OUR NEW PRESIDENT 2010 

Mr. Michael Bothamley

The Anchor Society's three strands of activity focus on combating loneliness and isolation in old age, providing annuities and grants, and providing charitable housing.

Working with the many organisations and charities who care for the elderly in the Greater Bristol Region we identify people who are isolated and lonely or need help to solve immediate financial problems.

We have a number of new volunteers who act as befrienders and act as our eyes and ears to help us deal with the increasing number of cases that come before us.

Over the years Anchor has found befriending by volunteers to be a very rewarding opportunity both for the visitors and the beneficiaries. We have recently stepped up this programme and now have a network with a vast range of skills on offer. It is early days but the enthusiasm of our team to give support to the isolated and lonely is evident in these challenging times.

Anchor has invested in a partnership with Bristol City Council, St. Monica Trust and the Guinness Trust to deliver a new form of day care outreach called LinkAge. This is a multi agency and charitable initiative aimed at delivering services to the elderly in a joined up way. We are one year in to a two year pilot and the early evaluation indicates that the scheme is delivering its objectives.

Anchor also helps the elderly access services like credit unions, debt consultancies, loans, grants, pendants, gentle activity programmes, stairlifts and emergency equipment. There are numerous schemes available but they are generally delivered in isolation.

Anchor currently has two charitable housing projects. One is at a recently completed very sheltered rental flats scheme at Lawrence Weston Bristol adjoining Blaise Weston, where we will shortly commence the construction of 8 chalet bungalows for sale to over 55’s. The response to date has indicated that we have identified a niche in the market for elderly persons wishing to own their own homes in a location where they can live in comfort at the centre of their community.

Our second project, still in its early stages, is to build 10 houses for over 55’s at Yate in South Gloucestershire. Here Anchor are working closely with South Gloucestershire Council and have signed up to the Council’s Charter for the Elderly to deliver support. The Council have allocated a site to the Society alongside a new comprehensive very sheltered development being developed by Housing 21 which includes very sheltered flats to let, a clinic, doctors surgery, EMI unit, shops and facilities.

Anchor continues to work with all the local authorities within Greater Bristol and Bath to help deliver joined up services across the whole region, in evolving partnerships with the many other charities and agencies in this field.

Please contact the Society if help is required.

The Administrator

The Anchor Society

29 Alma Vale Road

Clifton

Bristol

BS8 2HL

Tel:                      0117 9734161

Email:                  info@anchorsociety.co.uk