leyton to set up a treatment room; we now offer a similar nail-cutting facility to their service users and all residents in the Borough aged 50+. () Footcare 442 Shopplng trlps and prescriptlon deliveries 223 Older people receiving our footcare services 541 footcare treatments Age UK Waltham Forest Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024 21 Veterans, Support 2023 was a busy year for our veterans, groups which continue to grow in popularity. There are four regular scheduled social events: The breakfast club on the first Saturday of every month at the Greene Man pub in Chingford, a monthly lunch club at Leyton Orient and two coffee aftemoons held at the hub. Attendance at those events continued an upward trajectory, for example the We have continued our signposting annual Christmas lunch attract8d 54 ServI￿S and helped with rehoming veterans and family members compared veterans. We are well supported by the to 37 the year before. Chelsea pensioners and several of our cohorts have attended events at the We've also attended parades including Royal Hospital Chelsea. Armed Forces Day, The Battle of Britain, The Battle of Trafalgar and a well- attended Remembrance Day parade in Our veteran coordinators have been Chingford. We also hosted the Veterans, serving on Waltham Forest council's Minister Johnny Mercer at a breakfast veteran steering committee and advised club and had a guided tour of the them on their project to become Houses of Parliament. We watched a signatories to the Armed Forces fascinating presentation by the Nuclear Covenant, a result of which is that two Test Veterans who had been part of the veterans in need are currently being UK'S nuclear testing programme in the considered for council housing. south pacific in the 1950s. Leyton Orient Football club have also been kind enough to gift us complimentary football tickets. 88 Veterans receiving support and companionship Age UK Wallham Forest Annual Report and Financial Ststements for the year ended 31 March 2024 22 Other activities This year, in response to what older people have told us, we have strived to hold more creative activities and social activities for our Servi￿ users. We now hold a monthly craft club to allow our service users to explore their creative sides, as well as a 20-week bridge course, a twice monthly bereavement group and a weekly Ukulele group. We have also run many one-off events such as; a music course with Soundcastle, a pottery course a Sri Lankan cooking demonstration. drawing classes, and private tours of the William Morris Gallery. Some of our highlight activities are described below! Central London History Walks, Ukulele Classes and Bereavement groups! Walk Leader Joanna Moncrieff, has Projectto run continued to lead a series of highly beginners popular history walks in central London and on behalf of Age UK Waltham Forest. improvers We have explored the lesser-known Ukulele streets and alleyways of Covent courses Garden, the back streets of Victoria and at our Hub. the gentlemen's clubs of St James. We 39 hosted a further 11 walks this year, individuals attended by 51 service users and plan attended the to hold more again next year. courses and some even joined our Ukulele busk at Kings Cross Christmas 2023. We also ran a popular pottery workshop with Waltham Forest Adult Leaming Service. It was great to see everyone's creativity bloom in this course, with some individuals creating elaborate penguin sculptures and elephant vases. In 2023124 we also established our bi- When consulting with Servi￿ users it monthly bereavement group, which is run by was clear that there was a need for Bridge Bereavement group, formerly of the more creative workshops. This year we Margaret Centre. This group has provided a increased our creative offerings and much-needed space for older people to held many successful workshops and come together and discuss loss with trained courses. We teamed up with many councillors and their peers. partner organisations to make this happen, including the London Ukulele Project. Age UK Wallham Forest Annual ReFrf)rt and Finan¢ial Slaternents for the year ended 31 March 2024 23 Book Club Our Book club has grown, welcoming more new members to share our thoughts and insights about the book of the month. Our books are chosen by the group ranging from renown authors to conLemporary writers and including thrillers, science fiction, humour, romance and revisiting a few classics from time to time. It's a friendly group and the discussions are informal and stimulating. Besides swapping books with each other, the group also formed a quiz team The Bookworms, who always do well at the art and literature rounds! "I wanted to say howmuch I enjoyed my fi.rst visit to the Book Club last Thiirsday. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming I and the discussion was informal and wide rgnging, so e.veryone felt comfortable in contributing. I had immensely enjoyed reading the book by an author previously unknown to me. Over the past ouple of years I've spent so much time on my own. so when I do have any company, it's an absolute joy to share a discussion. with others. Summer Garden Party In August 2023 we hosted our first summer the first time that year! Fab guitarist Glen garden party and baking competition to help entertained us with some great tunes - good raise over £600 for our organisation. enough for some guests to get up and The morning was a truly wonderful event. dance. The Cake Baking competition was won by Helen Lowther and although this was a difficult judging decision by Barry Coidan, Chair of Trustees and his taster companion David Bigham, We enjoyed great weather with the sun Helen was making an appearan￿ for what felt like worthy winner. Age UK Wallham Forest Annual Report and Financial Slalements for the year ended 31 March 2024 24 Life Stories We were also delighted this year to gather 14 life stories from some of our Caribbean elders, and put these into an exhibition - Unheard Stories. Jw3urfvrdhulh*d ￿Wa*h*￿ta￿f014oIea{s.Blxn infwyanain 1939. oneof11 mc&trfthwfoodth thwth¥ThlwO•fftd •lithethiltrthhadthm sayiry"hatJpd 15 Idontwanttocany". She caMetoT¢rttlth￿&IQrJye￿5 Iwsbanda busdriw. They n￿￿￿andS4¥ed birthtoand rasing3 thdtheryNstIak¥￿Nl5h￿ puiod50fm#emitykn¥tAft•T ￿￿¥ed￿ Loc*irwJ back on ho[￿fe50f3I.J•a￿sèYS￿.dnt￿erfva￿ebEkned xhie¥e 50rn** comiryjfrom Age UK Wallham Forest Annual R8POrt and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024 25 Rose McFarlane proLK4 of her3 thadr•n and knwety gwandChadrn￿ 8Nn In * Oiabeth,Jamaka 1958. one Rose was left with an at age ofl when her Mum and Oad C￿ to Englark* Aged 7 she Ilea tololn them wth hersl*u, looked after M the plarn by ￿ alr "no sw. lots of fog WKI She and Iw 5its *ayed wlth thelr Dad. a painter Aftff leaving West Harn CoUeg4 ag•d l O. she ¥Jorked as a telephort bL* after facts¥ rn£?yn atwofk she dfflded to ftoffl horne as a rnaclthisc se*ing au fvind$ 4)f un*tYffl& she the age of 22 She had had 3 chlldreft. and then on to have 3 mwe wegnancies *thith. tra9ScJlly. she lrt at least partty becwse of poor14HS art Losui9 last baby. Swn, was so rt.tsved and Rose feeb stThgty she wlll I￿ger be supwtssed ty any MWL to the fart that ever)we looks out foreath other In herstreet and kn