## **Reaching More Older People** **Report from the trustees for the year October 2023 to September 2024** The first Silver Salisbury directory and programme of events in celebration of International Older People’s Day was initiated in 2018 by Irene Kohler in her role as Salisbury Older People’s Champion. Eighteen months later a voluntary organisation had been created with a constitution and management committee whose members, in February 2022, became the founding trustees of the Charitable Incorporated Organisation Silver Salisbury Group. This has been a busy year for Silver Salisbury with lots going on made possible by the work successfully undertaken by Moira, our Senior Outreach Worker, and the hands-on involvement of our trustees Alan, Alex and Jon without which we couldn’t achieve our aim to reduce loneliness and isolation amongst older members of our communities. We have benefitted this year with the growth of our pro-active outreach team to reach out to older people in the LGBTQ, Ukrainian and Bangladeshi communities and geographically to reach more people in Amesbury and surrounding area and Old Sarum, Longhedge and Laverstock area. To achieve our objectives, our main activity is to introduce older people to activities and groups which welcome older people augmented by additional activities such as our intergenerational projects in primary schools. Our main activity is to produce a hard copy directory of ongoing groups and activities which welcome older people together with a hard copy programme of events and activities taking place around 1[st] October which is International Older People’s Day. This has become known as our Festive Fortnight. Both are available on our website but in order to reach older people the hard copy is widely distributed throughout our area of operation. In response to feedback from older people who said that “a year is too long to wait for the next programme”, we now also publish a Spring Newsletter in April with a mini programme of events during May. ## **Reaching out to older people** One of our major achievements is the creation and distribution of 5,000 copies of our hard copy annual brochure of groups and activities and a similar number of our Festive programme of events and taster sessions. We take feedback from older people and consult them in their groups and individually and are rewarded by their eagerness to know when the next brochure or programme will be available. They have come to trust that events will be no or low cost, accessible, and as older people they will be made to feel welcome. We are aware that we have a core audience who attend a range of different activities. We are also aware that we are achieving our aim as there are always a few fresh faces amongst the familiar ones. A number of people have fed back that they have recently moved to the area or recently been widowed and the brochure is invaluable to get to know what is available in the area. Group leaders are eager to be included in the directory; organisations seek to be able to make their services known; older people keep asking when the next brochure will be ready. We continue to seek ways to reach more isolated people as we know that it is usually direct human contact and support that enables people to make that move to engage with other people, interests, or activities. 1 ## **Drop in Coffee mornings** To reach more older people who do not feel able to sign up for something or make a commitment to attend a group on a regular basis, we set up our first drop in coffee morning with occasional speakers in the Salisbury library in November 23. It meets monthly with an average attendance of 17 people. There is a group of regulars but also people who come when they feel up to it or have an interest in the speaker’s topic. Based on the success of this first one, we have now established the following Drop in coffee mornings at the Old Sarum and Longhedge Community Centre, For the Ukrainian group in Salisbury Library, at Wilton library, at Laverstock and Ford Parish Hall. We are currently planning a new one for older People in the Polish community and Pret A Manger have offered to sponsor a Sunday morning coffee morning in their Salisbury branch which will provide opportunity for social engagement over the weekend which can be a lonely time for those without family. ## **Teas project** When at the end of 2023, we reviewed meeting our objectives to alleviate loneliness and isolation we sought to find ways to reach more isolated older people. We were very pleased to be awarded a grant from Sir George Earle Benevolent Fund (via Wiltshire Community Foundation) for our teas project due to start at the beginning of 2025. The project entails recruiting and training a team of volunteers to deliver a tea and social engagement with isolated older people who for whatever reason find it difficult to leave their homes. ## **Our geographic Reach** Thanks to grants from four Area Boards i.e. Salisbury, Southern Wiltshire, South West Wiltshire, and Stonehenge, we are able to co-ordinate activities, groups and events and distribute brochures, programmes, and flyers for one off events in Salisbury and also the towns and villages in the surrounding area including Amesbury, Downton, Durrington, Laverstock, Long hedge, Old Sarum, and Wilton. Until recently Moira was the only member of our team who was contracted to undertake outreach work and generally support the voluntary trustees. A number of grants have enabled us to contract other outreach workers to extend our reach to more older people across a wider geographic area. ## **Our Digital Reach** As well as promoting our activities through flyers, local press and newsletters, we have been increasing our digital presence. This helps us connect with those that are comfortable using IT, family carers, health and social care professionals and other organisations supporting older people. Our major print publications are in the spring and autumn, supplemented by flyers for one off events: we also use social media in between print copy to highlight events. Our Facebook posts and visits to our website increase month on month. ## **Minority community outreach work** An initial grant from Salisbury City Council has been matched by Wiltshire Community Foundation to enable us to contract three outreach workers to reach out to older people in minority communities in Southern Wiltshire, South West Wiltshire, and Stonehenge, as well as Salisbury. After a slow start last year due to difficulties recruiting, we are beginning to see results in older people in minority communities participating in Silver Salisbury activities. - Olena is working initially with Ukrainian elders and with the group has built up regular visits to the monthly screening for older people at the Everest cinema; through links with the Civic Society the group has been getting to better know the historic City in which they are now living. - Monawara is working with Bangladeshi elders some of whom have lived in Salisbury for up to fifty years creating an oral history record of their experiences. We aim to use these stories to create a lasting legacy for future ethnic minority newcomers to the area. 2 - Rook has contacted a range of LGBTQ groups in the area. - We have planned a group for older people in the Polish community - We have been researching the need for a group for older people in the Afghan community ## **Consolidating our work beyond the Salisbury boundary** We are aware that with Silver Salisbury starting in Salisbury and four of our five trustees living or working in Salisbury, it is much easier to be on the ground hearing of new groups or activities that welcome older people. We were incredibly pleased to be awarded funding by Awards 4 All Community Fund Programme to further develop our presence in Amesbury, Downton and Wilton. We were also awarded funding from Southern Area Board to outreach in Laverstock, Longhedge and Old Sarum. All the locations we work in need local people who know their patch. Initially it proved very difficult to recruit local people but we are now able to develop our outreach and will report on the impact in our next report. ## **Involving volunteers** Silver Salisbury trustees all undertake their roles on a voluntary basis and contribute skills and experience to run the organisation as well as hands on support at our events. We have had a team of volunteers who as individuals have always come forward to bake cakes and help with one off events. Resulting from an initial grant from the Postcode Lottery, we engaged Nina as a contractor who has set up systems to develop our volunteer team. We are building up a team to help the drop in coffee mornings run smoothly. We had a small volunteer fair in 2024 and are now planning a larger one for Volunteer week 2025 in partnership with Wessex Community Action in the Salisbury library at the beginning of June. ## **Intergenerational Project** Building on our experience of the Jubilee Intergenerational project, we had a small project for older people to go into three primary schools in Salisbury and Amesbury to share their childhood experiences: we were able to donate the book created from the Jubilee project to the children involved. The schools and the older people enjoyed and valued the experience. As part of the autumn 2024 festival fortnight, in partnership with local scouts groups, we had a successful (in spite of the rain) grandparents and grandchildren day at the River Bourne Community Farm. **How do we know our service is valued and making a difference?** - We get feedback from people at events, who we meet, who contact us to ask when the next newsletter will be out - We see familiar faces at events and new ones too - social prescribers, community connectors, health prevention team tell us how important our publications are to their being able to signpost their clients - we get positive feedback from activity organisers - people who organise groups contact us wanting to be included in the directory. We would love to have the capacity to monitor more methodically regarding attendance, age range, whether people travel or stay in their local area as this would inform our planning. ## We get verbal feedback: “when will the next brochure be ready” , “ I’ve just retired here and am new to the area “, “my husband died last year “, “the brochure has helped me to get to know the area”, “I have got to 3 know new people in the group I’ve joined”, “ I went to one of your musical afternoons and got chatting to May who had also come alone; we now regularly go to activities together”. As Chair of the Board of Trustees I wish to thank our trustees, contractors and volunteers for all they contribute to Silver Salisbury, our several funders and donors, and also all the organisations who contribute to the directory and festival programme and who help to distribute and publicise its contents. Irene Kohler Chair Moira – please can we have the libraries logo **Trustees all appointed at the date of registration** Alex Charleson, Jonathan Gapper, Irene Kohler (Chair), Alan Mitchell (Treasurer), Anne Trevett (stood down 5[th] June 2024) All appointed on registration with the Charity Commission as CIO on 20[th] February 2022 **Contractors providing outreach work** Lorraine Johnson – Amesbury and villages in Stonehenge Area Board Moira Packer – Senior outreach worker and lead on producing newsletters and annual brochure Monawara Ali – Bangladeshi community Nina Cope – Laverstock, Longhedge, Old Sarum outreach and Volunteer Co-ordination 4 Olena Kudrinova – Ukrainian and Eastern European communities Rook Tiller-Collins – LGBTQ community and ad hoc outreach in Downton **Volunteers:** we are incredibly grateful to our ad hoc volunteers who support our events by baking cakes, meeting and greeting, and serving refreshments **Brochure design:** Kirstie Pugh **Printers:** Baskerville Press. Multitude of Voices **Examination of the accounts:** Grevett &Co **Thank you to our funders:** - Salisbury, Southern Wiltshire, South-West Wiltshire, Stonehenge Area Boards (Health and Wellbeing funds) - Wiltshire Community Foundation - Wiltshire Council Housing Engagement Team - Salisbury City Council - Community Fund – Awards for All programme - South-West Procurement Alliance - Postcode Lottery - Abri Housing Association - Individual donations Moira – do you have a different picture please 5 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WAIES Sllversallsbury Group Receipts and pa ts accounts CC16a For th• p0ri0d from 01110r2023 3D10912024 Section A Receipts and payments Unrestri¢ted funds Restricted funds Endowment funds Total funds Last ye4r to the nearest to the ngaw95t£ tothe npoT86t£ to the ￿￿r￿$t£ tr* thè nt0re$t£ A1 Recei Grants Donaii¢Tr¥ Saisbury Lottery Bank Interest 2&,123 2B,123 3,994 233 40 1a,soo 5,958 284 31 3,994 233 40 tota ross ncome or AR) 4,287 28,123 30.390 21,753 A2 Asset and investment sales, s¢e table . Total receiTPts 4,267 26,123 30.390 24,753 A3Pa ments Insuranc& 8¥￿k FeE$ Bwkkeeping & GovernAnce Conlracloi Fees Food RooTTr Hiie 273 60 923 273 Z51 60 923 17.766 17,78 12,606 766 7.827 3D4 788 7,627 304 B83 7.562 390 3UO 1,480 296 63 241 24,Z22 Volunteer ex Coach Hire Ooaniion$ w p3rtD6r Oiyani$alions Advetb61ng Wèb¥ib and Q¢m¥in Co Trustee Expenseg n59S 718 718 Sub total 1.25B 27,390 28.6AO A4 Asset and Inveslment Sub iotal Totaipaymenls 1,256 27,390 2B.6t16 24.222 Net olrecelptsl(payments) A5 Tran6f•rs tjgtweèn funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end 3,011 1.267 1,744 531 .981 5.714 12,091 17.805 16,081 CCXX R1 accounls ISSI 05103r2025 Section B Statement of assets and liabblities at the end of the period Unrestricted funds to nearest£ Restricted funds Endowment fund$ to neare5t£ to neare5t£ B1 Cash" Tund# CAF b￿k aC￿U 12,091 6,714 rotal cash funds 12,091 5,71Jl iagreebakncèBwthrgGtyaTrJ pAwMenls unllsll Unrestricted funils Restricted funds Endowment fvnds to nearest£ to nearest£ to neafe5t£ Fund towhich gSS¢t bÉlan cur￿￿1 value tlona Cost lopllDnall Fund to whlch 4¥SVt belon D&tatls Cost loptlonall CurreThl value B4 Assets retalned for the charlty'8 own use Fund lo which Amountdue Wken due Details B5 Llabllltles S¥Jned by one orlwo trustees on bèh81f trf 811.the trustees Date of roval Signature Print Name 14l Lg CCXX R2 atcounts ISSI 05103r2025 CHARITY COMMISSION Independent examiner's report on the FOR ENGIAND AND WALES accounts Section A Indgpendeni Examiner's Rèport Report to the trustees I Silver Salisbury Group OD accounts for the year 130 September 2024 ended I Charity no 1198019 lil any) Set out on pages nla I report lo the trustees on my examination ol the accounts of the above ¢harily (' the Tiusl'l lor the yeai ended 3010912023. Responsibillties and basis of report As the charity's Iruslees. you are responsible for the preparation ol the accounts In accordance v4ilh the requirenienls ol the Charities Act 2011 I'the Act'l. I report In respe¢l of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under seolion 145 01 the 2011 Act and In cairying out my examination. I have followed 811 the applicable Directions given by the Charity Comtnission under section 14515llbl of the Act Independent I have completed Iny exaniinalion I confirm that no material matters have examiner's statement come lo my 8llenlion In connection with the examination which gives me cause lo believe that iii any material respecl the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 ol the Charities Act, or the accoLinls did not accord with the accounting records or the 3ccounls did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and conlenl ol accoLJnls sel out In the Charilies (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any req(Jiremenl th31 the accounts give a 'lrue and lair, view which Is not a maller considered as part ol ai) Independeiil examination. I have iio concerns and have coiiie aci'oss no other mallefs In connection with the examination lo which allenlion should be drawn in this feport In order lo enable 4 proper understanding ol the accounts lo be reached Signed.. Date.. LL Name- Paiila Grevell Relevant professional ., FCCA qualificationlsl or body (if any): L Address.. 346a Farnham Road. Slough. Beikshire SL2 4BT IER Oct 2018 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trustees Silver Salisbury Group On aGcourrts for the year ended 30 September 2024 Charity no 1198019 (if any) | Set out on pages nla I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ("the Trust") for the year ended 3010912023. Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 I'the Acl,). I report in respect of my examination of the TrLtst'$ accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under sertion 145(5}{b) of the Act. Independent I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have examiner's statement come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in. any malerial respect". the accounting records were not kept In accordance with section 130 of the Charrties Acl., or the accounts did not accord wFth the accounting records., or the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts sel out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requiremenl that the accounts give a 'true and fair. view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection wrth the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: Date: Name: Paula Grevett Relevant professional qualification{sl or body (if any): FCCA Address: 1 346a Famham Road, Slough, Berkshire SL2 1 BT IER Oct 2018