The Big Chinwag 2015! Welcome to our Big Chinwag day at <school name>. I hope you’ve had lots of fun dressing up/baking cakes/taking your Chinface selfies* ! This is a fun day to raise lots of money for Age UK but it is also important that we remember why we are raising money and think about how it is going to help Age UK combat loneliness, which is something over 1 million older people face. (*change as appropriate for the activities your schools is doing for The Big Chinwag)

Imagine yourself when you are older…   See next slide for suggested questions for discussion

Where do you think you might live? What will the world be like? What hobbies will you have? (continued…) Suggested questions to ask: …What are you looking forward to about later life/being older? ...What do would you like your life to be like? …What do you think the world will be like? …Where do you think you might live? …What hobbies will you have? …What will be the latest technology? Ask pupils to put their hand up and share their answers, or you can ask them to discuss the questions with a partner next to them before sharing ideas.

What will make you happy? What are you looking forward to about later life? What do you think you will want or need in your lives to make you feel happy? Ask pupils to put their hand up and share their answers, or you can ask them to discuss the question with a partner next to them before sharing ideas. You might expect/could encourage answers like: Seeing friends Going to social clubs Going for walks Having a pet

What are the difficulties you might face? What are the difficulties you might face? You might expect/you could encourage answers like: Facing a disability or finding it difficult to get out and about Losing your sight or hearing Not having enough money for all your needs Not seeing your friends or family very much Feeling lonely These are some of the difficulties that many older people face in later life, especially feeling lonely. Sadly, there are over 1 million older people in the UK who say they feel lonely and many more who feel they have no one to turn to for advice and companionship. Imagine going days, weeks or even months without having a chat, sharing a problem or even a joke with someone who cares. Fortunately, Age UK is here to help older people and that is why we are raising money today with The Big Chinwag…

How does Age UK help? Befriending Local Age UK services Information and advice How does Age UK help? Age UK works on both a national and local level to help support older people and to try and combat loneliness in lots of different ways… As well as a national telephone line for older people to get information and advice on any questions they have, Age UK has developed befriending services. This means that they assign older people a befriender – a volunteer who provides friendly conversation and companionship to an older person on a regular basis, over a long period of time. - One of the ways that befrienders reach out to older people is over the telephone, through a service called ‘Call In Time’. - And through many of their 166 local Age UKs, befrienders visit older people in their homes for a chat, to provide support and companionship. Through the local Age UKs there are lots of other services too, that help make older people’s lives easier, safer and to help combat loneliness through face-to-face services, such as: Lunch and activity clubs - a place to meet friends and get a hot meal on a regular basis or join in with fitness and other activities Handyperson services - where trained people visit older people in their home to help with small jobs around the house Home shopping delivery - for people who struggle to get out and about, they go shopping so an older person doesn’t have to

Christine’s story Joseph’s story ‘If I hadn’t been with the Warden scheme no one would have known I needed help’ Joseph’s story ‘It’s great to have someone to listen to me and share stories. It’s the highlight of my week’ Here are just a couple of the many people Age UK and their local Age UKs have been able to help and support, who previously said they faced loneliness. Christine’s story At 65, Christine Mayne has health problems that restrict her ability to cope with some daily tasks. She is close to her family but they live too far away to be part of her daily life. Fortunately our Age UK Community Warden Scheme provides Christine with the regular support such as shopping, or just a friendly catch up over a cup of tea. Joseph’s story When Joseph’s wife of 64 years sadly passed away, he became increasingly isolated. Joseph was introduced to Age UK Sandwell and we matched him with a volunteer befriender, Derek. They hit it off immediately. Derek visits every week for at least two hours. They’ve also been on trips together. Joe said: ‘It’s great to have someone to listen to me and share stories. It’s the highlight of my week.’

What can YOU do to help? What can YOU do to help? The £1 that you have brought in today to take part in The Big Chinwag will help to support the vital work that Age UK does to combat loneliness and help lots more older people to love later life. Here are a couple of options for discussion either as a class/school or in small groups: 1. What can we do together to help older people in our communities who might be facing loneliness? Use the suggestions below to encourage a discussion. Make it clear that pupils should discuss any ideas with their parents/guardians before contacting Age UK or an older person directly on their own. Make a phone call Write a friendly letter or card 2. What other fundraising ideas do you have? Use these suggestions to encourage a discussion of fundraising ideas: Cake sale Face painting Filling a sweetie tube with 20ps Second hand book sale Donating old clothes to an Age UK shop