News

Keeping you up to date

This is where you’ll find the latest news or links to take you there.

If you don’t use social media but would like to see what’s going on on Twitter we’ve created a Newsdeck page so you can see the Tweets happening now all in one place!

Recent News articles and links

• Job Vacancy – Can you help us find our new Ageing Well Manager?
  As an independent local charity working in Somerset and North Somerset, our ‘Ageing Well’ service is dedicated to … Continued
• We’re looking forward to getting “back to normal” Update 23rd Feb, 2021
• Here’s what to expect when you attend a Covid vaccination appointment
  Warning: contains an image of someone receiving a vaccination! My Mum (77) went to have her Covid vaccine … Continued
• COVID vaccines rolled out to people aged 70 and over from Monday 18th Jan
  Millions of people aged 70 and over and those clinically extremely vulnerable to Covid-19 will start to be … Continued
• Coronavirus Vaccination Information FAQ
  Lots of questions have been raised about the Coronavirus vaccination procedure so we’ve pulled together some information from … Continued
• Christmas Office Closure – Emergency Numbers
• Archive – North Somerset moves down to Tier 2 from Saturday 19th December
  Because numbers have dropped North Somerset is moving down from Tier 3 to Tier from Saturday 19th December. … Continued
• Online exercise sessions – book ahead for the New Year! Work off that Christmas pud!
  We’ve just added the first two weeks worth of online exercise sessions restarting in the New Year. So … Continued
• Co-op Member? Please support us as your local cause and help us bring people together.
  If you are a co-op member, when you buy selected products or services, 2p for every £1 spent … Continued
• Type 2 Diabetes Peer Mentoring service now available in North Somerset
  Brigstowe have extended their Peer Mentoring service to now include North Somerset. They offer this service to anyone … Continued
• Please support our winter loneliness campaign and help us ensure that no-one has no-one this winter
  Every year, thousands of local older people call on Age UK Somerset for practical and emotional support. Before … Continued
• Coronavirus: Somerset is in Tier 2, North Somerset Tier 3 – What you can and can’t do after 2nd December
  Today an announcement was made putting Somerset into Tier 2 restrictions and North Somerset into Tier 3. Here … Continued
• Careful selling online – Fake PayPal emails doing the rounds
  Action Fraud is warning people selling items online to be on the lookout for criminals sending fake PayPal … Continued
• Criminals posing as Covid Marshalls to gain access to people’s homes
  A new report from the Journal of Trading Standards warns that Criminals are posing as COVID marshals and … Continued
• World Mental Health Day on 10th October. Call Open Mental Health ANY day for support
  The World Health Organisation recognises World Mental Health Day on 10 October every year. This year’s theme set … Continued
• Mrs D of Taunton was in it, and she did win it!
  Mrs D OF Taunton WON! Because she bought a ticket WE WON too! Next time IT COULD BE … Continued
• Available now – the latest Age UK Somerset eNewsletter
  The latest issue of our eNewsletter has been published to coincide with International Older Persons Day (1st October). … Continued
• Job Vacancies – Toenail Cutting Assistants
  Do you have an interest in Health & Social Care and can work for around 8/10 hours per … Continued
• Have you heard of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST)? New sessions start soon!
  If you’ve recently received a diagnosis of dementia, or you know someone who has, it is worth finding … Continued
• Dianne Ramsay
  28th May 1970 – 18th September 2020 As you may know it was dear Di’s funeral this morning … Continued
• Age Friendly Tourism Business of the Year Award – Enter by 27th September
  Do know a business that goes out of their way to make sure older customers feel comfortable, safe, … Continued
• Ash House Office to close again and staff to work from home from 28th September
  In keeping with the Government’s latest guidance, we will be closing Ash House office again as from Monday … Continued
• New Social Distancing Guidelines from 14th September
  As you may have seen, the Government has issued updated guidance according to the new rules on safely … Continued
• Not sure how to Zoom? Online shopping not your bag? You need FREE One-to-One Covid secure IT/Technology support sessions for older people at The Engine Room, Bridgwater
  Are you aged over 50? Do you need help to set up Zoom so you can stay in … Continued
• Test and Trace Covid Test Telephone Scam
  We’ve been getting reports of people receiving “track and trace NHS” phone calls, saying “we need to send … Continued
• Balls for Boredom – some Knitters’ yarns!
  So far we have sent out over 220 balls of wool and more than a dozen charities have … Continued
• Amazon Scam – Be aware.
  Scammers posing as representatives of online retail giant Amazon are targeting the public via email and telephone in … Continued
• Update on Office Re-opening and our Services
  With services opening up slowly across the UK we wanted to keep you updated on where we are … Continued
• 200 Balls for Boredom sent!
  We’ve now sent over 200 balls of wool out to over 60’s across Somerset and North Somerset as … Continued
• Phased re-opening of Libraries
  This information has been taken from a Somerset West and Taunton Council update. Phased re-opening of Somerset Libraries … Continued
• Enjoy a sing-a-long online!
  If you are at home and isolated and love a good old fashioned singalong you should join a … Continued
• If you are in Taunton Deane or West Somerset, you could Win a B&Q Gift Card when you support us through the Somerset West Lottery
  The Somerset West Lottery was set up to help charities working across the Somerset West area (previously Taunton … Continued
• You could Win a B&Q Gift Card when you support us through the Shape Mendip Lottery
  Shape Mendip Lottery was set up to help charities working across Mendip. When you buy a ticket you … Continued
• Our ‘angels’ go above (and beyond) 150 food deliveries!
  Our team of staff and volunteer delivery drivers were out again yesterday (30th June) to give a friendly … Continued
• National Trading Standards offer free call blockers
  National Trading Standards have teamed up with Trucall to offer free call blockers to consumers to help combat … Continued
• Focus Group – Can you help Somerset Libraries by being part of a focus group?
  Or perhaps you have friends, family or neighbours that might be interested? The sessions will run for 30 … Continued
• GUESS HOW MANY PEA-PLE ARE AT THE PYRAMID STAGE TO WIN A RARE SIGNED GLASTONBURY 2019 POSTER!
  As Age UK Somerset is a Somerset charity, and as one of the most well known things in … Continued
• Fancy a treat? Free cream teas to be delivered to older people in North Somerset! Yum!
  Do you know anyone over 70 in Portishead, Easton-In-Gordano, Nailsea, Clevedon or Long Ashton, perhaps living alone or … Continued
• Richard Lennox Fundraising Concert….tonight!
  Tonight we were due to hold a fundraising concert featuring the marvellous Richard Lennox! Of course we’ve had … Continued
• “We are here for you day or night” – Marcus Trescothick introduces a short video about the emotional support offered through Mindline
  Marcus Trescothick introduces this short video about how the NHS, Somerset County Council and local charities (including Age … Continued
• Weston General Hospital has “temporarily stopped accepting new patients”.
  As of yesterday (Monday 25 May 2020) at 8am Weston General Hospital temporarily stopped accepting new patients, including … Continued
• A little act of kindness can boost your Mental Health – Mental Health Awareness Week 18-24th May
  Mental Health Awareness Week is the UK’s national week to raise awareness of mental health and mental health … Continued
• Bishops Lydeard couple celebrate their 70th Wedding Anniversary during lockdown
  This clip of Margaret and Derek celebrating their 70th Anniversary appeared on BBC Radio Somerset’s feed on Twitter. … Continued
• Facemasks – how to wear & make your own
  Full advice on how to wear and to make your own cloth face covering can be found here: … Continued
• Hear about the services Age UK Somerset is offering
• Knock and run! Doorstep deliveries warmly received
  This week staff and volunteers from Age UK Somerset “knocked and ran” but in a good way as … Continued
• Scam Alert – Calls about face masks
  Trading Standards have just informed us of a scam related to face masks. In the latest scam, people … Continued
• Age UK Somerset staff deliver essentials and goodies to those most in need
  Today (Tuesday 5th May), a team of Age UK Somerset staff will be delivering bags of free food … Continued
• Article on how to access groceries if you’re vulnerable and ‘shielding’ due to coronavirus
  In this useful article from the MoneySavingExpert website they cover: – Registering as ‘extremely vulnerable’ on Gov.uk to … Continued
• Happy Birthday Captain Tom Moore!
  We held a Zoom meeting today so we could record a message to mark the 100th birthday of … Continued
• Banks – dedicated phonelines for over 70s
  Several of the major high street banks have contacted Age UK to share the measures they have put … Continued
• 99 year old finishes 100th lap having raised more than £12m!
  UPDATE: As of 20th April, Captain Tom Moore had raised over £25 million for the NHS! A 99-year-old … Continued
• A heart-warming hero – Capt. Tom Moore hits £5m!
  A 99-year-old army veteran who has raised more than £5m to help the NHS in the fight against … Continued
• Payout Now scheme makes it easier for older people to pay Volunteers without handing over PIN
  Anyone who cannot leave home may be able to ask a trusted friend or volunteer to withdraw cash … Continued
• Asda introduces Volunteer Shopping card
  For Volunteers who are shopping for someone else Asda has now introduced the Volunteer Shopping card. They say … Continued
• Find or offer help with Nextdoor Help Maps
  If you are registered with www.nextdoor.co.uk then you can click on the Help Map symbol which looks like … Continued
• Fact check Covid 19 with Full Fact
  Full Fact is an independent fact checking charity who There are lots of misleading claims about Coronavirus and … Continued