National Trading Standards have teamed up with Trucall to offer free call blockers to consumers to help combat the rise of scam calls during the pandemic. They previously paused their call blocker project due to Covid-19 but will now re-open … Continued
Or perhaps you have friends, family or neighbours that might be interested? The sessions will run for 30 mins on ZOOM, dates to be confirmed. (don’t let ZOOM put you off, you will be offered support to use it) Just … Continued
As Age UK Somerset is a Somerset charity, and as one of the most well known things in Somerset is the Glastonbury Festival, and as it is Glastonbury Festival time, we thought we could have a little fun and also … Continued
Do you know anyone over 70 in Portishead, Easton-In-Gordano, Nailsea, Clevedon or Long Ashton, perhaps living alone or a couple, who are isolating, missing people and could do with cheering up? A very kind hospitality professional called Lisa has come … Continued
Have you heard of the Workers Educational Association (WEA)? They have a fun range of exciting FREE activities to keep you entertained during these uncertain times. Join them on your computer, mobile phone or tablet via the Zoom app. They … Continued
The 31 creative challenges are a designed to be month of short, daily inspirations to try. Each of the challenges was created by a member of an Age UK community club, in partnership with a creative practitioner from 64 Million … Continued
Tonight we were due to hold a fundraising concert featuring the marvellous Richard Lennox! Of course we’ve had to postpone, so instead here’s a video of him playing the Albert Hall! If you feel like dropping some spare change in … Continued
Marcus Trescothick introduces this short video about how the NHS, Somerset County Council and local charities (including Age UK Somerset) have come together to give emotional support and counselling and someone to talk to if you are feeling isolated or … Continued
As of yesterday (Monday 25 May 2020) at 8am Weston General Hospital temporarily stopped accepting new patients, including into its A&E department. This is a precautionary measure in order to maintain the safety of staff and patients in response to … Continued
Community Connect is a service for people over 50 living in North Somerset who would like information to help them stay living independently at home. We are working with communities to enable people to access help and support to reduce … Continued
Carl Bovis, based in Somerset, posts amazing photos of garden birds regularly on twitter. He has over 42,000 followers, but if you don’t use Twitter you can view some of his posts here. Use the scroll bars at the side … Continued
I’ve just discovered this daily crossword page. The crosswords are free but it plays a 10 second advert before you can start. You fill in your answers online and it automatically highlights the next relevant clue. Clever. Also there is … Continued
Mental Health Awareness Week is the UK’s national week to raise awareness of mental health and mental health problems and inspire action to promote the message of good mental health for all. Hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, it takes … Continued
BT have produced an illustrated guide to how to use WhatsApp for making video calls. There is a pdf document on how to make video calls which can be viewed here Or for a basic introduction Clare Balding has made … Continued
This lively hour long performance by Richard Lennox was live streamed on Facebook on 10th May. Richard was due to perform a fundraising concert for Age UK Somerset at the end of May. This has been postponed but to keep … Continued
Local photographer Kit Houghton has produced this interesting short video presentation all about the beloved Bumble bee.
We’re very pleased that local photographer Kit Houghton has allowed us to share his fascinating presentation on Steepholm. I’ve never been lucky enough to visit, but you can’t miss this landmark if you’re on the coast at Sedgemoor, West Somerset … Continued
This clip of Margaret and Derek celebrating their 70th Anniversary appeared on BBC Radio Somerset’s feed on Twitter. You may not have access to Twitter so I thought I’d share this lovely story here…..
Full advice on how to wear and to make your own cloth face covering can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering The following information is taken from the Government website: Making your own face covering Using a T-shirt You will need: an … Continued
This week staff and volunteers from Age UK Somerset “knocked and ran” but in a good way as we delivered free food bags to 50 older people in need across Somerset and North Somerset. The bulging bags containing long-life essentials … Continued
Trading Standards have just informed us of a scam related to face masks. In the latest scam, people receive calls informing them that wearing a mask while outdoors is obligatory, with the endgame being selling overpriced masks to the unaware. … Continued
Today (Tuesday 5th May), a team of Age UK Somerset staff will be delivering bags of free food and essential household items to older people in need across Somerset and North Somerset. The receipients have either contacted us themselves or … Continued
Learn to distinguish the songs of the wood pigeon, collared dove and the stock pigeon with Stephen Moss, naturalist and author. Learn to distinguish the songs of the wood pigeon, collared dove and the stock pigeon with @StephenMoss_TV, naturalist and … Continued
In this useful article from the MoneySavingExpert website they cover: – Registering as ‘extremely vulnerable’ on Gov.uk to receive help including: Free deliveries of food parcels. Your local authority will deliver a box with basic supplies such as pasta, cornflakes, tea … Continued
We held a Zoom meeting today so we could record a message to mark the 100th birthday of the awe-inspiring Captain Tom Moore. He may have raised an astounding £30 million for the NHS but his impact on the nation … Continued
A man has built an NHS-themed obstacle course for squirrels in his garden as a “quirky” tribute to health service staff to make them “smile”. Click here to watch the video on the BBC website.
We are all spending more time at home than we might like, so staying physically active and mentally well are now more important than ever. At Arthritis Action, we are keen to ensure everyone living with arthritis sustains their healthy … Continued
Two Trees catering have set up a new Home delivery service covering the BS40 area (some parts of North Somerset and Mendip). “Delicious, healthy meals.” With prices on a sliding scale depending on what you can afford. FROM FARM TO … Continued
National Trading Standards are encouraging people to protect their neighbours by joining Friends Against Scams, which provides free online training to empower people to take a stand against scams. To complete the introductory 20-minute online course that gives a good … Continued
Each week the National Theatre are giving free access to one of their productions on YouTube. We’ve had Jane Eyre and Treasure Island, and starting from 7pm this week AND next there are two versions of Frankenstein – first with … Continued
Several of the major high street banks have contacted Age UK to share the measures they have put in place to support their older customers during the COVID-19 crisis. Below are the phone numbers of the banks that have set … Continued
A video from Mind, the Mental Health Charity with tips on relaxing to look after yourself. “Exploring relaxation can help you look after your wellbeing when you’re feeling stressed or busy. Have a look at these tips and ideas to … Continued
UPDATE: As of 20th April, Captain Tom Moore had raised over £25 million for the NHS! A 99-year-old army veteran, who has raised millions of pounds for the NHS, has finished his 100th lap live on BBC Breakfast – the … Continued
The National Theatre in London is currently closed but the NT Live catalogue is now open – and streaming full length plays direct to homes every Thursday, around the world, for free. I saw this production of Jane Eyre streamed … Continued
A 99-year-old army veteran who has raised more than £5m to help the NHS in the fight against Covid-19 has vowed to keep going even though he has smashed his original £1,000 target. Tom Moore aimed to complete 100 laps … Continued
If you’re interested in gardening and want to look forward to seeing flowers in your beds and pots, the latest issue of Gardeners World Magazine has 6 packets of seeds included. Also a 2-for-1 card for visiting gardens (obviously the … Continued
Anyone who cannot leave home may be able to ask a trusted friend or volunteer to withdraw cash at any Post Office using a single-use voucher. The Post Office scheme is being extended and offered to all banks, building societies … Continued
A member of Age UK Somerset staff sent me this lovely picture of wagtails on their patio. If you have any nice picture of birds or wildlife you can see from your house please email me or (appropriately) tweet including … Continued
We may never have heard of it two weeks ago, but now Zoom has become one of the go-to apps for families and friends to video chat together while physical distancing rules are in place. You can use Zoom on … Continued
Twitter is a very popular social media site where users can follow and connect with each other by sending and retweeting short message and links to videos and images, etc. There are millions of accounts you can follow depending on … Continued
When I’m looking for something new to read I often visit the www.goodreads.com website to look for recommendations. It now you have the time to catch up with your reading but you want to read something worthwhile, why not have … Continued
Project Gutenberg is an American website library of over 60,000 free eBooks. Download them or read them online. Choose among free epub and Kindle eBooks. You will find the world’s great literature here, with focus on mostly older literary works. … Continued
King Lear Prizes are “The new national literary and creative arts prizes for ordinary people who are stuck at home because of Coronavirus. Due to the current Coronavirus outbreak across the world, many people in the UK are staying at … Continued
Keeping in touch with family, friends and other loved ones makes us feel connected and helps with feelings of loneliness. And while the measures the Government has currently put in place to help stop the spread of coronavirus make this … Continued
Facebook and Facebook Messenger are two very popular ways that people connect with each other. Joining Facebook can open up a lot of new connections, you can find old friends and you can join Groups for subjects you are interested … Continued
Some people have trouble using standard telephone or mobile phones. Abilitynet have produced this interested guide to suitable alternatives. https://abilitynet.org.uk/factsheets/telephones-and-mobile-phones
Two visual guides from Digital Unite which will help you to use this popular smartphone messaging service that allows you to connect with other WhatsApp users to send messages and make calls and video calls. First – HOW TO INSTALL … Continued
Skype is a computer program that offers a VoIP (‘Voice over Internet Protocol’) service. This lets you make calls to people all over the world via your computer or telephone and have text chats. Read the Digital Unite guide to … Continued