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Community Care Magazine No45 for Elderly and DisabledOn Cold Winter Evenings Why Not Knit For Charity? If you have some spare wool and some knitting needles why not get them together and knit for charity. Teddies can be knitted and sent to children both in the UK and abroad. A pattern for knitting a teddy can be downloaded from the website of the Community Service Volunteers:
csv.org.uk
Oxfam are pleased to receive blankets that are made up from knitted squares. They no longer send them abroad but sell them at events nationwide to raise money for the charity. Knit one and take it along to your local Oxfam shop. Leading on to a related matter. If you have an old sewing machine in your loft that you do not want the charity Workaid would like to receive it. The sewing machines will be shipped to developing countries to equip village craftspeople. There is a network of local collectors so if you have one to give, call them on 01494 765506. Save Energy, Help Our Planet We are always being told how we should look at the energy we use in order to see if we can use it more efficiently and help to make our planet safer for following generations. What can we do as individuals to help? There are many things but below find four examples:
Having cold feet is unpleasant and when this is accompanied by pain and poor circulation the situation can be miserable. Recently we have come across a product that may be of interest if you or someone you know has a problem with cold feet. The solution may be "Hot Sox." The socks, which are lavender scented, are simply popped into a microwave or electric oven to get warm before they are put on your feet. There is one size that fits all with the following measurements: 27cm long, 13cm wide and 23cm high so giving you warm ankles as well. If you would like further details go to the company direct and their details are: Find me a Gift, If you purchase some, please let us know how effective they are. School Meals In the late 1880's the state was insisting on compulsory education for all children. The problem was however that many children attending school were half starved or insufficiently fed. A report published in 1889 stated that in London, 50,000 children were attending school hungry. The School Board in Bradford was the first education authority to introduce school meals and at the time, this was an illegal act. It was not until 1906 that Parliament passed the Provision of School Meals Act that permitted local authorities to provide school meals. However, it was not compulsory and in 1939 less than 50% of schools were actually providing a school meal service. A typical school meal menu of fifty years ago would have been meat and two vegetables always followed by a cooked dessert such as rice pudding, semolina, tapioca or jam sponge and custard. In 2005 a school menu could be bacon and tomato pasta, broccoli and cauliflower followed by either a flapjack or fresh fruit. Competition In an earlier Gazette we mentioned that to celebrate our Silver Jubilee we were running a competition for informal carers. The prizes (6 in total) were for an informal carer and a partner to win a three night hotel break. The final judging was kindly carried out by Beverly Dawkins of Mencap and Humphrey Hawksley. BBC Foreign Correspondent and Author. The six prize winners have been notified, two each from England, Scotland and Wales and the breaks will be taken in the Spring of 2006. Recycle Some Christmas Waste The Woodland Trust has announced that people will be able to recycle their Christmas cards by taking them into any W.H.Smith high street store and all major Tesco supermarkets from January 2nd. The recycle bins will be in the stores throughout January. Last years campaign recycled 58 million cards and they are hoping to beat this figure. If you would like to give your cards to a favourite charity look and see if the charity shop local to you is accepting them. Stamps from the envelopes can be handed in at your local Oxfam shop. If you have any unwanted presents, rather than put them away and forget them, take them down to your favourite charity shop as well. Outside of many businesses you will begin to see bins for the recycling of shoes. Over 70% of the world's population wear second hand clothes and shoes are in great demand. Old shoes are sorted for suitability and distributed to countries around the world where local craftsmen carry out any refurbishing work. A donation of a pair of shoes will benefit two people, the craftsman and a wearer. Keep a look out for a recycling bin in your area. Take Care On Public Transport When you are travelling on public transport be aware of possible problems and dangers, especially in the dark evenings and mornings.
Do you know the difference between the two? For those who do not, perhaps this will help. Ordinary Flu usually occurs every winter but Pandemic Flu can occur sporadically at any time of year but only about two or three times a century. Ordinary Flu affects 10% of the population whilst Pandemic Flu may affect around 25% of the population. Ordinary Flu is an unpleasant but non life threatening infection for most people but for any person catching Pandemic Flu it is a serious infection. The very young, the very old and people with certain chronic illnesses are most vulnerable with Ordinary Flu but Pandemic Flu is a serious illness for people of any age. Currently a Pandemic Flu vaccine is not available for the whole population but as soon as there is enough the aim is to vaccinate the whole population. Last century Pandemic Flu facts: 1918-1919 killed 250,000 people in the UK. 1957/1958 killed 33,000 people in the UK. 1968/1969 killed 30,000 people in England and Wales. The World Health Organisation is on the constant lookout for the first signs of a Pandemic emerging so appropriate steps can be taken. If this happens the Dept. of Health will give advice on how to protect ourselves. (Information from the Department Of Health.) Nothing Nicer Than a Cup of Tea and a Fruit Scone on a Winter Afternoon... The British Nutrition Foundation give this recipe for Fruit Scones. 250g of self raising flour
Furniture you do not need? If you have pieces of furniture that you do not need and would like to get rid of, here is a suggestion. Furniture can be given to The Salvation Army, who will collect, in order that they can re-distribute to people who need them. Soft furnishings must however, have a fire safety label on them. For further details give your local Salvation Army centre a ring. Similarly, if you have working appliances such as fridges, washing machines, etc. the Salvation Army will take them if they are in good, working condition. Travel News It was announced in the Pre-Budget Report in December 2005 that all pensioners will receive free, local bus travel from April 2006. Selling Your Home In 2007 From 2007 it will be compulsory for anyone selling a home to provide a Home Information Pack. The plan is to provide key information at the beginning of the sale process. The pack, which is expected to cost about £600.00 plus vat for an average home, will contain details of local authority searches, copies of any guarantees for work carried out on the property and details on the condition of all aspects of the home. An estimated figure of one million pounds a day is currently wasted on failed house deals with thousands of buyers spending money on valuations, legal advice and searches only to see the sale fall through. It is expected that the House Information Packs (HIPs) will reduce this waste significantly. Staff News A new member of staff has joined our Administration Department. Jillian Blake will be working with Michael Gill, Matthew Brewin, Sarah Houghton and Pam Saunders. Finally, How Careers End!! Office Clerks are defiled. is the online version of Able Community Care's Gazette. Want a printed copy of our current Gazette? Click Here To Request a Printed Gazette... with experienced live-in Carers gives peace of mind and has been our nationwide priority since 1980. Alternatively, we can post you our current brochure. Click Here to Request a Printed Brochure... Click Here to Join us as a Carer... We're always happy to answer your questions Click Here to Ask a Question... Telephone: 01603 764567 (office hours: 9am-4pm GMT) Fax: 01603 761655 Able Community Care The Old Parish Rooms Whitlingham Lane Trowse, Norwich NR14 8TZ United Kingdom
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