Christmas carol concert spreads holiday cheer

This year's Christmas carol concert featured a few surprise guests--a choir of our Area Managers, who had secretly been practicing their singing under the guidance of Head of Volunteers and National Networks, Philip Rosser. Their performance went over well, as did the singing of the Tabard Singers, who might have been more professionally polished, but they could not have beat the Area Managers' enthusiasm.

The evening raised over £400 for Independent Age, which will help many older people to have a nicer Christmas this year. Thanks to all of you who came, and to all of our other supporters.

Big Tea raises £262 for Independent Age

Thanks to Barbara Miles, who organised a Big Tea on November 20 at All Saints Church in Mudeford, raising £262 for Independent Age. Here she is, pictured centre, with organising volunteers Elaine Lawford and Bill Deans,and some tasty-looking treats:

While we promote the Big Tea in October, to coincide with International Older People's Day, anyone is welcome to hold their own Big Tea, at any time of the year. If you would like to find out more, please email Harriet Steele to learn more.

Ending digital exclusion for older people

Today Chief Executive Janet Morrison will be speaking at the Tackling the Social Exclusion of Older People Conference, presented by Capita. Her presentation will be on Empowering Older People through Digital Technology.

Social isolation and the feelings of loneliness it leads to are common problems for older people living in the UK today. Recent research reveals that a fear of being alone is a major source of anxiety as people grow older and that some older people go for days without seeing another person. However, communications technologies can help prevent and alleviate social isolation and loneliness. Despite this, nearly three in four over-65s have never used the internet.

'Too many older people are excluded from the benefits of online society,' says Janet Morrison. 'With the right support, older people will have the opportunity to use online services, offering them the chance to renew and develop social contacts and engage actively in their communities. The real and urgent need is for more appropriate services that reflect older people's interests and respond to their needs, including sustained, community-based training and support. This should lead to improved face-to-face contact and involvement in the community and a better quality of life.'

Holiday fun with Independent Age

If you're in London this December, come celebrate the holidays with us! We have events coming up to suit traditional carollers as well as dance-till-dawn types.

First up is the Christmas Boat Party, on Thursday 2 December, a fun night cruising the Thames with a DJ and silent auction. The boat sets off from Westminster Pier at 7.15 pm and returns at 11 pm. Tickets are £30, which includes a buffet and welcome drinks. Please email Jordan Trimby for tickets or more information.

That's followed by our annual Christmas Carol concert the following Thursday, 9 December, at St Michael's Church, Chester Square, London SW1W 9HH. This will be a festive evening of Christmas readings and carols, featuring the Tabard Singers and a new Independent Age vocal ensemble, followed by mince pies and wine. Please contact Harriet Steele for tickets or to find out more.

We hope to see you at either event, or both.

It never rains but it pours

by Claire Nurden, Research and Policy officer

Now the dust has begun to settle after the spending review, it seems that the effects will be more far-reaching and complex than many first thought. A broader understanding of the context that specific cuts will made in is essential to get a full grasp of the potential impact, and an idea of how devastating they could be for the most vulnerable older people in our society.

We already know that half of the £2billion earmarked for social care is not ring-fenced and could well be used to plug the gaps in other council funding. But questions are also now being raised about the other half – allocated as part of the health budget. While the NHS has been promised protection, in reality it has seen the smallest budget increase for fifteen years - and that in the face of the challenge of a rapidly ageing population and increasing need. What guarantees are there that the money for social care will be safe when demands for healthcare are rising?

And demand is indeed the issue here. We face a situation where unmet need resulting from cuts in social care and local services such as housing and leisure will drive demand in the health service, and vice versa. All of these services are inter-dependent and must be seen as such when gauging the full consequences of the cuts. Better integration is needed to properly weather the storm, but who will deliver this when cuts to middle-management make change a daunting prospect? It never rains but it pours...

State pension plans: Ferrari for Christmas or coal-filled stocking?

by Simon Bottery, Director of Fundraising, Policy and Communications

Everyone can have a Ferarri for Christmas because Santa's going to be more efficient with his elves: this is what we are supposed to believe about the coalition's apparent plans on the state pension. The idea that a higher pension for all can be achieved simply by getting rid of the costs of administering pension credit is, like Santa (look away children), a fantasy. Pension credit may be expensive to administer at around £50 per person, per year, but that amount of saving will barely get you a tank of petrol, let alone a supercar. Clearly the extra money for the superpension has to come from somewhere and until we know where we should avoid the temptation to look for garage space for that Ferrari. Almost as interesting is the question of who gave the story to the Daily Mail last Monday? Lib Dems in an attempt to spread some pre-Christmas cheer (the superpension is the brainchild of LibDem pensions minister Steve Webb)? Or Tories in an attempt to prevent it?

Switch to Central European Time, reduce depression?

by Emily Bick, Web and Publications Officer

According to a new poll of 15,000 Saga members (all aged 50-plus), two thirds of them wanted to switch to Central European Time to avoid the disruption caused by the clocks moving back an hour for winter.

If you think about it, this makes sense. Longer hours of darkness can keep older people from feeling safe driving or venturing outside, keeping them isolated from their communities. Dark afternoons spent indoors equal higher energy bills for lighting and heating, real worries for anyone on a fixed income. Add Seasonal Affective Disorder, the seasonal depression caused by lack of sunlight, to this mix of loneliness and financial worry, and it's surprising that the two-thirds figure is not higher.

Additionally, a move to Central European Time would help almost everyone, for all of the reasons above as well as being environmentally friendly and energy-efficient, things to consider in these austere times.

If this one change can make such a difference to older people's quality of life, why not make it policy? What do you think?

Read more from the Daily Telegraph.

Questions questions – what would reform of the state pension mean for us all?

By Claire Nurden, Research and Policy Officer

News of proposed reforms to the pensions system hit the papers in the last few days, and as we all get our heads around the possible changes only one thing is clear – we need more information!

At Independent Age our initial reaction was that, of course, any moves to transfer the cost of bureaucracy into older people’s pockets are welcome. But we mustn’t forget that pension credit currently plays an important role in passporting people through to other support, like council tax benefit. If these reforms go ahead then thought must be given to ensuring the poorest older people still receive everything they are entitled to. Or could this signal the end to means-tested benefits altogether?

And what of the Government’s calculation that the money saved from eliminating means testing will be enough to fund the change? Some personal financial experts are already expressing concern about the effect this could have on the state second pension. Will it just be rolled into the single £140 payment? And will all pensioners feel the benefit of the reform or will it only affect those retiring under the new rules? In which case, can it really be the case that there will be no losers, only winners? If funding a move like this is really so simple, then the question must be raised, why on earth hasn’t it been done before?

Only one thing is certain - it was a very timely announcement given that many of this week’s winners (women and carers) were last week’s losers in the spending review.

Whatever happened to localism?

by Simon Bottery, Director of Fundraising, Policy and Communications

Localism was supposed to be one of the coalition's main drivers, but local authorities are faced with seven percent annual decreases in their grant from central government, while many central budgets have got off more lightly. The one token concession to localism in the comprehensive spending review was the decision not to ringfence the additional £1bn of funding provided for social care. Small comfort for local authorities, this. They can use it to plug the holes opening up in social care provision as our population ages (which is exactly what they should do as we await real long term proposals in July). Or they can spend it on 'non-essentials' (nb intention here is irony) like roads, children's services and refuse collection, which already face huge cuts. Damned if they do, damned if they don't.

The dilemma of council spending and social care

by Simon Bottery, Director of Fundraising, Policy and Communications


Barnet Council's budget dropped through my letterbox today (I live there, so this was not some random chance event). It has a nice pictogram, displayed above, showing how they spent their money in 2009-2010 (this image is from a screengrab so it's a bit hard to read, but you can see it in more detail at http://ideas.barnet.gov.uk/sites/barnet/files/infographic/main.html.)

It shows clearly the dilemma facing councils on social care. Though the council spent nearly £850m in 2009-10, over half of this money was either on schools or housing benefit, neither of which it has any control over because it is dictated by central govenrment. This leaves Barnet with five main areas of spending it can control: housing (£23m), environment and roads (£44m), adult social services - which is mainly social care (£112m), children's social services (£80m) and corporate services (£76m). Smaller amounts are also spent on libraries (£7m), corporate governance (£7.5m), chief executive's services (£2.8m) and commercial services (£11m).

So social care is the council's single biggest area of spending under its own control. If it simply took seven percent ofthis expenditure every year, in line with the overall cut in its funding, it would have to reduce spending on day services by £3.6m over four years; domicilary care by £7.5m; care homes by £14m and direct payments by £1.9m. In theory, it will have a share of the additional £2bn a year in funding for social care with which to offset its cuts, but it's difficult to see how this would compensate in full.

The council is running an exercise inviting residents to suggest budget savings (it's not got a huge or very constructive response yet, but it is probably early days). I haven't submitted ideas yet, but am going to take a long look at that £76m on corporate services and, in particular, the £55.3m spent on central expenses. I'm sure there's a good reason for it, but I'll want to know it's all more important than providing a carer to help a disabled older person get dressed or go to bed.

The cuts: smoke and mirrors?

We were left facing a bit of a conundrum after yesterday’s spending review. In the case of social care, the chancellor seemed to be giving with one hand but taking away with the other. An extra £2bn appears to have been earmarked for the care and support of elderly and disabled people, but the money is not ring-fenced and councils are under no obligation to use it for this purpose. The reality is that while any extra funding is welcome, most is likely to be used to plug the holes left by huge cuts in other council funding.

The social care system is already at breaking point. In most areas help is already restricted to those with the most severe needs, leaving many others alone and without very basic support. It has never been more important for communities to mobilise and put pressure on their local councils to use the money in the way it was intended, and protect the most vulnerable people in our society.

Making sense of 'society', 'Big Society' and the state

by Simon Bottery, director of fundraising, policy, and communications

I hit a raw nerve when I asked Lord Victor Adebowale at a conference Tuesday about David Cameron's view that, 'there is such a thing as society, it's just not the same as the state'. I was expecting him to be sceptical about aspects of the Big Society. I was vainly (both senses of the word) hoping that he might like my joke that, 'there is such a thing as society, it's just not the same as Guardian Society.' So I was surprised that he refused to find any truth whatsoever in Cameron's statement. I may have misunderstood, but he seemed to be saying that in reality there was no point in discussing one without the other.

Can this really be true? If I offer to help my neighbour clear her snow away from her front door, surely that is a good reflection of society. But has it anything to do with the state? Surely not. I may want and expect my local authority to clear snow from the roads and pavements, but am I really expecting thestate to have a role all the way up to my neighbour's front door and ven inside it?

My neighbour regularly collects parcels for me that are delivered when I am out. My family regularly feeds her cat while she is away. There are thousands of acts like this every day, carried out by individuals across the UK, who never expect to be supported by the state, paid or 'capacity built'.

Of course, there are also thousands of voluntary organisations who need support, development and funding. Formal volunteering roles are not free and anyone who thinks they are will be horribly confused if funding and support are withdrawn. But we shouldn't confuse or conflate one with the other.

New Job - Area Network and Volunteer Manager, London

That's right, we're looking for an organised self-starter to manage, recruit and develop a network of Independent Age volunteers in the London area. In this role, you'll help our volunteers better support the older people we work with, while promoting Independent Age's activities and raising funds for the charity. If you're curious and want to know more, visit our jobs page for a full job description and details on how to apply.

If Nanna Henderson can remember the sugar...

a Thrifty Kitchen update by Rebecca Law

Journalist Ian Gilbert’s maternal grandmother, Josephine Henderson (“Nanna”), raised a family through wartime rationing and post-war austerity, and the thought of buying preserves would have been anathema to her. And so it was that Ian came to inherit her wonderful – and wonderfully simple – recipe for lemon curd. “It’s dead easy,” explains Ian in his intro to the recipe for this lemon curd, which he contributed to our Independent Age cookbook, The Thrifty Kitchen.

And so, armed with confidence in abundance, the two of us headed off to this weekend’s Food and Wine Festival at Oxford Castle ready for our next foray into the international world of cookery demonstrations.

While Ian busied himself making Peter Gordon’s hot-smoked salmon fishcakes, I, as his faithful assistant, was left with the simple task of stirring the lemon curd - the ingredients of which were neatly perched on top of a gently bubbling bain marie. But something was afoot and what should have been metamorphosing into a velvety smooth lemony mixture was more akin to cottage cheese. Alas, as it dawned on us that the pre-measured 300g of sugar required for this recipe were still neatly sitting in their glass bowl on the work bench, we realised that we had just taught our audience how to make that traditional favourite: lemon scrambled eggs. Yum.

We may not have been Fanny and Johnny, but the performance was still enough to encourage a number of the audience to buy our book and to pledge to hold a Big Tea. And just for the record, the lemon curd is great, just so long as you listen to “Nanna”.

Thanks, too, to Harriet Steele who did a great job of manning our stall for the day...and juggling lemons.

Susanne O'Leary reading in Co. Carlow, Ireland

Bestselling author Susanne O'Leary will read from and sign copies of her latest novel, Swedish for Beginners, at historic Huntington Castle, Clonegal, Co. Carlow, Ireland, on 28 September at 5pm.

There will also be a wine talk and tasting events by Tindal Wines. Tickets are €15 at the door and proceeds go to benefit Independent Age.

Email Frances Galloway for more information, or to purchase tickets.

Good to grumble?

Today's story on people failing to act on the early signs of rheumatoid arthritis is sadly unsurprising. Pain experienced when we are young is rarely accepted as something ‘normal’, but there is a worrying tendency for some older people to assume that a degree of pain is an inevitable part of the ageing process. This, however, is simply not the case.

In our experience as an older people’s charity we have come across a “mustn’t grumble” attitude among a number of those we support, forcing us to ask why it is sometimes considered acceptable to suffer? Does this acceptance come as a result of negative attitudes towards ageing in our society, and a feeling that older age automatically means death and decline? And what are the consequences?

Over half of our beneficiaries endure pain on a daily basis, which has an inevitable impact on their quality of life. It is worth considering whether a proportion of the vast numbers of older people currently failing to claim their benefits and entitlements, view their own disability as a natural limitation accompanying older age, and not something which entitles them to any help.

There is a broad expectation that the generation of baby boomers will expect more from their later years. But in order for this to happen they must not only challenge negative attitudes about the type of life they can expect to lead, but the type of life they will be able to lead. We must address our current versions of what is natural and what is not.

Young at heart

After reading the results of the latest study on older people and physical activity published in the British Medical Journal and appearing in the Daily Mail today, we can safely say that the findings are unsurprising. The news that staying active is good for you is nothing new, and it makes sense that building and maintaining strength and mobility helps to prevent falls and guard against ill-health. The issue is that many people don’t realise it’s never too late to get started. Older age doesn’t have to mean decline. At Independent Age we’ve met people in their nineties who push their physical boundaries to the limit. From sky-diving and pole-dancing to Tai Chi and gardening, those we support remind us there’s always a way to stay young at heart.

Some older people may feel that when arthritis and other ailments take hold, exercise is no longer for them. But gentle activity can make the biggest difference to those who believe they’re least able. Its benefits extend beyond the physical – it’s a great excuse to get out and about and meet new people, helping to combat the isolation and loneliness that can be so common amongst older people.

Big Society: what does it all add up to?

By Simon Bottery, Director of Fundraising, Policy and Communications

I only narrowly passed my Maths GCSE but for some reason I think the Cameron concept of 'Big Society' is best framed as an equation:

Volunteers +Carers x (Third Sector + state - (inefficiency+bureaucracy)) = Big Society.

For the non-mathematicians (including me) this translates as:

Big Society is the combined activities of unpaid volunteers and carers, multiplied by the actions of government and the third sector, minus their inefficiencies and bureaucracy.

I think Cameron would definitely have the equation this way around, with the actions of volunteers and carers coming first and the role of the state and the formal third sector coming second. And I think he would see the main role of the formal third sector (the bit that gets paid to be here) as a multiplier (perhaps magnifier or even facilitator would be a better word) of volunteer and carer activities, rather than as a provider of fully paid-for, contracted services like the corporate sector.

I think he shares the view of much of middle England that there is a lot of inefficiency and bureaucracy in the state sector (and perhaps in the charity sector too. We wouldn’t seriously argue with this, would we? Would we?).

A critical issue might be whether he sees the government 'x' as a big multiplier or a small one. How much positive effect does government really have on the activities of volunteers and carers? Doubling their output? Trebling it? Increasing it by only a small percentage? Is it in fact more of a brake than a boost, detracting from their effort (volunteers + carers x third sector - state = big society).

We hope to do some work on what the Big Society might mean for older people in particular in the coming months and are looking for partners. If you’re interested, let me know.

Council cost-saving leaves older people in the dark

Reports of a worrying new practice by local councils emerged today, revealing attempts to save costs by switching off or dimming street lights. This practice ignores the needs of older people in local communities, as do the comments of Matthew Lugg, Leicestershire County Council's Transport Director - that crime will not increase because, 'even criminals need lights to see what they are nicking'.

Not only are these moves of serious practical concern to those with visual impairments, disabilities or at risk of falling, but research shows that large numbers of older people are already fearful in their local communities, and avoid going out at as much as they would like, particularly in darkness. Reducing street lighting to an even greater extent will only enhance this fear. Good lighting is essential to enabling older people, many of whom are already at risk of social isolation, to get out and about in their local area.

Read more from the Daily Mail.

stock photo by sarka_s from www.sxc.hu

Whatever happened to aftercare?

Some revealing research on falls and hip fractures was released today, after an annual audit showed that one in five older people with broken hips don’t get surgery quickly enough. Concealed behind these findings was actually some positive news – that standards were improving compared to previous years. But this is of little comfort given that administrative problems and staffing shortages can currently prevent people from receiving the basic care they need, leaving some to endure avoidable disability and/or a loss of independence.

But what really struck us about these findings was the lack of reported aftercare. Ways to prevent more problems arising after a hip fracture are well known, and it makes sense that prevention is better than cure. But the audit highlighted that a third of the people who were treated for hip fractures did not have a falls assessment – essential to organising necessary home modifications and exercise regimes, and a quarter were not assessed to see if they needed drug treatment to strengthen bones. At Independent Age we know how debilitating a fall can be for an older person, having a massive impact on their quality of life. Failure to make the most of treatments and prevention techniques already available, not only puts older people at risk but will undoubtedly cost the NHS more in years to come.

Photo by Wikimedia Commons User:Scuba-limp,used under Creative Commons license

Changes to winter fuel payments: will older people be left in the cold?

Rumours abound today that the winter fuel payment is set to be limited to those on the lowest incomes, and that the age limit will rise. This is a tricky one – while we can see that focusing the payment on those with genuine need does make sense, and it is reasonable to raise the age at which people receive it to when they retire or reach State Pension Age, we also know how essential this allowance is to so many older people. At Independent Age we have witnessed first-hand how older people can be extremely vulnerable in cold weather.

Means-testing the payment could mean it won’t reach all of those that need it most. We already know that too many older people don’t claim their entitlements, and surely the most vulnerable should be protected. But fuel costs have also risen so dramatically in recent years that they have disproportionately affected many older people, including those on middle as well as lower incomes. Removing the payment for people in both these groups could too easily mean the choice between fuel and food.

Independent Age speaks out against the Default Retirement Age

Independent Age was quoted in a Department of Work and Pensions Report titled Review of the Retirement Age: Summary of the Stakeholder Evidence. Perhaps unsurprisingly, we do not support the default retirement age, when there are many healthy older people who want to carry on contributing in the workplace.

No one should be forced into retirement because of their date of birth--that's ageism. Our full position is up on our website here, or you can read the full government report here. (It's 61 pages--we're on page 44 and page 58.)

Older than what?

By Simon Bottery, Director of Fundraising, Policy and Communications

Went to an interesting seminar today run by the nice people at Forster on communicating with older people. ‘Older people’ seems to have become the most common way of describing people who a few years ago would have been ‘pensioners’ or ‘senior citizens’ or just ‘old people’.

But it struck me today that I have no idea what it is that they are ‘older’ than. I thought at first it must be older than the average age but The Office for National Statistics says the average age in the UK is 39. Since no one includes 40-year-olds in the category ‘older people’ (Independent Age helps those over 70 though some organisations set the bar as low as 50) we are clearly not meaning ‘older than the average’.

So what do we mean? Older than me? Older than you? Older than the age a typical police officer looks? I have a terrible suspicion we mean ‘old’ but are saying older’ because it sounds nicer.

photo posed by model, courtesy of hortongrou at www.sxc.hu

Volunteers Wanted for the Summer Pop Picnic Party, Bedfordshire, 22 August

We're offering free entry to the show and a backstage pass for volunteers who will help us with a bucket collection at the Summer Pop Picnic Party in Shuttleworth, Bedfordshire on Sunday 22 August.

photo by Phil Guest from Wikimedia Commons

On the bill are X-Factor winners Diversity, ASWAD, and Jason Donovan (above, although admittedly looking more literary than rock'n'roll) as well as many others. For the full lineup and more details, click here. If you have an hour to spare mid-afternoon, email Harriet Steele and come along!

Mayor Boris Johnson clowns around at London Older People's Assembly; Pensions Minister Steve Webb gets serious

Simon Bottery, Director of Policy and Communications, writes:

I am not going to attempt to guess what Pensions Minister Steve Webb was thinking yesterday when he was publicly chastised by Boris Johnson during the annual London Older People’s Assembly at City Hall.

Along with a few hundred other people, I sat and watched as Boris demanded to know whether the minister had arrived for the meeting by public transport and then, on ‘discovering’ that he had not, roundly condemned him for it. With that, and few well chosen jokes about Ken Livingstone, Boris was off, leaving Webb to fume alone.

Boris Johnson at another event, with a model of his favourite bus

photo by Jerry Daykin from Wikimedia Commons

Webb opted to stay and face the questions of a lot of active, and in some cases angry, older Londoners. In fairness he did a decent job of it (though he was never asked the question that Lizzie Irons of Citizens Advice later posed: how many older Londoners will have to move when the coalition government’s cap on local housing allowance comes into force next year?). He also announced an ‘Ageing Well’ initiative, which aims to encourage local authorities to share best practice in providing for older people in their communities.

You can read more about the London Older People's Assembly Group at their website.

Art for Independent Age's sake

An Art and Sculpture Exhibition was held at Glemham Hall, Suffolk on 31st July / 1st August. The weather stayed fine and Rosemary Buisseret and one of her volunteers (and artist) Vanessa Stollery worked very hard coordinating the artwork, teas and stalls. Money is still being counted, but so far almost £2,000 has been raised for Independent Age. Here are some of the works that were on show:

Yew Trees by Elaine Alderson

Guinness by Vanessa Stollery

Beach Huts by Christopher Humphries

Thanks to everyone who made this day such a success, and to all of the artists who took part. You can see a list of all who participated here.

Congratulations to the Independent Age Finance Team!

by Noel Flannery, Director of Finance and Corporate Services

Members of Independent Age's finance team, posing with our new logo. Noel Flannery is on the far left.

I am delighted to be able to tell you that we have just learnt that Independent Age has been voted a finalist by the judging panel in this year’s Third Sector Excellence Awards in the Financial Management category. The actual award ultimately goes to the third sector organisation whose Finance function has made the most demonstrable improvement in financial management and control over the 12-month period 1 June 2009 – 31 May 2010. The Awards Ceremony takes place on 23 September in London.

Whilst it would be good to end up as winners, the fact that the Finance Team has made it to the final is a major tribute in itself to their hard work both in public view and behind the scenes within Independent Age. The detailed workings of Finance may not always be readily understood by the wider world but, believe me, Independent Age’s approach to financial management and control has changed out of all recognition over the past couple of years and my thanks go to the team for this.

More generally, whether we win or not, the awards ceremony will provide some very positive PR for Independent Age since it will be extensively covered in Third Sector magazine after the event in September. As a result it will no doubt help to persuade future donors and funders that their generous donations will be in safe hands as well as giving our nice new logo a very public airing!

Ellie and Becky cook up a storm at Olympia’s Retirement Show (sort of!)

How do you top a chef who has just been voted the most innovative cook of the year and who, as a finale, has just made dry ice appear from his sorbet? You go on and make an assortment of internationally-themed omelette ramekins, of course - while also relying heavily on an assortment of pretty floral dresses and humour to carry you through and make up for what you might be lacking in cookery know-how!

This is the position Ellie and I found ourselves in this weekend at the London Olympia Prudential Retirement Show where, following the release of our cookery book, The Thrifty Kitchen, late last year, we earned a slot as one of six featured chefs to appear at the show to demonstrate our wares. We found ourselves neatly nestled on the bill between vegetarian chef, Eddie Shepherd, who was last year’s winner of Cordon Vert’s Chef of the Future title and Colin Buchan, head chef at the Gordon Ramsey outpost, The York & Albany.

We didn’t need to let that daunt us, we thought – we had just what the audience wanted. And what they wanted were:

• Four internationally-themed omelette ramekins in honour of the recent World Cup
• A tomato consommé with star anise and prawn
• Hot-smoked salmon fishcakes with a dill and mustard dressing

And as luck would have it, we had recipes for all of these, courtesy of those who had contributed to The Thrifty Kitchen.

Ellie preps our seasonal veg: lovely, juicy vine-tomatoes, "you can't beat" broad beans and the evergreen peas "of the frozen variety". Yummy.


The first recipe, we thought, was a great way of showing how you can make up something yummy using whatever you have left over in the bottom of your fridge or cupboard. We chose an international theme in order to show just four of the many flavour combinations you could have. Using the same base for all ramekins (a mixture of eggs, Parmesan, spinach, flour and nutmeg) the fun started with the “add-in” ingredients. Our ramekins took us on an international voyage (who knew they had such powers?) covering:

• Spain - with chorizo, roasted musrooms and goat’s cheese
• Argentina - with roasted sweet potatoes, roasted red onion and mozzarella
• Italy - with the tried-and-tested combination of tomato, mozzarella and basil
• England - with broad beans, peas and feta (ok, ok, you got us, feta may not emanate from our home island, but it tastes good in this ramekin!)

The smooth criminals ace their World Cup omelette ramekins.

Our second recipe, the tomato consommé with star anise and prawn, was chosen on the basis of tomatoes being bang in season at the moment, meaning they taste great and are at their cheapest. This recipe, despite its delicate appearance is packed full of flavour, meaning if you have any leftover, it’s perfect to freeze into small cubes and use as a base stock for other dishes. And, as one canny member of the audience pointed out, you might even want to make use of the leftover pulp for sandwiches. Perfect.

Two down and one to go, our swansong and grand finale were Peter Gordon’s hot-smoked salmon fishcakes with a dill and mustard dressing. This may not sound like it has a rightful place in The Thrifty Kitchen, but it’s a brilliant example of how you can make use of a relatively small amount of a really good quality ingredient and make it go a long way – this batch uses just 250g of hot-smoked salmon to make up 20 small fishcakes.

All done - and the relief is palpable.

Also on the bill this weekend was food writer, Ian Gilbert, who cooked in Provence before working in Australia for several years as a food and wine editor on the Melbourne broadsheet, The Sunday Age. Luckily for us, he has championed The Thrifty Kitchen from the start and he continued our thrifty theme at Olympia, cooking up three sweet treats, again using seasonal and store cupboard staples. On his menu were mini pavlovas, served with a summer fruit compote, crème brulee with blackberries, and a clafoutis aux cerises (that’s a cherry flan to us non-French speakers).
Ian keeps his audience enthralled and hanging on the edge of their seats - can he make a pavlova? Can he? No.

His pavlova mixture may not have peaked in quite the way he had planned, but his humour did, meaning his audience were kept entertained throughout. And besides, his “here’s one I made earliers” turned out to be real beauties.

Ian shows off one of his "here's one I made earlier" bap-lovas


Thanks to Harriet Steele for selling Thrifty Kitchen cookbooks on the day--and if you would like one, why not visit our Thrifty Kitchen website?

Cumbria Garden Open raises over £2800 for Independent Age

Above, L to R: Sandra Tate, Area Manager Kay White, and David Tate

The gardens of Garth House in Brampton, Cumbria were opened by kind permission of Sandra and David Tate MBE, on Sunday 20 June in aid of Independent Age.

Over 400 people visited the outstanding gardens surrounding the beautiful late-Georgian red sandstone house, experiencing firsthand the dazzling array of different styles, including a sunken formal garden, a woodland walk, a wildlife pond, a Japanese garden and even a Zen garden. Independent Age volunteers were at hand to offer tea and refreshments.

Above, L to R: Valerie Johnson, Margaret Sutcliffe, Kay White, Penny Kretzschmar, Jill Faux, and Jean Garnett

Kay White, Independent Age Area Manager for the North East and Cumbria and organiser of the event, said: "The garden has a reputation in the region, so people came from all over Cumbria to see it. The setting was absolutely idyllic and we were blessed with a beautiful sunny day. I am thrilled that the event helped to raise so much for Independent Age and we are extremely grateful to our hosts and to everyone who worked so hard to make the day go so smoothly.

"Home again in one piece, no injuries, and yes, I made it!"

Congratulations to Sally Hough of Tavistock, Devon, who successfully completed the challenge of cycling 1,100 miles from Land's End to John O'Groats in aid of Independent Age. "Just because you're a pensioner doesn't mean life stops," said Sally of her challenge. "I love being outdoors. There are so many rules in other sports that you have to abide by, but with cycling you can just be free." Sally's cycle resulted in her covering a total of 1087.6 miles in 90.25 hours, over 16 days.

"My favourite day was cycling through the Yorkshire Dales into Cumbria with a particularly challenging climb via Dent Station and stunning scenery," says Sally, who raised over £500 for Independent Age. "One thing is for sure," she continues,"I shall keep cycling, even though the hills round here are frequent and steep."

Beneficiary-Organised Coffee Morning, Brampton,Cumbria

On May 15, a group of our beneficiaries in Cumbria held their annual coffee morning fundraiser, which is always a lot of fun for all who participate. Mary Glover, one of the event's organisers, wrote this report of the event for the local paper:

"We had smiles and laughter all the way for our annual coffee morning on Saturday. Our volunteers gave their support as always. Doris Watson (pictured far right, next to Area Manager Kay White) served refreshments while Sandy MacCrea-Stewart (pictured second from left) sold almost everything on her white elephant stall.

"On Mary Glover's (pictured third from left) stall there was a range of homemade cakes, jams and chutneys, plus a double chocolate torte made by Sandy. Elizabeth Pender organised the raffle prizes which numbered more than 20 and included luxury toiletries, chocolates and biscuits, stationery and wines.

"£177.72 was raised for Independent Age, and thanks go to all who assisted and gave their time and efforts, and to our many visitors."

Sponsor Sally Hough's Land's End to John O'Groats Cycle Ride - 8-23 May 2010

Sally will be cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats and is raising money for Independent Age.

Last year she cycled Ireland end to end to celebrate her birthday (a significant one!) and this year she has a new challenge. She will be cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats via the scenic route which will be about 1100 miles, safer than major roads but possibly hillier! She will also be taking seven ferries as she will be cycling via the Western Isles of Scotland.

This trip is entirely self funded, therefore all the money donated will go to Independent Age. To donate and support Sally's cycle ride, go to: http://www.justgiving.com/Sally-Hough .

Congratulations to our London Marathon runners

Here are Moira and Michael Penney, wearing their medals-and huge grins-after completing the Virgin London Marathon for Independent Age last Sunday.

We had 9 runners in the London Marathon yesterday and so far between them they have raised over £11,000 with more money coming in!

A big thank you to Philip, Karen, Diana, Eileen and Amanda from Independent Age for coming out to cheer our runners on! The marathon is a real highlight of the fundraising year and their support was greatly appreciated by the runners.

Here are their times:

Kevin Sharkey - 3hrs 36mins
Abby Cockerton - 4hrs 50mins
Bill Maloney - 4hrs 15mins
Pam Gray - 5hrs 28mins
Russell Ings - 4hrs 9mins
Andrew Mark - 4hrs 55mins
Thomas Phillips - 3hrs 51mins
Moira Penney - 5hrs 8mins
Michael Penney - 4hrs 22mins

If you would like to run in a marathon, or take part in another sporting challenge for us, please check our website for details of upcoming events or email Harriet Steele to find out more.

Cheer on our marathon runners this Sunday!

Just to remind you that it is the London Marathon this Sunday 23^rd April. We have 10 runners taking part this year and it would be great if you have some time to come down and show your support. The marathon is always a fun event – so if you can, please join us!

We will be setting up a cheering point on Byward Street near to Tower Hill tube station (Circle / District Line). See links below for map and transport information. The cheer point is near the 23 mile mark and we will expect our runners through from about 12pm – 2pm. There should be someone at the cheer point from 9am to get a good position so feel free to come early to watch the elite runners.

Email harriet.steele@independentage.org.uk if you would like to come along.

A helpful resource: Ireland's National Centre for Protection of Older People

We would like to introduce our readers to an institution dedicated to making sure that older people are safe from violence and abuse: Ireland's National Centre for the Protection of Older People (NCPOP).

The NCPOP is an interdisciplinary research institution, based at University College Dublin. Researchers from medical, nursing, social science and public health backgrounds combine their expertise to understand and combat elder abuse.

We have linked to their website on the useful links of our Independent Age Ireland website: www.independentage.ie/useful_links.

This spring, the NCPOP will be presenting a series of talks about elder abuse, and the details can be found on their website, http://www.ncpop.ie This website is also full of links and resources for people who are concerned about elder abuse in Ireland, but many are of interest to people in the UK and elsewhere.

New book by Independent Age Trustee explains dementia

Dr. Nori Graham, Independent Age Trustee, is an expert in Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and the psychiatry of old age. She has co-written the new book, Understanding Alzheimer's Disease & Other Dementias. The book is a straightforward, plain English guide for people who may have dementia and their families and carers, and it explains these diseases while putting to rest much of the misinformation and myth surrounding them.

You can read a sample chapter or order the book from the Family Doctor UK website.

Place available for Virgin London Marathon, 25 April

We have a last minute golden bond place available for the 2010 Virgin London Marathon on 25 April. If you would like to run for us, we ask runners for a deposit of £100 and to pledge to raise at least £1000 for Independent Age.

To apply for this place, please contact Harriet Steele before 21 January on 020 7605 4288, or email events@independentage.org.uk.

You can find out more about the Virgin London Marathon at their official website:
http://www.virginlondonmarathon.com