Shrewsbury cafés join forces to highlight important elder abuse awareness campaign
News from our partners Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin
A local charity which supports older people is working with Palmers of Shrewsbury, and Massarellas café, to promote World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (Friday 15 June 2018).
The two cafes will have a purple themed day to raise awareness of the cause and Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin is encouraging everyone to go along, get a coffee and buy a purple ribbon badge for £1.
The United Nations (UN) has designated Friday 15 June 2018 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day to focus global attention on the problem of physical, emotional, and financial abuse of older people.
An estimated half a million older people in the UK are abused and neglected every day by individuals they thought they could trust.
Heather Osborne, Chief Executive said:
“This is a difficult topic to talk about but one that needs highlighting – there is no excuse for abuse. Many older people suffer abuse of some form and the signs can be hard to spot. We are asking people to wear something purple on 15 June and encourage others to do the same to raise awareness of this issue.”
Any money raised will go to the charity – Action on Elder Abuse, which provides a national helpline (Elder Abuse Response Freephone 080 8808 8141) for people concerned about or experiencing abuse.
Purple ribbon badges will also be available from Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin’s office at 3 Mardol Gardens, Shrewsbury, SY1 1PR and the Age UK STW furniture shop Unit 15-16 Riverside Mall, Pride Hill Centre, Shrewsbury, SY1 1PJ.
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 10am – 4pm 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
