Wear something woolly this February and help older people keep warm
News from our partners Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin
Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin is inviting hundreds of schoolpupils, staff, volunteers and care home residents to wear something woolly this February (2018) to support older people in Shropshire.
Wear It Woolly in February
The annual Wear It Woolly event raises much-needed funds to help older people to stay warm in winter. Anyone can take part – just wear a woolly item of clothing to work or school and donate £1 to Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin. Whether it’s your favourite bobble hat, a woolly scarf, brightly striped woolly tights or simply a woolly jumper, then Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin would welcome your support.
Every winter, many older people across Shropshire struggle to heat their homes with high fuel costs and poor home insulation. This can have devastating effects on health, developing into cold-related illness and sadly, in some cases, death. In Shropshire around 280 older people will die prematurely from the cold this winter.
All the money raised will be used to support vulnerable older people and help them to stay warm and healthy in winter. Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin gives advice about how to keep warm and offers Surviving Winter Grants to help repair heating or replace boilers. In an effort to combat loneliness the local charity provides friendship services with Befriending, Day Centres and Living Well activities.
Ruth Brown, Head of Income Generation at Age UK STW, said:
“Wear It Woolly is a fun way for people to get involved in fundraising but it also has a powerful message in raising awareness of the daily struggles faced by older people in Shropshire. The more people who get involved in the campaign, the more money will be raised to support older people over the winter months.”
If you would like to take part in Wear It Woolly this February, please contact the fundraising team at Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin on 01743 233123. Alternatively, visit www.ageukshropshireandtelford.org.uk
Further information
Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin is a local charity which has been working tirelessly for over 67 years to make life better for older people across the whole of Shropshire.
Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin offers a range of services for older people in the county. These include: Information and Advice, Day Centres, dementia support, the Help at Home Service, volunteer befriending visitors, Home from Hospital services, Lunch Clubs, Living Well activities, Benefits Advice, and Advocacy on behalf of older people.
Last year over 100,000 volunteer hours were given to support older people, ranging from helping people to fill in benefits forms, supporting people in our 40 Day Centres, visiting isolated older people at home, to acting as receptionists in our Shrewsbury office.
As part of our ‘No one should have No one’ campaign, we are raising money and recruiting volunteers to increase services such as befriending and social activities that reduce isolation and loneliness among older people in Shropshire.
Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin is based in Shrewsbury and in Telford. The Shrewsbury office is open from 10.00am – 4.00pm Monday to Friday, 01743 233123. Our office at Meeting Point House in Telford is open every morning, 01952 216018. Further information about our local services is available on our website www.ageukshropshireandtelford.org.uk
