Combined March 26 jw v2 - Flipbook - Page 21
Community Update Hayling Herald
Age Concern
By Neil Hawkins
AGE Concern Lunch Club is based at Sunnyside Hall, in Webb Lane and provides lunches
for elderly residents on Hayling Island on a
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.
Membership is growing and currently in excess
of 40 who enjoy social interaction in a warm,
relaxed and convivial atmosphere.
Tea, coffee and biscuits are served from 10am,
there is a fun raffle around 11am and a nutritious
lunch follows usually around midday.
Door-to-door transport is available via a
15-seater minibus kindly provided by Hayling
Island Businessmen’s Club. The club also has free
parking for those members making their own
way.
On a sad note, one of our members, Maurice
Barber, who had been attending with his wife
Elizabeth for several years died in December just
before his 94th birthday.
He was a popular member and very likeable
character who would instigate impromptu singalongs and, as a keen musician, often entertained
the gatherings with his ukulele. At our summer
and Christmas social events together with last
year’s VE Day celebrations, he was always the
first on his feet with wife Elizabeth to lead the
dancing and encouraged others to join in.
Maurice was fun to be around and very ap-
Maurice with wife Elizabeth
preciative of volunteers giving their time to
help others. He was also generous and regularly
donated to the Lunch Club in appreciation of the
lovely lunches they enjoyed.
Maurice will be missed by members and volunteers alike. Many attended a celebration of his life
at Hayling Sailing Club last month. With a jazz
band playing, it was a fitting tribute to a lovely,
kind and generous man.
The family has asked me to add that donations in his memory can be made to the Hayling
groups that made his last years such a pleasure –
including Hayling Island Age Concern – via our
bank TSB, sort code 30-15-42, account 00028143
but please include your surname/Barber as the
reference.
The Lunch Club is in full swing and we have
welcomed several new members since returning
in January.
There are still spaces available and anybody interested in joining should call 07544 218855 and
leave a message for Kay on the answerphone. She
will call back to discuss membership.
As somebody who tries to avoid the kitchen at
every opportunity, I happened to be chatting to
Tuesday and Thursday volunteers recently and
was most impressed with their green credentials
and recycling initiatives.
In addition to the green recycling bin, vegetable peelings are bagged up to feed volunteers’
rabbits, horses etc or for their compost heaps!
Havant Borough Council will be impressed.
Sunnyside Hall is available for hire and popular
with many local craft and arts groups, residents’
associations and exercise groups. At £10 per hour
(no vat), the cost is competitive and as a registered charity, all funds raised help in the running
of the Lunch Club.
There is an easy to use online booking system.
Go to hallbookingonline.com/sunnyside/
Bridge Debt Advice Centre
By David Smith on behalf of the Bridge Advice
ARE you struggling to pay your way? You
may be entitled to ask your creditors to take
no action in enforcing or adding interest or
charges to their claims for 60 days.
This is called a breathing space. However, there
are rules which apply and the breathing space is
intended to enable you to work out a repayment
plan.
Firstly, you do need to instruct a debt adviser
to make the application. Secondly, you can only
apply once in any 12-month period.
Thirdly, not all debts can be included such
as debts secured on property, student loans.
Court fines, child maintenance payments benefit
deductions, personal injury damages.
Fourthly, most other debts are included,
such as consumer credit, credit cards, rent and
mortgage arrears, unpaid Council Tax, overpayments of benefit, energy and water bills.
However you must remember the debts are
NOT being written off. The whole purpose of
the scheme is to enable you to work with a debt
adviser to find a way of paying what you owe.
There is a separate scheme for people suffering
a mental health crisis.
If this applies to you then the breathing space
will last for the period of your crisis, plus 30
days. You do not need to consult a debt adviser,
though that would be wise.
You do however have to be under treatment
from an approved mental health professional.
You can apply more than once during any
12-month period.
However, if you are experiencing financial
difficulties you may be able to take advantage of
an informal breathing space. In our experience
most creditors will hold off whilst a satisfactory
repayment plan can be put in place.
The important thing is to plan and negotiate.
If you want more information about our
services please telephone 07876 776668 for an
appointment. We have a 24-hour answering
service and will call back when we can.
All our advice is friendly, confidential, nonjudgemental and free.
We are able to meet on face-to-face basis at
the Bridge Church, by appointment on Tuesday
mornings.
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