Once again the Anchor Society hosted a tea party for those who are involved in the Society’s projects.  Fine music was provided by a Jazz band from the University of the West of England and our President Steve West CBE spoke about the valuable contribution the Anchor Society makes to older people in our community.  Huge thanks to the University of Bristol for accommodating us at the Coombe Dingle Sports Centre.

This year the legal firm RPC have chosen Anchor as their Charity of the Year.   RPC are raising funds through various activities and by holding events.  The most recent was a Quiz night, held at Toto’s wine bar in the centre  of Bristol.  There was a  good turnout and great atmosphere  and we are very grateful for this support.

The Bristol office of Irwin Mitchell Solicitors have raised an impressive £10,000 for The Anchor Society.  During the year they held a series of fundraising events, including cake sales and all day rowing.  The money raised will go towards the support of our joint initiative Active Ageing Bristol, enabling older people to engage in physical activity.   We are immensely grateful to the team at Irwin Mitchell for their support.

SMT – Merchant House, Clifton, Bristol, Portraits. ©Barbara Evripidou/FirstAvenuePhotography.com

The Anchor Society and five other leading charitable trusts have joined forces to create a £100,000 fund that will benefit the lives of older people living in Bristol.

The Bristol Older People’s Funding Alliance will award transformation grants of up to £15,000 to organisations that deliver vital services to older people in the local area, such as those that tackle loneliness and isolation.

The alliance will be chaired by the Dean of Bristol, Dr David Hoyle and is made up of the Quartet Community Foundation, The St Monica Trust, The Anchor Society, John James Bristol Foundation, The Dolphin Society and the Society of Merchant Venturers.

The Dean of Bristol, Dr David Hoyle, said: “This is a historic moment for Bristol and marks the first time ever that six of the city’s leading charitable trust’s have linked arms to create an alliance of this kind.“With cuts to traditional sources of funding for organisations that support older people, we hope that forming the Bristol Older People’s Funding Alliance will give them the breathing space to continue to provide their much needed services in the future.”

The Bristol Older People’s Funding Alliance aims to help organisations change and adapt to meet the challenges posed by cuts to their traditional sources of funding.

Chief Executive of the Anchor Society, Richard Pendlebury, said “A number of us are already working together across the city to improve the lives of older people and we are delighted that this fund will further cement these important relationships.”

The fund will help organisations become sustainable, improve existing services or develop innovations that will have a positive effect on the quality of life for older people.

The St Monica Trust’s Director of Development and Research, Sara Naylor-Wild, said: “It’s a similar principle to Dragon’s Den where each member of the alliance can choose which project they would like to fund and they will then be responsible for that particular project’s delivery.”

The type of projects that can be supported by the fund, include setting up social enterprises, gaining skills to enhance fundraising activities, setting up mergers and using technology to improve their efficiency and reach.

Vanessa Moon, President of The Dolphin Society, said: “We are delighted to be part of this joint initiative, which aligns perfectly with our charitable objectives to support the elderly and disabled in Bristol to live independently and safely in their own homes.”

The fund will be managed by Bristol Ageing Better, a Big Lottery funded programme that is working with individuals and organisations to reduce isolation and loneliness amongst older people in Bristol.

All organisations will be asked to complete an Expression of Interest form and submit it before the deadline of Thursday 22 February. The successful organisations that meet the fund’s criteria will then be shortlisted and invited to complete a full application for funding.

For more information about The Bristol Older People’s Funding Alliance and to request an Expression of Interest form, please email bab@ageukbristol.org.uk, call 0117 928 1539 or go to www.agefriendlybristol.org.uk/transformation-fund/

Members of Active Ageing at Ashton Gate Stadium for Bristol v Doncaster – Mandatory by-line: Paul Knight/JMP – 22/10/2017 – RUGBY – Ashton Gate Stadium – Bristol, England – Bristol Rugby v Doncaster Knights – B&I Cup

Pre-match activities in the South Stand concourse at Ashton Gate Stadium – Mandatory by-line: Paul Knight/JMP – 22/10/2017 – RUGBY – Ashton Gate Stadium – Bristol, England – Bristol Rugby v Doncaster Knights – B&I Cup

The launch of Active Ageing (Bristol) – Greater Bristol partnership’s new sport and physical activity initiative for the over 55s – received a resounding ‘thumbs up’ from an enthusiastic crowd at Ashton Gate on Sunday 22^nd October.

The crowd, along with sport partners and local organisations, welcomed the launch of Active Ageing (Bristol) at the Bristol Rugby’s British and Irish Cup clash with Doncaster Knights in front of over 7,000 supporters.

The launch was marked by a series of mini walking sport demonstrations prior to kick-off, in a bid to highlight the many sporting activities available in the city, specifically for the over 55s.

Activities such as walking football, dementia friendly swimming and Walking for Health, are all on offer thanks to the partnership.

Active Ageing (Bristol) – in partnership with Bristol Sport Foundation, The Anchor Society and St Monica Trust, and with support from LinkAge Bristol – have spearheaded one of the UK’s first sport and physical activity programmes for older people.

The specially-targeted programme will aim to get more people – from the local area and over the age of 55 – involved – more regularly, in physical activity, coaching and volunteering.

Better co-ordination of sports provision, creative means for improved participation and more accessible opportunities are just three of the key areas the new programme will explore and look to implement over the next three years.

Karen Lloyd of Active Ageing (Bristol), said: “The planned programme will be fully inclusive. It will build on the wealth of existing provision in the area and over time, will look to develop new opportunities to encourage older people to become and stay active.”

Kris Tavender of Bristol Sport Foundation said: “Active Ageing (Bristol) is an opportunity for genuinely passionate and driven groups in Bristol to come together under one banner to really make a difference to older people across the city. What we are really looking to do is build pathways to friendship, and put an end to inactivity.”

Richard Pendlebury, CEO of The Anchor Society, said: “We know many older people can suffer from feelings of isolation, loneliness and vulnerability.  The Anchor Society has an excellent network of support across the region and firmly believes that participation in sports and physical activities can bring many benefits to overall health and well-being. We are thrilled to be part of this partnership – and look forward to seeing more older people getting involved with the programme.”

Sara Naylor-Wild, Director of Development and Research at St Monica Trust, said: “St Monica Trust is proud to support this new initiative and be a key player in its development and implementation. We know that nearly 308,000 adults in the Greater Bristol area are aged 55 or over – of these, some 36 percent take little or no part in sport or physical activity. A small change, such as a 30 minute daily walk can make a huge difference.”

The successful implementation of Greater Bristol’s new sport and physical activity programme for the over 55s will see improved health and mental well-being across the region’s older population.

Being physically active as we get older can reduce the risk of us developing depression, heart disease and dementia. It also increases our social networks, helping to reduce the risk of us becoming lonely or isolated.

If you would like to find out more about Active Ageing (Bristol), please visit the website at www.activeageingbristol.co.uk

We are delighted to announce the most recent new project for us; the creation of an Anchor Society Lectureship in Digital Health – this will be part of the national-level SPHERE programme based at the University of Bristol.   This programme gathers data in people’s homes over extended periods and ties that data to different areas of their health and well-being.   We will have a focus on older people and issues specifically related to their health.  Over the next three years we are expecting some exciting, insightful and important results – amplified through attracting additional research funding.

Pictured above are Alan Reed (Hon Secretary) Dr John Manley (President) and Professor Ian Craddock, Director of the EPSRC funded SPHERE IRC Project, University of Bristol.

Photograph published with the permission of Dave Pratt and the University of Bristol

We were delighted to award our first  Anchor Award for Voluntary Service to UWE student Heather Murray. The award is designed to encourage UWE Students to become involved in supporting older people in their communities. Heather, a BA(Hons) Marketing student  ran a Festive Friends Christmas event for 80 older people with the St Werburgh’s Community Centre.  Heather is going to run another event this Christmas (2017) partly funded by the Anchor Award. Heather is pictured receiving her award from Anchor President Dr John Manley.

This years Anchor Tea Party was very well attended by guests with connections to the Society.  Those who came along were entertained with a vintage style tea and a sing along led by our current President Dr John Manley and other members.

We were delighted to welcome friends from the Beehive Centre in Whitehall,  Kirkby Road, LinkAge, Business in the Community as well as our volunteer visitors and their guests.   A good time was had by all.