Spring 2015
Transcription
Spring 2015
SPRING 2015 / Issue 14 10 FIRE SAFETY TIPS Simple tips to help you maintain a safe environment Embrace the change Here is your magazine... your stories, your celebrations, your achievements. INSIDE THIS ISSUE Your stories Find out about what’s been going on Page 14 Our new brand Your guide to find out more about FirstPort Page 28 Your successes A memorable November’s day in Doncaster Page 46 FirstPort.co.uk 02 | WELCOME EDITOR’S LETTER FIRSTPORT | 03 Welcome Editor’s letter Welcome to Issue 14 of Life&Style, a special edition of our magazine as it is the first to be published under the FirstPort brand. We hope you all enjoy your magazine and find it an interesting and engaging read. Life&Style is all about you, our residents and Development Managers, and we want to highlight and showcase your stories, achievements and celebrations. Spring is well underway now and we look forward to hearing about all your events and celebrations you enjoy over the next few months as we head towards what we hope will be another great British summer. We are always amazed at the dedication you put into your celebrations and fundraising events and we enjoy seeing the vast range of activities you carry out in order to raise money for great causes. We want to share your special occasions and stories so don’t forget to write a letter or send us an email to tell us all about it. In this edition we have an update from Carol Crowe, Keith Murray and Steve Howarth, alongside some health and safety tips, our regular health and Contents Spring 2015 nutrition articles, a review of our Development Manager conferences and a round up from the EAC National Housing Awards, amongst many others. You will also see that we have included a section regarding our new brand. We hope this helps answer any questions you may have. Finally, we would like to thank you for sending us your letters and emails for this edition, your contributions are vital and we look forward to your stories for Issue 15. If you can’t see your event or celebration in this magazine, apologies, sadly we can’t fit in all the submissions we receive, however we will try to add all of them to the new FirstPort.co.uk website soon. 36 28 45 All about you Your letters Your stories Let’s celebrate Richard Steed Competition winners: Congratulations to our winners below from Issue 13 who each won a copy of ‘Wish you were here’ by Lynn Russell & Neil Hanson, which told the stories of seven girls who worked as redcoats at Butlins. Below are all the details you need to get in touch with us at Life&Style magazine. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and suggestions. ISSUE 14 24 Best wishes, How to get in touch with the Life&Style team Mr John Spragg, Homesmith House, Worcester. Ms Doreen Barker, The Mallards, Southend-on-Sea. Mrs Kath Yates, Admirals Lodge, Romford. Miss C G France, St Georges Court, Great Yarmouth. Mrs M V Murphy, Timothy Hackworth Court, Eaglescliffe. Mr C H Adams, Sandringham Lodge, Thornton-Cleveleys. Mrs Jean Haines, Swan Court, Stratford Upon Avon. Miss Margaret J Smith, Blenheim Court, Bromley. Mrs Pam Milling, Hornbeam Court, Guiseley. Mr T D Houlden, Westwood Court, Ipswich. 22 FirstPort News An update form FirstPort An update from Carol... An update from Steve... An update from Keith... Health & safety update 04 & 05 14 – 19 48 – 55 07 11 21 43 12 & 13 Competition WIN £500 Grand UK Holidays vouchers Puzzles 41 58 Health & Nutrition Health advice from Dr Trisha Macnair Nutrition advice from Lynn Burns 09 38 Features EAC Art Awards Our conferences FirstPort rebrand: an introduction Retirement Homesearch EAC National Housing Awards 22 24 – 26 28 – 33 36 & 37 45 – 47 0333 321 4041 [email protected] Life&Style Team c/o FirstPort, 11-12 Centre Court, Vine Lane, Halesowen B63 3EB FirstPort.co.uk Please send us your contributions for the next issue by Monday 13 July 2015 For any advertising related comments within Life&Style please contact Media In Mind Group Ltd, 1B White Street, Great Dunmow, Essex CM6 1BD. Tel: 01371 859 383. Email: [email protected]. Reproduction in part or in whole without the permission of the publishers is strictly prohibited. The views expressed in Life&Style are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of FirstPort. No part of Life&Style can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission from the Editor. Every care has been taken in compiling this publication, but FirstPort or Media in Mind assume no responsibility for any damage, injury or loss arising from participation in any article, offer, competition or advertisement contained in this publication or for any misrepresentation in any article, offer, competition, or advertisement. www.FirstPort.co.uk | SPRING 2015 04 | YOUR LETTERS FIRSTPORT | 05 Your letters... We love receiving your letters whatever they may be, so please keep sending them into us so we can share them Are there any other cyclists out there? I moved into the Bishopsgate development in Bishopbriggs near Glasgow with my wife Izzy, over nine years ago at the age of 67. We moved from the Wirral bringing three bikes with me, a traditional bike (with flat handlebars), a folding bike and a tandem. I have enjoyed cycling since the age of nine and was determined to keep going. I will keep cycling as long as I can. It means adventure, discovery and a feeling of freedom for me. I have had many adventures and challenges cycling, and we have had many together on our tandem. The most ambitious being a 9-day tour into the uninhabited interior of Iceland, in 1970. This was a circuit around an area within which were two adjacent ice caps, several volcanoes and a hot spring area. Along with several other dramatic features, in the south of the country. One of the ice caps was called ‘Eyjafjallajokull’, which infamously erupted a few years ago, with its ash plume grounding aircraft for some time. We could not carry all our food for the Iceland trip as well as our camping gear but were fortunate in being able to arrange to have food cached for us in two places on the route. There were no eruptions while we were there, although two months earlier the famous volcano Mount Hekla had been pouring forth lava. The following day became very windy. At first it was helpful but as we changed direction to join a proper road (though still a gravely one), it became a cross wind and practically against us. The air became loaded with dust picked up from the interior with the visibility very poor (essentially a dust storm). We ISSUE 14 and were introduced to Penny, who was delightful, warm and caring. I realised Penny had already taken some photos and then the VIPs walked in, including our Prime Minster and his wife, other members of Parliament, Prince Charles and the President of France, to name a few. At the end of the ceremony, Penny lead us to the door for a couple of photos on the way out. I then re-joined the RBL group where we sat down to be presented to our wonderful Queen and other VIPs. At the presentation the Queen was the only Royal and met the 15 veterans with the RBL in attendance. There were many ceremonies, all Harold Bradley, pictured in August 2014, representing brought to an end by the Red Arrows. A day of dedication worthy of the 70th D-Day Anniversary. the Royal British Legion at the Tower of London My 91st year, who’d have thought it, not I... Neil Hanson on one of his adventures in Northumberland, 28 February 2012 still had 20 miles to go but it came to a point when we just could not cycle any further. I saw a barn not far away and we headed there to spend the night and completed our journey the next day. We have had many adventures discovering beauty, nature and inspiration on the most ambitious and the most humble of outings. Rather than the 100 milers that I did in my youth, 20 miles is a good day’s cycling distance for me now (my annual total for 2013 was 1,100). Most excursions are far less now and usually include some utility purpose – it has simply become a way of life. I feel very fortunate that I am still able to keep going, to seek out the quieter routes, and do some quiet reading in a café shop. Neil Hanson, resident, Bishopsgate, Bishopbriggs, Glasgow “I will keep cycling as long as I can. It means adventure, discovery and a feeling of freedom for me.” During a four month period in 2014, I have met our Queen, two Prince’s, a Duchess, been very close to senior Royals, spent time with Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster and also fitted in two interviews for television. My magical period kicked off on April 2013. I said to my wife Doreen, I would very much like to go to the 70th Anniversary of the Normandy landings ceremony in 2014. I telephoned the Royal British Legion (RBL), a young lady asked me a few questions and when I answered that I was a veteran, she said, “then why don’t you come with us”. In early 2014, I was asked if I would mind having my photo taken, and I was asked if I wouldn’t mind doing an interview for ITV on behalf of the RBL. The interview was to be shown during their evening news programme. Filming occurred on April 2 and I was interviewed on the promenade for 90 minutes. When the show was edited it was a two minute segment but still we were all happy. This wasn’t the end of my TV career, later in April, the RBL contacted me to do a second interview this time for CNN. They filmed me outside of a café. Similarly, a 90 minute interview occurred with their reporter before they left and said their goodbyes to Doreen and myself. During May, the RBL called again and asked if I would like to help Penny who was working with them to do a project for Hello magazine. All was agreed and I was to be contacted when I was in Normandy. Friday June 6th arrived. Doreen and I were escorted to the Cathedral of Bayeux, where we had reserved seats The 7th and 8th of June were taken up with visits to battle sights and cemeteries, and on the 9th we headed home, on my birthday. I was now 91 and having the time of my life. Soon after, when back in London, the news director from Hello magazine arrived. We then travelled in a taxi to a large house with a beautiful garden. There were snacks, tea and coffee and Penny joined us along with Rod as well. Our time soon ended and we headed back having had a wonderful day. The RBL asked if we were free on Aug 4 and 5. They asked if we would like to represent the RBL at the Tower of London and meet Prince William, the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. We had an early start on the 5 and after a lot of security, we were ready to be presented. In front of us were thousands of poppies, planted by hundreds of volunteers. The Royal’s then arrived. The hand shaking then began from my left, with William first, who asked me if I was ok after my wait and who I represented. Harry also commented on my smartness. There followed the planting of the poppies. Afterwards, we were invited by the Constable of the Tower and his wife to the Queen’s house for drinks and refreshments. It was a very interesting gathering and they were excellent hosts. Doreen and I then made our way home, we reflected and had a coffee. What an end to a lovely day, as they say, the ‘icing on the cake’. Harold Bradley, resident, Palm Court, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent “I was now 91 and having the time of my life” www.FirstPort.co.uk | SPRING 2015 FIRSTPORT | 07 The new ‘directory’ of award-winning Titan ocean and river cruise holidays A change at FirstPort – introducing Keith We are delighted to be able to share with you the news that FirstPort Retirement Property Services has a new Managing Director, Keith Shields. Keith joined FirstPort in February 2015 with a wealth of experience as a senior manager in roles across the services industry, from catering to facilities management. 140 superb ocean and river cruises all together in our new Cruise Compendium brochure We caught up with Keith to find out a little more about him and what he’s looking forward to most in his new role as Managing Director. What was your most recent role before joining FirstPort? Keith Shields Managing Director, FirstPort Retirement Property Services My most recent role was as Head of Facilities & Asset Management for a company called Lend Lease Europe and covered both the Facilities and Asset Management across their UK business. Throughout my career I have worked across the services industry from catering and facilities management to property. What are you looking forward to most about your new role? I’m really looking forward to getting to know the business and the various teams that I will be working with. Given my varied background within the services industry, I hope to bring the benefit of that experience to the customers of FirstPort. What other areas of the FirstPort business will you look after? In addition to being the Managing Director for FirstPort Retirement Property Services, I will also be responsible for Retirement Homesearch, Kingsborough Insurance Services (soon to be FirstPort Insurance Services) and FirstPort Property Services Scotland and I look forward to working with their established teams to develop these businesses further. equest the latest br Call FREE to book or rrequest brochure ochure on 0800 988 5845 quoting LS0 2FC or visit titantravel.co.uk VIP Service not available on Scottish Isles or Sark. Prices subject to availability at time of booking. † In addition to Keith joining FirstPort, Nigel Howell has also been appointed as Chief Executive. Nigel joined Knight Square, FirstPort’s parent company, in January 2013 and became Chief Executive in February 2015 following Janet Entwistle’s decision to stand down from the role. Towards the end of 2014, we also welcomed Nick Freeth who has joined us as Managing Director of Retirement Homesearch. www.FirstPort.co.uk | SPRING 2015 FIRSTPORT | 09 Our easy-access showers - Surprisingly Affordable Comfortable, safe bathing - Simply Priceless Your health We care about your health and well being, so here is some help and advice from Dr Patricia Macnair Try to prevent falls before they happen One of the great wonders of the human body is how we can walk, run and dance with great agility while our body remains balanced upright on just those two small plates of muscle and bone we call our feet. How we achieve this is a tribute to a complex set of nervous system and muscular controls. So perhaps it is no surprise that, every now and then, one of these controls fails and we fall over. As we get older, more and more health problems impinge on the controls and increase our risk of falling. Most fallers casually attribute their accident to a careless movement or “a bit of a trip” over badly placed furniture. However, in most cases there is a specific factor (or combination of factors) making them more vulnerable to falling. It’s vital that these factors are identified so that any further falls can be prevented. Our easy-access showers have so many benefits for you Low-threshold trays – 1 just 1 /2” Slip-resistant shower trays for safer bathing Safety grab bars Safe and comfortable fold-up seats Easy-clean wall panels Please send me a free brochure on your range of easy-access showers and walk-in baths. Title PNA235 First Name Surname Tel No. Address For a free copy of our 44 page brochure CALL FREE now on 0800 542 1526 Please quote reference PNA235 www.safebathing.co.uk Postcode We may use this information to contact you about our products and pass it to suitable third parties to contact you about their products and services. Please tick the box if you do not wish to receive information from us or third parties . Please refer to our privacy policy for further details www.bathingsolutions.co.uk/privacy-policy Post coupon to: FREEPOST BATHING SOLUTIONS (No further address details required). The first step is to look carefully at events leading up to a fall. Sometimes there may be a simple reason involved but could this mean that a person is dragging a leg without realizing it or have a problem with their eyesight? A fall is frequently the result of symptoms that have been ignored or unnoticed. Was there dizziness, palpitations or blurred vision before the fall? A common cause is low blood pressure, especially when suddenly standing up. As the blood pressure falls, so does the delivery of blood and oxygen to the brain. Other factors include poor vision, painful joints which limit movement, anaemia, weak muscles (due for example to lack of regular exercise or low levels of vitamin D), problems with the balance organs in the ears, a cluttered environment, badly fitting shoes and the side effects of drugs. If a fall can’t easily be explained your doctor may suggest blood tests to check for problems such as anaemia or a low vitamin D level, an ECG (which may monitor the heart for abnormal rhythms for 24 hours or more) and even possibly an ECHO scan of the heart or CT scan of the brain. Alternatively you may be referred to the “Falls Clinic” at the local hospital where you will be carefully assessed. Once it is clearer what lead to the fall, specific treatment may be offered. You can do several things yourself to try to prevent falls. A good diet rich in protein and vitamin D (many older people in the UK need supplements) will help keep muscles and bones strong to hold you upright. Regular exercise is essential, especially to strengthen and control muscles and joints, and maintain balance. Staying well hydrated reduces the risk of low blood pressure. Get your sight and hearing regularly tested, and wear spectacles and hearing aids if advised. Take a good look at your home environment - your GP may refer you to the community occupational therapist who can assess the home with you. Your doctor can also check your blood pressure and your medication to look for anything which may increase your risk of falls (a side effect of many drugs). The best time to do all this is before you fall, not when picking up the pieces afterwards. Trisha Macnair trained at the University of Bristol Medical School and now works as a Speciality Doctor in Medicine for the Elderly at two NHS hospitals in Surrey, looking after older patients. Her particular clinical interests include the management of acute crises in the frail elderly, dementia and ethical issues. www.FirstPort.co.uk | SPRING 2015 FIRSTPORT | 11 Yes, this really is a hearing aid! Embrace the change in 2015 • Stylish • Compact • Convenient Can’t quite hear your wife or husband, the TV, colleagues at work, or the loving words of your grandchildren? Then these spectacle hearing aids could be the answer if you have a hearing problem. Stylish frames that cleverly contain and disguise a digital hearing aid in the spectacle arms slip easily into your pocket, purse or handbag. They are a remarkable invention that overcomes two problems at once. While most people are not bothered by wearing glasses, the same cannot be said for wearing a hearing aid. These specs are brilliant because you wouldn’t think they are a hearing aid. Some people can find it uncomfortable and unnatural to have a hearing aid in their ear but that’s not a problem with these as there’s nothing in the ear to irritate you. So if you want to have clear vision and quickly improve your hearing, apply now for a free information pack by sending the freepost coupon or by calling the number below. Please post me free and without obligation details of the Digital Spectacle Hearing Aids: For a FREE information pack on Digital Spectacle Hearing Aids FREEPHONE 0800 740 8680 Please quote ref: TRIP5160 Or go to www.specaids.co.uk and enter TRIP5160 www.hiddenhearing.co.uk Hidden Hearing Ltd, Maidstone ME14 1BR Mr/Mrs/Miss ........................First Name .......................................................... Surname .................................................................................................................. Address .................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................ Postcode ........................................Tel No ............................................................ (in case we need to confirm your address) Send coupon today (NO STAMP REQUIRED) to: Hidden Hearing Ltd, Freepost MA117/003, Medway Street, Maidstone ME14 1BR Ref: TRIP5160 It has been an extremely busy but rewarding period of time since our last issue was published in 2014. I’m sure you will know about our new brand and the changes within the company. The section on pages 28-33 explains our new brand and will confirm all the details and hopefully put you at ease in regards to any questions or queries you may have. Carol Crowe Head of FirstPort Retirement Property Services However, let me assure you of what hasn’t changed. We still strive to ensure that we are committed to delivering excellent customer service. Our Customer Charter remains the basis of our business and our five key promises are our commitment to you and we are always dedicated to delivering on those promises. A major part of improving our service and communications to you has been the rollout of tablet technology to all of our Development Managers. At present 99% now have connection and are able to use their tablets to ensure that processes are quick and correct and provide you, our residents, with a high level of service. We are also able to communicate with them via their tablets to ensure messages are clear and received quickly. This year promises to be challenging but extremely rewarding and we need to embrace the change fully. Looking back on 2014, I am pleased with the progress we made. Our autumn Development Manager conferences were an outstanding success and I’m sure that anyone who attended is encouraged as to the way the business is moving forward (see page 24). It is always insightful to hear the views of our Development Managers and it was encouraging to see the enthusiasm everyone has, right across England and Wales. Thank you to all of the staff who attended and for everyone who helped with the planning and implementation behind the scenes. We are also reviewing all the comments we have received following our customer satisfaction survey we conducted in November 2014. I look forward to updating you on our progress in the next issue of Life&Style. Enjoy your magazine. www.FirstPort.co.uk | SPRING 2015 12 | A GUIDE TO FIRE SAFETY FIRSTPORT | 13 A guide to fire safety in your development The safety and wellbeing of our residents is always our most important priority. To ensure all developments maintain high levels of health and safety, our resident guide has some useful fire safety information. Testing the fire alarms Where there is a fire alarm system your Development Manager will carry out a fire alarm test weekly. They will let you know what time each week this test is to be carried out. Communal areas A development will usually have at least one escape route. In most cases this will be the main communal corridors and stairwells, so it’s important that the escape route areas are kept clear of items at all times. All other escape routes must also be kept clear. Smoke alarms The majority of properties within our developments are connected to a main smoke alarm. However, in some properties battery powered smoke alarms are still in use. Many local fire and rescue services offer free home safety visits, if you would like to take advantage of this please contact your local fire service. Smoke control In the event of a fire, smoke is often more dangerous than the fire itself. Fortunately, well before a fire is able to take hold, your smoke alarm will alert you to a fire, which will give you time to escape from your property. What do I do in an emergency? In most developments there will be a ‘delayed evacuation’ procedure in place. Local fire ISSUE 14 authorities support ‘delayed evacuation’ because it is the safest way to move residents from their development. Residents not directly affected by a fire would be expected to remain in the safety of their property unless directed to leave by the fire and rescue service. When a fire occurs within a property, the occupants must make their way out of their property and the building. If a fire or smoke is evident in the common parts, anyone in these areas must make their way out of the building. Emergency lighting During an emergency, electricity to the lights in the communal areas may shut off. Signs We recognise that your development is your home and we only display health and safety signs that are vital to residents’ safety. Fire risk assessment Simple tips to help you maintain a safe environment in your home How good are your electrics? Fit just one plug per wall socket and unplug electrical appliances after you have used them. It’s a good idea to check that the fuses in the plugs to your kitchen appliances, television, video, radio and hi-fi are rated correctly. Are any of your cables worn or taped up? If so they aren’t safe and they should be replaced. Microwaves Make sure you don’t over-cook food in the microwave as it can cause fires. Always follow instructions and keep an eye on your microwave whilst in use. Overfilling chip pans It’s dangerous to fill them more than a third full. If the oil starts to smoke, leave the pan to cool before trying to cook food. The central piece of fire safety legislation in England and Wales is the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety Order) 2005 and in Scotland it is the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006. Heaters The legislation covers many areas of fire safety and its enforcement, but most important is a requirement to carry out fire risk assessments. We carry out fire risk assessments for all our developments using contracted fire experts, which look at the risks throughout all communal areas. Leaving pans unattended Space heaters cause fires when they are placed too close to flammable materials such as bedding or clothing or fall over and set fire to carpets/rugs. If you’re called away from the cooker, don’t leave pans on the heat – it’s the easiest thing in the world to forget about them. Turn handles so they don’t stick out. *Source - London Fire Brigade Is your cooker clear of inflammable objects? Keep wires, cloths and oven gloves away from the cooker top. Don’t let fat and other remains build up – they can go up in flames. Is your toaster clean and away from curtains? It’s a good idea to clean your toaster regularly and make sure it’s positioned well away from any curtains. If you have an electric blanket, is it damaged? Fraying, scorch marks, dampness and loose connections are all dangerous. Don’t leave your electric blanket on overnight. If your electric blanket shows any sign of damage, have it tested or replaced. Don’t leave candles or incense burners unattended Candles and incense burners should be put in a proper holder that won’t fall over and on a heat resistance surface, such as a solid plate. It’s never a good idea to leave candles burning in an empty room. Extinguish them carefully and make sure they are completely out. Cigarettes Fires caused by smoking materials - including cigarettes, roll-ups, cigars and pipe tobacco result in more deaths than any other type of fire.* www.FirstPort.co.uk | SPRING 2015 14 | YOUR STORIES FIRSTPORT | 15 Your stories... men in Mr Darby’s apartment at Pegasus Court, by Sergey Fedichkin, a political officer from the Embassy of the Russian Federation. “It was one day last week when I got a phone call and a voice said ‘this is the Russian Embassy’,” recalled Mr Darby. “I was told I would be receiving a visit the following Thursday to present me with my Ushakov Medal. On the day, the Russian representative made a little speech and handed a plush, velvet-covered case to David Hill and me, and inside was this beautiful medal.” We love to hear your stories whatever they may be, so please keep sending them into us so we can share them. A song over 50 years in the making A song penned by a grandfather over 50 years ago was performed for the first time during the ‘Carols by Candlelight’ service at All Saints Woodford Wells Church, in Woodford Green, on Wednesday December 17. ‘The Legend of the Christmas Rose’ is a song was written by John Stanley Bishop, in 1962, after he was inspired by a poem in a Christmas card. However, the handwritten song was pushed to one side so that the now 90-year-old could care for his wife, Christine, who died three years ago after suffering Alzheimer’s disease. The retired reinsurance worker – known by friends as Stan – said before the service: “It is going to be emotional when I hear the song sung for the first time. I have never heard it performed after all these years. I remember writing it like it was yesterday. The tune came very quickly but the harmonies took some time.” The father-of-two was band leader for the Boys Brigade Brass Band in Sutton, Surrey. On his arrival at the Church, he joined the community choir ‘Sing!SingSing!’, who rehearse and perform in the same venue. Stan, who was born in Yorkshire, sang his song alongside his son, Nick Bishop. The 58-year-old said: “The tune is catchy, it is easy to listen to and it’s very festive. It would have been a real shame if this song was never performed.” Stan has always been musical, having played the cello, euphonium and piano and his story was published in the Chingford Times in December 2014. John Stanley Bishop (Stan), resident, Village Heights, Woodford Green, Essex ISSUE 14 Harry Darby (left) from Pegasus Court receiving the medal of Ushakov Bishopsgate in Glasgow celebrate their 10th anniversary The residents of Bishopsgate retirement flats in Bishopsbriggs, Glasgow recently celebrated their development’s 10th anniversary. The development is fully occupied and has recently had a new Development Manager, Gail Hemp, begin in her role. Everyone enjoys weekly social activities and events and the garden, tendered by residents, has received four awards for its beauty. The Bishopbriggs Academy visited and played live music, by use of a fiddle, guitar, piano, and saxophone. There was also a cake that was a sculpture that was created mirroring the outside of the development. There was cakes, cakes and more cakes. Resident’s say that the happy atmosphere at the complex makes it a great place to live and adds to their wellbeing. Residents, Bishopsgate, Glasgow “It’s going to be emotional when I hear it sung for the first time. I’ve never heard it performed after all these years.” Arctic Convoy medals for Market Harborough war hero Harry Darby On Thursday 22 January, Pegasus Court, Market Harborough had a visit from a representative of the Russian Embassy, he came to present one of their residents, Harry Darby, with one of Russia’s highest awards, the medal of Ushakov. Harry was part of the Arctic Convoy in WWII. The local newspaper, the Harborough Mail, published the story, and it was found that two of the survivors, actually lived in Market Harborough. Wartime Prime Minister, Winston Churchill called it “the worst journey in the world”. Even by the standards of the time, the Arctic convoys of WWII were uniquely difficult and dangerous. Which is why – more than 70 years on – a representative from the Russian Embassy rang the doorbell of Pegasus Court in Market Harborough. Russian President, Vladimir Putin has agreed to present the awards to the small band of Arctic convoy survivors, and Harry was one of them. “I feel very proud of the medal,” said 89-year-old Arctic convoy veteran Harry Darby. “But I’m not a hero. People ask me, weren’t you frightened? And at times I was, rather. In fact, at times I was petrified.” The two medals were presented to the Harborough *Image and content courtesy of the Harborough Mail The Arctic convoys sailed from Loch Ewe in Scotland to Soviet Union ports like Arkhangelsk (Archangel) and Murmansk to deliver essential supplies to the Soviet Union during the war. The route took the little groups of ships around the north of Nazi-occupied Norway. It was particularly dangerous because of the mixture of appalling weather and the proximity of German air, submarine and surface forces. Due to the northerly latitudes, the convoys often sailed in either constant darkness or – even worse – constant daylight under round-the-clock attack. “We were cold, wet, tired and sometimes at our wits’ end,” said Mr Darby, who was on the minesweeper HMS Hydra, which was eventually struck by a mine in 1944 and had to be scrapped. The convoys claimed more than 3,000 Allied lives, when 104 merchant and 16 military vessels were sunk in the icy Arctic waters. The Ushakov Medal is named in honour of the 18th century Russian admiral Fyodor Ushakov who reputedly never lost a battle. The medal is awarded for bravery and courage displayed while defending Russia, or the public interests of the Russian Federation, in military operations at sea. Most Ushakov Medals are given to Russian citizens. Harry Darby, Pegasus Court, Market Harborough* “I feel very proud of the medal. But I’m not a hero. People ask me, weren’t you frightened? And at times I was, rather. In fact, at times I was petrified.” www.FirstPort.co.uk | SPRING 2015 16 | YOUR STORIES FIRSTPORT | 17 Your stories... “It’s amazing this all took place in less than 24 hours. Thank you Sheila, it made all the difference to our day!” We love to hear your stories whatever they may be, so please keep sending them into us so we can share them. Joan Heard (far left) completed an exhausting task of walking 6 miles for charity World’s oldest sisters celebrate their combined 386th birthday The world’s oldest sisters have been celebrating and have put their longevity down to staying cheerful. The foursome reached a combined age of 386 when the eldest among them, Lillian Brown, recently had her 103 birthday on January 23. Together with twin sisters Dorothy Thompson and Ellen George, both 96, and “baby of the family” Sylvia Sturgess, who turns 92 in April - they hope to make it into the record books. The sisters whose maiden name is Clarke - were brought up in Northampton by Victorian parents. Incredibly, between them they have lived through 19 Prime Ministers, 5 monarchs and survived both world wars. They also have a total of six children, 14 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren and even one great-great-grandchild. Three of the siblings, Lillian, Dorothy and Sylvia, all live in Marshall Court in Market Harborough while Ellen lives 17 miles away in Northampton. Sylvia said: “I love every minute of it here, even though it’s not the little village that I knew years ago. Commenting on her sister’s birthday celebrations she explained “we had a lovely time at the party, although the wine was flying round a bit!” They also had a fifth sister called Gladys Merritt who died aged 85 in 2000. Meanwhile their mother Ellen lived until she was 102. The four siblings are all widowed and twins Dorothy and Ellen both worked in fashion and at clothing shops, while Sylvia was a housewife. Lillian took over from her husband when he died aged just 40 and ran a pub ISSUE 14 Joan’s 6 mile walk to raise money for charity Lillian Brown (centre) celebrating her 103 birthday back on January 23, pictured with her sisters Dorothy Thompson and Sylvia Sturgess as well as a greengrocers before going into property development. This amazing story means the Clarke sisters are the oldest living siblings in the world and they are now waiting on official confirmation from the Guinness World Records, as the record is currently open. The previous title for the world’s oldest siblings belonged to Jack Stepham, Clara Goldsmith, Belle Dell and Anne Goldsmith from the Stepham family in the UK. Their combined age stood at 388 years before Jack, 94, passed away in September 2011. Lillian Brown, Dorothy Thompson and Sylvia Sturgess, residents, Marshall Court, Market Harborough* “I love every minute of it here, even though it’s not the little village that I knew years ago” *Picture and content courtesy of the Harborough Mail Mrs Joan Heard of 25 Sherley’s Court in Ruislip, successfully completed an exhausting task of walking six miles to raise funds for Compassion Service Society of India. (cssi.org.uk) The money will be used to help in the remote village schools in West Bengal. Mr and Mrs Heard plan to visit the slum and village schools again soon. It was a blistering hot day back in the summer when Joan undertook this task but her determination shone through and she raised over £200. Joan received great support from her Development Manager Sue and other residents at Sherley’s Court. Congratulations Joan Mrs Joan Heard, resident, Sherley’s Court We celebrated our Diamond Wedding Anniversary back in September and due to the brilliant efforts of our Development Manager, it became an even more special occasion. I was unaware that this achievement could be marked by receiving a card from the Queen. My wife Yvonne was aware and thought that a card would arrive automatically. Two days before our anniversary we learned that you had to apply for it. With only 24 hours to go we thought that, although we might eventually receive it after some weeks, the possibility of receiving it on the day was most unlikely. However, our Development Manager Sheila, used her new tablet, took a picture of our marriage certificate, filled in the appropriate form on the internet and sent the picture and the form through to the website, she also followed this up with a call to the Palace. Then, the next morning, our card arrived... on the day of our event. Sheila had also spoken to the Post Office to ensure that we got an early delivery. It was amazing to think this all took place in less than 24 hours. Thank you Sheila, it made all the difference to our day! Roy Hodson, resident, Aspley Court, Bedford Kingsley Court, Aldershot seen by the nation on BBC’s Songs of Praise For Remembrance Sunday November 9, Songs of Praise was televised on the BBC from The Royal Garrison Church of All Saints in Aldershot. The background building that was shown during the programme was Kingsley Court, our development and a number of residents were able to attend the service and were delighted to know that they had been seen by the nation. W.E.G. Woods, resident, Kingsley Court, Aldershot Roy & Yvonne Hodson celebrating their Diamond Wedding anniversary www.FirstPort.co.uk | SPRING 2015 18 | YOUR STORIES FIRSTPORT | 19 Your stories... We love to hear your stories whatever they may be, so please keep sending them into us so we can share them. Colin receives recognition for his services to football Colin Fawcett of Millburn Court, Perth was tutoring children on the basic skills of football at McDiarmid Park, home of St.Johnstone FC, into his late seventies. Now, two years after blowing the final whistle on his community coaching, his previous incarnation as a referee has seen him honoured by The FA and Referees’ Association south of the border. A proud Yorkshireman who put down his roots in Perth 10 years ago, Colin, 82, has been recognised for his services to football of more than 50 years, including nurturing more than 1,000 referees who went on to officiate at all levels of the game. His Millburn Court home can barely contain the awards which have come his way down the decades and only a handful of the half-century awards have ever been handed out. Colin said “A chap came up from the FA in London to present the award and I have to say that I am very proud of it. They don’t hand out too many of these.” The gong officially records the FA’s appreciation of Colin’s ‘wonderful efforts on behalf of football.’ Colin Fawcett, resident, Millburn Court, Perth “A chap came up from the FA in London to present the award and I have to say that I am very proud of it” ISSUE 14 Colin Fawcett celebrating his recognition for his services to football honour he received from The FA Joan Jarvis of Nelson Court, Gravesend, celebrated turning 100 recently and revealed the secret to her achievement was a love of exercise. Joan, who went tobogganing for the first time at the age of 93, celebrated with a party with friends and family. Having moved to Gravesend when she was four, Joan was excited to receive her congratulations card from the Queen. As well as enjoying a family lunch on her birthday, a large family reunion took place with relatives travelling from France, Holland and Canada. Joan’s daughter Valerie Golton explained, “She very independent, she always has been and did a lot of exercise when she was young. Until a couple of weeks ago, she still used to go into Town.” Joan used to do health and beauty three times a week before she was married, which is the equivalent of keep fit classes nowadays and enjoyed swimming as well. Valerie added, “At 93, my mother turned to me at Christmas and said she’d never been on a toboggan. So at 93, she went on a sledge for the first time.” Deborah Goane, team member, Nelson Court, Gravesend Noel Edmonds wearing the ‘Knit chicks’ designed jumper on Deal or No Deal Residents at Catton Court admiring the cabbage that grew near their lounge and kitchen A special edition of Deal or No Deal Residents at Homethwaite House in Keswick, Cumbria enjoyed a visit and talk about the owls kept at Muncaster Castle by The World Owl Trust. Hilary Shaw and a barn owl called ‘Tithe’ gave an interesting talk and display for all present. Hilary is the UK Conservation Officer for the Trust. Resident’s from Alveston Grange in Alveston, Bristol knitted a jumper for Noel Edmonds to wear for the filming of a Christmas episode of Deal or No Deal on Channel 4. The ‘Knit chicks’ were the team behind the amazing design and despite only having two weeks to complete the jumper... the team worked very hard and delivered! The episode was televised on December 23 2014. Residents and the ‘Knit chicks, Alveston Grange, Bristol We just wanted to point out huge congratulations to our Development Manager, Margaret Barker, who has been here for 25 years service now. We held a party for her that we all thoroughly enjoyed! Miss Eileen Massen, resident, Westwood Court, Enfield We at Catton Court received a surprise when a ‘cabbage’ grew out of a Pansy plant situated in a flowerbed adjacent to our lounge and kitchen and not far from our Development Managers office. We watched with interest as the cabbage grew and grew. Unfortunately, no one sampled it as caterpillars beat us to it and the gardeners removed it thereafter. Sadly, we never got a portion! Kay Starling, (Secretary), Catton Court, Norwich The World Owl Centre is open daily at Muncaster Castle in Cumbria, and the Owl Trust is a conservation organisation aimed at protecting the world’s owls in the wild. Funds were raised for the Centre from the residents fund paying for the visit. An enjoyable day was had by all. Residents, Homethwaite House, Keswick Did you know... FirstPort filmed a company video during December 2014 at Village Heights in Woodford Green, Essex. The residents were fantastic and very welcoming to us. A thank you to you all who were involved in the filming process and to their Development Manager, Garth Snyman, for his help. At their request, we have donated £50 to their chosen charity, Haven House Children’s Hospice. Share your stories and letters with us Life&Style Team c/o FirstPort, 11-12 Centre Court, Vine Lane, Halesowen B63 3EB [email protected] www.FirstPort.co.uk | SPRING 2015 FIRSTPORT | 21 5-ST 5-STAR TAR A NORWEGIAN FJORDS FROM HARWICH Luxuriously appointed ted and uniquely rrefined, efined, e Holland d America Line’ Line’s ’s ms Ryndam ensures en nsurre es you the ultimate onboar onboard rd experience with her n of classic cruise ship featur res, e sstate-of-the-art amenities, and sophisticated ambiance. Choose e fr rom o two itineraries, graceful combination features, from from breathtaking Fjords. conveniently cruising fr ro om the UK K and discover the br reathtaking e g beauty of the Norwegian Fjor rds. d NORSE LEGENDS Discover Ber Bergen, rgen, g surrounded surrrounded o by steep for forested rested e mountains. mountai Enjoy scenic cruising thr rough o h the UNESCO W o orld Heritage site of through World Geirangerfjor rd d. V iisit the th delightful Norwegian towns of Alesund and Geirangerfjord. Visit Eidfjor rd befor re sailing thr rough o Harrdangerfjor d rd with its spectacular sp Eidfjord before through Hardangerfjord glaciers and grand waterfalls. ÇÊÊ /-Ê*, -Ê," Ç /-Ê*, -Ê," £579* *,Ê*,-" * ,Ê*,-" Included in the price: UÊÊ ÊÊÇÊ} ÌýÊvÕL>À`ÊVÀÕÃiÊL>À`Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ì iÊxÃÌ>ÀÊÃÊ,Þ`> Ê Ê Ê >ÞÊ£\ÊHarwich, UK >ÞÊ£\ÊHarwich, >ÞÊÓ\ÊAt Sea >ÞÊÓ\ÊAt >ÞÊÎ\ Ber gen, Norway - Ber gen >ÞÊÎ\ Bergen, Bergen >ÞÊ{\ÊGeirangerfjord, Norway >ÞÊ{\ÊGeirangerfjord, >ÞÊx\ Alesund, Norway >ÞÊx\ df d & Scenic cruising >ÞÊÈ\ Ê Eidfjord Hardangerfjord, Norway >ÞÊÇ\ÊAt Ê Ê Sea >ÞÊn\ Ê Harwich, UK Selected departures from June to September 2015. *From price based on 06 June, 2015 departure We aim to maintain high quality customer service VIKING SAGAS Enjoy a visit to Norway’’s buzzing capital Oslo, before beforre e heading North thr rough o brreath e htaking scenery y. In Stavanger, Stavangerr, take a trip tr to the famous through breathtaking scenery. Pulpit Rock, one ne of Norway’’s many natural wonders wonders. Relax on Kristiansand beach and explor plorre its charming charrm ming surrounding surrrounding o arre eas, and lear rn about local explore areas, learn traditions in Ulvik vik befor re cruising thr ro ough the spectacular specta acular Har rd dangerfjorrd d. before through Hardangerfjord. >ÞÊ£\ Harwich, UK >ÞÊ£\ >ÞÊÓ\ At Sea >ÞÊÓ\ >ÞÊÎ\ Oslo & Scenic cruising >ÞÊÎ\ Oslofjor d, Norway Oslofjord, >ÞÊ{\ Kristiansand, Norway >ÞÊ{\ >ÞÊx\ Ê Stavanger, Norway >ÞÊÈ\ Ê Ulvik & Scenic cruising Hardangerfjord, Norway >ÞÊÇ\ÊAt Ê Ê Sea >ÞÊn\ Ê Harwich, UK ÇÊÊ /-Ê*, -Ê," Ç /-Ê*, -Ê," £579* *,Ê*,-" * ,Ê*,-" Included in the price: UÊÊ ÊÊÇÊ} ÌýÊvÕL>À`ÊVÀÕÃiÊL>À`Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ì iÊxÃÌ>ÀÊÃÊ,Þ`> Ê Ê Ê UÊÊ ÊÊÊ«ÀÌÊÌ>ÝiÃÊ>`Ê«ÀÌÊV >À}iÃ Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê UÊÊ ÊÊÊ«ÀÌÊÌ>ÝiÃÊ>`Ê«ÀÌÊV >À}iÃ Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê UÊÊ ÊÊfxäÊ«iÀÊÃÌ>ÌiÀÊL>À`ÊVÀi`Ì Ê Ê Ê Ê UÊÊ ÊÊfxäÊ«iÀÊÃÌ>ÌiÀÊL>À`ÊVÀi`Ì Ê Ê Ê Ê UÊÊ ÊÊÀiiÊÕ«}À>`iÊvÀÊÌiÀÀÊÌÊ Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Vi>ÛiÜÊÃÌ>ÌiÀ Ê UÊÊ ÊÊÀiiÊÕ«}À>`iÊvÀÊÌiÀÀÊÌÊ Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Vi>ÛiÜÊÃÌ>ÌiÀ Ê UÊÊ ÊÊÀiiÊV>ÀÊ«>À}ÊÊ>ÀÜV ÊvÀÊÊ Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê ÊÊ L}ÃÊ>`iÊÊVi>ÛiÜÊ Ê Ê Ê Ê ÃÌ>ÌiÀÃÊEÊ>LÛi Ê Ê UÊÊ ÊÊÀiiÊV>ÀÊ«>À}ÊÊ>ÀÜV ÊvÀÊÊ Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê ÊÊ L}ÃÊ>`iÊÊVi>ÛiÜÊ Ê Ê Ê Ê ÃÌ>ÌiÀÃÊEÊ>LÛi Ê Ê Selected departures from May to July 2015. *From price based on 16 May, 2015 departure Steve Howarth Customer Service Manager TO BOOK CALL 0800 368 6744 or visit www.jetlinecruise.com How to get in touch with the Customer Service team 0333 321 4041 retirementhelp @FirstPort.co.uk FirstPort.co.uk T&C’s: Free car parking is valid for bookings made on Oceanview staterooms and above. Onboard credit is for per stateroom and valid for 1st and 2nd guests sharing a stateroom and excludes 3rd/4th guests. Offers are subject to availability and can be withdrawn at anytime. Prices are from and are per person based on 2 sharing. Unless otherwise stated transfers, tips, drinks ,excursions and selected personal activities on board ship are extra. No charge for direct debit card payments and 2.5% for credit card payments (5% for Amex). A deposit will be due at the time of booking - ask for details ; balance payment is due 16 weeks before departure or immediate full payment due if travelling due within 16 weeks of departure. ABTA J1693, agent for ATOL holder 6153. As one of our residents, the answer to any of your property management queries is only ever a phone call or email away. My team, based at our customer service centre in Halesowen, consist of 43 dedicated staff who pride themselves on being efficient, respectful and skilled in their work to provide you the best possible customer service. We are always striving to keep improving and ensuring that our service to you is the fastest, easiest and most effective means of engaging with us. We know that you always have your Development Manager on hand for guidance but my team is another route by which you can get in touch with us and we are working to make that contact with you as productive as it can possibly be. We handle more than 4,500 calls and 3,500 emails every month and we aim to keep on building upon the team’s knowledge so that, rather than referring customers to their Area Manager who is not office-based, we can help you there and then either on the phone or over email. We are trying to offer a comprehensive service so residents can enjoy the same personal on-site service a Development and Area Manager provides. This means that any general queries, complaints and compliments can be dealt with by my team. We know that we may be your first contact for a variety of queries and those, which can be resolved immediately, will be. Any that can’t be, we will definitely find out the best procedure or person to put you in touch with. We do have a commitment to continuous improvement. We are gathering data all the time about the type of calls we receive and this is helping us to understand where we need to improve our communications or service. We know that our customers can teach us a lot and we are here to listen to everything you have to say. www.FirstPort.co.uk | SPRING 2015 22 | EAC OVER 60s ART AWARDS EAC Over 60s Art Awards The EAC Over 60s Art Awards are open to artists over the age of 60, resident anywhere in the world. We have some very talented residents... Having been founded in 1993, the awards are to encourage and celebrate the artistic talents of older amateur artists. From our residents, over 97 amateur artists submitted 222 works between them. Following this, three of our residents won prizes, and a further 15 were commended, with four being highly commended. All the winners and highly commended artists were invited, with a guest, to a celebratory afternoon tea event at the House of Lords on 8 October 2014, John Galvin, EAC’s Chief Executive, reflected on the success of the ‘Art and Wellbeing’ theme introduced into the awards. Nearly a quarter of entrants had taken up the invitation to write a few paragraphs about what led them to take up art, and what their art means to them. John Hawkins attending on behalf of William Hawkins, pictured with Maureen Wade We promise we’ll never put down a healthy dog. Every year, Dogs Trust cares for around 16,000 dogs in our 20 rehoming centres nationwide. We never put down a healthy dog. By leaving a gift in your Will, your love of dogs can live on and help us make the world a better place for them. Congratulations to Betty, William and Albert and we hope a fantastic day was enjoyed by all. Our three winning residents were: Betty Alcock, Bay Court, Falmouth for “Grandson Matthew, Holiday in Australia”, best in the 3D Work/Textiles category, beginners William Hawkins, Palm Court, Westgate-on-Sea for “Wild Roses”, best in the Still Life/Plant category, beginners Albert Dyason, Watermill Court, Havant for “After a Shower”, Angela Farnell Memorial prize for the best entry from a retirement housing resident Please promise to help us with a gift in your Will. Albert Dyason and Dr Marilyn Dyason celebrating Albert’s success with his entry titled “After a Shower” 020 7837 0006 or email: [email protected] For more information call: Please quote “112681”or complete the coupon below. Please send me my free legacy info pack Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms/Other Address Postcode Email The EAC Art Awards website, eacartawards.org.uk, shows all the artworks submitted this year, and is searchable by name. Visit the website for more information about entering the 2015 awards. 112681 Betty Alcock and Alys Lane, pictured at the celebratory event on 8 October 2014 Please send this coupon to: Freepost RTJA-SRXG-AZUL, Dogs Trust, Clarissa Baldwin House, 17 Wakley Street, London, EC1V 7RQ No stamp required All information will be treated as strictly confidential ISSUE 14 www.dogstrust.org.uk Reg. Charity Nos: 227523 & SC037843 24 | OUR CONFERENCES FIRSTPORT | 25 Our now former CEO, Janet Entwistle (right) presenting a certificate of excellence award in Colchester on October 7 Our conferences We pride ourselves on providing your Development Manager with the training and information they need. Our journey from Darlington down to Devon We always look to employ and manage staff who are friendly, courteous and able to do their job to the highest standards and we invest in training our staff each year. Our Development Manager conferences which began in September and concluded in November 2014, offered all our staff the possibility to attend and learn more about the Head of FirstPort Retirement Property Services current status of the business and how we are Carol Crowe pictured with four winners from the progressing and looking to the future. Bournemouth conference on October 1 We covered both England and Wales in providing your Development Managers’ the chance to come together with colleagues from other developments in their area to discuss and provide them with some health and safety guidance as well as the chance to be updated on our new brand and a look ahead to the plans for 2015. Our commitment 800 to our staff We toured the length and breadth of England and Wales towards the end of 2014 to deliver our conferences ISSUE 14 DMs in attendance Each conference was attended by various Area and Regional Managers and our Head of FirstPort Retirement Property Services, Carol Crowe. Business updates were shared with everyone who attended the conferences. Members of the FirstPort marketing team also attended which provided a great opportunity to meet your Development Managers and to gain their insight into their thoughts about the business. After a brief chance for staff to catch up with colleagues and friends, we began each conference with an overview and a look ahead to our changes in 2015. It was the perfect opportunity to advise all staff about the change in company name and our new brand which has since occurred. Staff were taken through the reasons behind the rebrand and what we are looking to achieve for you in 2015 and beyond. It was interesting to witness the thoughts and opinions of Development Managers, into the way the business is progressing. This was followed by a business update from Carol, which looked into the operational side of the business and how we are progressing. To see the interaction between Development Managers and our senior staff was engaging and reinforces our promises in our Customer Charter to remain open and transparent in the way we do things. After an informative health and safety presentation, in which staff were encouraged to take part and interact, you could see that Development Managers were relishing the opportunity to be involved and to voice their opinions. “As you entered the conference centre in Oxford, you could see the bustling excitement of everyone swapping stories and insights with one another about their development” www.FirstPort.co.uk | SPRING 2015 26 | OUR CONFERENCES To see some of the questions that were posed highlighted the fact that we have dedicated and enthusiastic staff in place who are constantly working hard to deliver the best possible customer service. Everyone had appreciated the opportunity to attend, give their opinion and to be informed of the way the business was looking to improve. It was also the perfect opportunity to celebrate the hard work and achievements of all Development Managers who had been nominated for their outstanding contribution for delivering our FIRST values (see page 29) and were presented with a certificate of excellence. Working with developments for over 15 years The new Chief Executive of FirstPort, Nigel Howell, presenting an award in Cardiff on 11 November 2014 Development Managers receiving the certificate of excellence were: Southampton, 30 September: Sally Oldridge - Fielders Court, Sola Kassim - Homeworth House, Bob Wisniewski - Kendal Gardens, Catherine Miller - Trainer & Assessor. Bournemouth, 1 October: Christine Coley - Wellington Court, Lisa Cooper - Homestour House, Julie Tyler - Jenner Court, Sue Burns - Park View Court. Colchester, 7 October: Mr Mike Brady - Hedingham Place, Clare Connolly-Joyce - Clyst Court, Amanda Ridgewell - Homebush House, Tracey Redfern - Meadow Close, Denis Budd & Maria Doherty - The Dell. Newmarket, 8 October: Sandie Trollope - Three Crowns House, Olive Stamp - Westwood Court, Hazel Smith - Austen Court, Trish Barnett - Foredeck, Trevor Green - Royal Arch Court. Oxford, 15 October: Terence Rimmer - Tumbling Bay Court/Osney Mews, Aileen Railston - Bridge Court, Linda Ousaid, - Pegasus Grange, Deanne Sterley - Badgers Court & Badgers Lodge, Barbara Lumb - Trinity Court. Kidderminster, 16 October: Juliane Baker - Bridgewater Court, Annette Creevy - Homehall House, John Hartley - Scholars Court, Debbie Watts - The Cedars. Wilmslow, 22 October: Dolly Chesterton - Townbridge Court, Valerie Pattinson - Poplar Court, David MacDonald - Henbury Court, Julie Marrow - Enfield Court, Catherine McCarthy - Oak Court, David Stocks - Carnegie Court. Wilmslow, 23 October: Mary Wildman - Homechase House, Tricia Ellis - Holroyd Court, Dorne Orpel - Arkle Court, Sue Forbes - Roby Court. Maidstone, 29 October: Leslie Blower - Paxton Court, Monika Babula - Castle Court, Julie Nicol - Bramley Court, Susan Thrale - Homepeak House, Lesley Betts - Merryfield Court, Liz Morris - Garden House Court. Crawley, 30 October: Karen Hart - Pegasus Court, Bob Bliss - Colonel Stevens Court, Diane Woodward - Merryfield Court, Sue Brook - Homeshore House, Darren Bliss - Pondsyde Court, Tracy Thompson - Grasmere Court. Cardiff, 11 November: Rob Ewing - Mumbles Bay Court, Angela Burford - Cwrt Pegasus, Anwen Fraser - Ty Rhys, Heather Twort - The Empire. Luton, 18 November: Christine Stack - Bishops Court, Maria Vowles - Trainer Paynes Court, Linda Bunyan - Homedell House, John Aucock - Pegasus Court & Manor Olney, Judy Smith - Pinetree Court 1 & 2 . Exeter, 26 November: Judith Smeeth - Pentyre Court, Linda Wood - Admirals Court, Marlene Davey - Cypress Court, Natalie King - Minster Court. ISSUE 14 UP TO 50% OFF HIGH QUALITY SUPPLEMENTS Glucosamine 2KCl 1000mg Cranberry 5000mg Omega 3 1000mg with Vitamin E 50 Plus Formula High Strength was £9.89 NOW £8.90 was £16.95 NOW £8.47 was £10.69 NOW £9.62 was £16.89 NOW £14.35 360 tablets £2 OFF 360 tablets WHEN YOU SPEND £10 OR MORE Freephone 0800 988 0292 FREE 2 day tracked delivery for UK orders 360 capsules Please quote this code when ordering by phone or enter it on our website or visit our website 360 tablets 15LSM Expires 30/04/2015 www.simplysupplements.co.uk 28 | WELCOME TO FIRSTPORT FIRSTPORT | 29 Let’s embrace the change Welcome to FirstPort A brief guide for you to keep about our new brand Why rebrand now? For Peverel Retirement and Peverel Scotland, moving to the FirstPort brand marked a significant point in our history and a big leap forward for our future. We felt the timing was right to rebrand for the following reasons: A great deal of progress had been made in improving our businesses and the services we provide for our customers. Through the Customer Charter, we have repositioned our business to focus on our customers – we are a different business today. We needed to simplify our brand structure to make it less confusing for customers. By simplifying our structure it supports our Customer Charter commitments to make us easier to deal with as well as open and transparent. Did you know? The idea of the FirstPort name first came about in our customer research interviews, where a customer said that they need someone to turn to as their first port of call. Our vision We’re the people that everyone turns to first to look after their home and community. Our mission At FirstPort, we work every day to deliver the highest standards of customer service. We achieve this by always listening to people’s opinions and needs, by investing in the best team, continually improving our skills and the quality of our ideas and, above all, by remaining open and honest at all times to gain people’s trust. ISSUE 14 Introducing our five values: Friendly We look out for people’s best interests, and show we care by dealing with them in a warm and friendly manner. Inventive We’re creative and resourceful. We strive to improve what we do and how we do it, so we can provide the best ideas and solutions to look after people, their home and communities. Respectful We listen, consult and take onboard people’s opinions and needs. We understand the importance of the home and community in people’s lives, and act with respect at all times. Skilled We’ve the qualifications, experience and take great pride in our work to consistently deliver the highest standards and value for money. We’re informed, and we’re always building on that knowledge to constantly improve our quality of service. Trustworthy We’re always professional, reliable, open and honest. People can depend on us to keep our promises and follow through on our commitments. www.FirstPort.co.uk | SPRING 2015 30 | WELCOME TO FIRSTPORT FIRSTPORT | 31 Brand transition We were: Peverel Retirement Some of our customers were unclear on how and who they should contact for service Peverel Group or Peverel Retirement? We were historically the freeholder or landlord Key points for you to know: We now are: FirstPort Retirement Property Services This change to FirstPort and the distinct service name of Retirement Property Services makes it very clear to you what we do. Now we will stand out. Our new brand and values will help demonstrate clearly what sort of business we are. Now we will be able to make it clear our core business is a property services company. We were: Peverel Scotland Our Scottish identity has always given us a unique ability to service our customers in Scotland, appropriate to the property services legal framework we work in. We now are: FirstPort Property Services Scotland We are retaining our unique and separate identity within FirstPort to cater to the needs of our Scottish customers who have different legislation, regulation and accounting approaches and procedures from England and Wales. Our new brand gives our team and customers the professional large-scale membership in FirstPort that we want and need for our reputation and opportunities to continue growing in Scotland. ISSUE 14 The benefits to residents We feel that rebranding is a very positive step for you, by simplifying our structure it is less confusing for all of our customers, suppliers and any other people that we have to deal with. Our new brand represents all that we do best now and all that we are working hard to improve upon in the future. So the main benefit is our commitment to continuously improve and adhere to our new values, which are: Friendly, Inventive, Respectful, Skilled and Trustworthy. Why we are changing It is important that we have a brand that reflects the journey that we have been on and the new organisation that we have become. Our old brand structure was complicated and confusing. We have changed and evolved as an organisation so it was the right time to change our brand. Our Customer Charter The launch of our Customer Charter, clearly outlines our commitment to our customers. Our Customer Charter promises are: 1. We will give you excellent customer service 2. We will be open and transparent 3. We will demonstrate value for money 4. We will be easy to deal with 5. We will consult with you FAQs about FirstPort What is going to change and when? In early 2015 we made the transition over to our new brands. We have already introduced a new interim FirstPort website where you will find further information on our transition. The full website will be launched very soon and we’ll keep you updated about this. Your invoices are now branded as FirstPort and any billing will appear on bank statements as either ‘FirstPort Retirement Property Services Limited’ or ‘FirstPort Property Services Scotland Limited’, dependant on your location. Does the Customer Charter still stand? Absolutely, when it was launched in July 2012, our Customer Charter was an important and significant step for the company as it outlined the sort of company we wanted to be, with our customers at the heart of what we do. Our Customer Charter is in turn underpinned by our Code of Business Conduct, which provides very clear guidance on the way in which our businesses will conduct themselves. www.FirstPort.co.uk | SPRING 2015 32 | WELCOME TO FIRSTPORT FIRSTPORT | 33 Do I need to update my direct debit/standing order details? More FAQs about FirstPort Wouldn’t it have been easier and cheaper to keep the old name? Brands are expensive to build equity in so it costs less to have fewer brands. The brand structure we have now is a result of many acquisitions of other companies, and this led to a situation where sister brands within the Group were performing similar roles. We have worked hard since 2012 to improve communication with our customers. Simplifying the structure and reducing the number of brand names is the next logical step to help make us easier to deal with and open and transparent, in line with our Customer Charter commitments. What is the relationship between FirstPort and Appello? FirstPort is our property services brand, while Appello is the technology enabled care services business made up of what was CarelineUK, Cirrus and Appello Telehealth. Appello will continue to provide out of hours response services, where currently provided to any of our retirement developments. When will I start to see the FirstPort branding used within my development? We will start to incorporate our new brand across all of our developments as soon as possible. There will be a transition period whilst we look to replace our previous Peverel Retirement and Peverel Scotland signs and literature with our new FirstPort branded material. ISSUE 14 No changes are required for existing direct debit mandates. We have written to all customers who pay by direct debit to advise them that from 1 March 2015 all direct debits will be collected in the name of FirstPort and that this is what will appear on your bank/building society statements. Who should residents make cheques payable to? All cheques (including those relating to the guest suites) should be made payable to either FirstPort Retirement Property Services Limited or FirstPort Property Services Scotland Limited, dependant on your location. In England and Wales, we want to reassure you that we have the required indemnities in place with NatWest bank to ensure that cheques for service charge or ground rent payments can be accepted in all of our old names e.g. Peverel Management Services Limited, Peverel Retirement and as well as in the new company name, ‘FirstPort Retirement Property Services Limited’. In Scotland, we also have the required indemnities in place with our bankers to ensure that cheques can be accepted in the previously used naming conventions of Peverel Scotland, as well as in ‘FirstPort Property Services Scotland Limited’. Do I have to write the full ‘FirstPort Retirement Property Services Limited’ or ‘FirstPort Property Services Scotland Limited’ on cheques? The important element is ‘ltd’ or ‘limited’ so if you are unable to fit the full company name on cheques please ensure that you (as a minimum) address it to ‘FirstPort Ltd’ or ‘FirstPort Limited’. Will the strategy of the business remain the same? Our businesses have been transformed over the last three years, with improved customer service, greater efficiency and increased financial stability. FirstPort now have the strategy and leadership in place to build a successful future. As Janet Entwistle has stepped down as Chief Executive, can you tell us a bit more about Nigel Howell? Nigel joined Knight Square, our parent company, in January 2013 as Chief Financial Officer with a wealth of experience in senior roles, most recently as Chief Financial Officer of property maintenance business Morrison Facilities Services Ltd. He also took on the role of Managing Director of our general residential property management businesses in March 2014 and has been instrumental in supporting Janet in transforming our property businesses for our customers. With his wealth of knowledge and experience of our business, he is the ideal person to lead our business under our new brand of FirstPort. Has this rebrand been paid for from development service charges? No, the rebrand has been paid for by our business. The cost will not be paid for by you through your development service charge. How to Contact Us Here are some useful contact details for you: FirstPort Retirement Property Services, Customer Service Centre, 11–12 Centre Court, Vine Lane, Halesowen B63 3EB 0333 321 4041 [email protected] FirstPort.co.uk FirstPort Property Services Scotland, 183 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, G2 5QD 0333 321 4077 [email protected] FirstPort.co.uk If you have any questions we haven’t answered in this guide, please contact us on the above channels if you require further information. www.FirstPort.co.uk | SPRING 2015 36 | RETIREMENT HOMESEARCH FIRSTPORT | 37 By using our experienced, helpful solicitors you will: It’s all about great customer service and consultation The Retirement Homesearch brand will also be refreshed to make it consistent with the FirstPort brand Over 30 year’s experience and knowledge of the industry Retirement Homesearch has been a vital contributor in helping people find their perfect retirement property and has over 1,500 retirement apartments, cottages and bungalows for sale. The team, based in Lymington, are proud to be Britain’s number one retirement property specialist and have helped thousands of satisfied customers buy and sell their property. Retirement Homesearch is a service brought to you by FirstPort. They are the online estate agency we endorse, not just for purchasing but also to offer advice and deal with any selling of a retirement property. They offer an unbeatable range of retirement properties for sale across England, Scotland and Wales. Retirement Homesearch follow the same values and commitments as FirstPort follows. They aim to provide great customer service, be open and transparent throughout the whole consultation process and be easy to deal with. Each of their Property Consultants is specially trained on the purchase and sale of retirement properties and once you make contact with your Property Consultant they will be your single point of contact throughout the process. That way you will receive a personal service and be treated with the care and consideration you deserve. ISSUE 14 Avoid the hassle of the legal minefield that surrounds the sale or purchase of a property. Be in the hands of specialist retirement solicitors. Get a fixed price guarantee from the outset. Property Consultant, Sue Horwood, at the Retirement Homesearch office in Lymington property worth a staggering £202.4m changed hands last year with the team’s involvement. Over 24,000 new buyers register every year. The Retirement Property Part Exchange scheme guarantees to sell your home within a set period of time. This means you can avoid a situation whereby you find your ideal retirement property but risk losing it due to not finding a buyer for your existing property. The benefits: Senior Property Consultant for Kent and Middlesex, Mandy Bolwell, at the office in Lymington Easy budgeting - you receive a fixed offer for your property, subject only to survey and contract. You avoid estate agents’ fees and there is no risk to you of adverse house price movements. All of their experienced Property Consultants have been fully trained in estate agency best practice ensuring that, whether you may be buying or selling, you can be confident about the agent’s approach in their dealings with actual and potential buyers and sellers of residential property or lettings. Convenience - you can move in a timescale that meets your requirements and can remain in your previous home for up to two weeks after completion in order to organise the move. Having the Development Manager present, during the viewing, gives a great opportunity to showcase any communal facilities, talk through on-site social activities and events and provide a great insight into retirement living. They may also be able to invite prospective buyers to a communal coffee morning. Retirement Homesearch’s success has been based on great customer service. The number of enquiries they receive has risen by 22.3% year on year and No hassle - you avoid the delays and disappointment of collapsed chains. Furthermore, you can avoid the disruption of viewings as your property will only be marketed by prior agreement. There are no hidden fees or extra costs. The team at Retirement Homesearch know that buying and selling can be a stressful experience, so their property conveyancing service is designed to make your move as quick and easy as possible. In 2015, Retirement Homesearch will update their website to reflect their new branding and to continue to develop their online services utilising the feedback received throughout 2014. Don’t forget you can register for property alerts so you can be the first to hear about UK retirement properties for sale in your preferred location. If you are looking to buy or sell your property or know of family or friends in this situation then we thoroughly recommend the services and personal consultation that Retirement Homesearch can offer. “What makes us unique is that, wherever possible, we will arrange for your property viewing to be conducted by the Development Manager. Because retirement living is about so much more than just bricks and mortar, our advice and guidance in the buying and selling process is indispensable” 0333 321 4060 (England & Wales) 0333 321 4070 (Scotland) retirementhomesearch.co.uk @David_RHS www.FirstPort.co.uk | SPRING 2015 38 | YOUR HEALTH Your health We care about your health and well-being, so here is some help and advice from Lynn Burns Seasonality is something that many of us have lost touch with. Supermarkets provide us with whatever fruit and vegetables we want at whatever time of year. The downside of this convenience leads to out of season, welltravelled fruit and vegetables, that can lack flavour and lesser known products are less available. Seasonal fruit and vegetables, especially locally grown, can delight the taste buds and introduce less easily available products back into the kitchen. As we move through spring, produce like rhubarb, asparagus, savoy cabbage, cauliflower and purple sprouting broccoli will all be at their best. My definition of ‘superfood’ is a food with great PR! More often than not a fruit or vegetable, which will have a high concentration of a particular nutrient or phytochemical and they are often quite unusual or expensive (if they aren’t expensive then they are turned into expensive juices, smoothies or other products to cash in on using their ‘superfood’ status). Recent popular ‘superfoods’ are beetroot, pomegranate and goji berries. I have nothing against beetroot, pomegranate or goji berries as such. My opinion is that the term ‘superfood’ applies to fruits and vegetables as a group, be it a humble carrot, an apple or the more fashionable pomegranate. The key to fruit and vegetables exerting their superhero status on your health is the mixture and amount you eat, there needs to be lots and plenty of variety in anyone’s diet. Why are fruits and vegetables known as ‘superfoods’? Fruit and vegetables are generally high in fibre, good for keeping our guts and bowels healthy and helping us to feel fuller for longer. They are generally not very energy dense - per mouthful, and they don’t have many calories but are nutrient rich. Every fruit and vegetable is a package of micronutrients but no one package is the same. There are similarities between groups of fruits and vegetables. This is why a good mixture maximises the benefits. They can displace foods we should be eating less of, for instance, add lots of vegetables to a beef casserole then there will be a little less red meat per portion. Most importantly they are delicious. Fruit and vegetables bring colour, flavour and texture to meals. Many of us only average 2 or 3 portions a day or less, most of us know that we should be aiming for at least 5. Let them take centre stage rather than a lack lustre accompaniment. Lynn Burns is an independent Registered Nutritionist (RNutr), passionate about healthy ageing through eating well and good nutrition. With experience gained at the Department of Health, she now specialises in nutrition in older people and is a Trustee for a nutrition charity, The Caroline Walker Trust. Keeping in touch with seasonal ‘superfoods’ • "! ! ! • !!!! • • • ! ! R **** U O Y F F O 0 2 £ T E G M IU M E R P S ’ ’S R A E Y T IRS FIR Ca Callll u uss today today on on Or visit us at 0333 321 4038 www.kingsborough.co.uk Ter ms and Cond itions*Only applicable to occupiers of a retirement development. **Policy premium standard cost is £4 per annum. £20 discount applies to the first year only and will be deducted from initial payment. Offer is not available on policy renewal. Policy renewal is not automatic. You will be invited to renew at the full annual premium prior to your policy anniversary. This offer may be withdrawn at any time. Any application for a policy under the Offer and any policy under the Offer will be subject to the insurers normal underwriting rules. Kingsborough Insurance Services Limited are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority - FCA Register No. 308484. A ,OJHIU4RVBSF Company. Registered in England No. 3479579. Registered Office: Queensway House, 11 Queensway, New Milton, Hampshire BH25 5NR. If you would like us to contact you closer to your renewal date please complete this form and return it to us. Name ......................................................................................................................................... Telephone number .................................................................................................... Address Email address ................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................ ......................................................................................................................................................... ISSUE 14 ...................................................................................................................................................... Your home contents renewal date Kingsborough Insurance Services, Queensway House, 11 Queensway, New Milton, Hampshire, BH25 5NR. FIRSTPORT | 41 WIN £500 Grand UK Holidays Vouchers With spring just around the corner it’s time to start planning your 2015 holiday! To help you get started, Grand UK Holidays is offering one lucky reader £500 worth of holiday vouchers. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing summer holiday by the beach or an exciting European river cruise adventure, you can find your ideal holiday with Grand UK. With over 30 years’ experience of looking after the needs of mature travellers, Grand UK is a leading specialist in escorted tours throughout Britain, Europe and beyond, exclusively for the over-55s. With Grand UK you can sit back, relax and enjoy a hassle-free break. With friendly tour managers, a complete luggage-handling service and experienced coach drivers, you can enjoy your well-earned holiday right from the beginning. If you’re busy planning your next holiday, Grand UK has several brand new itineraries to consider, including: – Whether you love beautiful landscaped gardens, have always wanted to see inside ‘Candleford House’, or are planning an unforgettable coach trip through the capital cities of Europe there’s a super selection of holidays to choose from. – If you are travelling alone you might prefer to travel with other solo holiday makers – so look out for the ‘specially for singles’ holiday selection including European breaks too, or talk to one of the friendly reservations team on 01603 619933 – Or if you are looking for more of an adventure, why not try an escorted European river cruise – there’s no better way to enjoy the dramatic scenery than relaxing on the deck of your own floating hotel! For more on these and other Grand UK Holidays, order your FREE brochure today by ringing the brochure hotline on 01603 886716 and quoting “Life&Style”, or visit www.grandukholidays.com. Entering the competition is easy: Just send your name, postal address and contact phone number to: Life&Style Holiday Competition, Grand UK Holidays, The Old Bakery, Queens Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR1 3PL Terms and conditions: Prize: 1. Winner will receive £500 worth of holiday vouchers to spend on a Grand UK Holiday. 2. The closing date for competition is Friday 26 June 2015. 3. All holidays are subject to availability and Grand UK Holidays booking terms and conditions. 4. Prize is non-refundable and non-transferable, and no cash alternative will be offered. 5. The winner travelling on a Grand UK Holiday must be over 55 or accompanying someone who is. Entries: 1. If you do not wish to receive a brochure please state ‘no info’ on your entry coupon. 2. Competition entries must be sent to Grand UK Holidays (entry address on this page). 3. The winner will be selected at random from valid entries, only 1 entry per person. www.FirstPort.co.uk | SPRING 2015 FIRSTPORT | 43 Property to sell? Considered letting? Striving to improve in 2015... “Without ut d doubt oubt st property propert rtyy the best decisionn we we have made!” made!” e Girlings can help you generate an income from your property. Call for details on: Discover Discover the freedom freedom renting in retirement can bring 55+? Did you know you can rent private retirement property on a Life Long Te enancy which gives you the right to remain living in the property for as long as you wish, with service charges and maintenance included in the rent? 0800 525 184 www.girlings.co.uk 0800 634 0834 Peace of Mind Independence Flexibility Choice Well, 2014 saw us experience and witness a lot of important events, including a referendum, the Commonwealth Games, and a particularly busy, but extremely productive time for us. We have now completed our transition to become FirstPort Property Services Scotland and it is definitely an exciting time for us, as we strive to continually improve the service we offer to you. We have invested heavily in the services we provide, and you will have seen a good few improvements already. In particular, you will have seen our tablet technology, introduced for our House Managers, to help assist and improve communication with residents on site. A highlight for us last year was our staff training conference, and we also welcomed many new additions to our team. STRUGGLE TO GET IN & OUT OF YOUR OLD BATH? NO WORRIES! Bath out - Shower in FITTED IN JUST ONE DAY!* NO MESS! NO FUSS! NO RE-TILING! l l l l l l Designed to fit in the same space as your old bath, the Shower Module’s unique construction enables it to be FITTED IN JUST ONE DAY* with NO MESS, NO FUSS and NO RE-TILING either! GLASS PROTECTION Keith Murray Regional Director, FirstPort Property Services Scotland Protects against the build-up of grime, lime scale and stains. Easy clean tile effect no re-tiling or mouldy grout! Easy access NEW lower step Optional seat and grab rail Assistance pole Slip resistant floor Built-in shelving OVER 20,000 INSTALLATIONS IN THE UK Fits in same space as your old bath! Available with full height sliding doors or half height hinged door and panel SHOWER STANDING UP OR SITTING DOWN WITH THE OPTIONAL FOLD DOWN SEAT. Half height hinged door and panel option Please contact me to arrange a FREE no-obligation Home Survey Please send me a FREE brochure on the Aquability Low Access Shower Module 54535 * Time based on straightforward fitting. Name FOR MORE DETAILS AND FREE BROCHURE FREEPHONE 0800 316 0110 Ask for Ext. 54535 Lines open 24 hours 7 days a week. Or return coupon to FREEPOST RRGY-AHAX-AHSX, Aquability UK Ltd, Farnborough, GU14 0NR. Or visit - www.aquability.com How to get in touch with the Customer Service team 0333 321 4077 scotlandhelp @FirstPort.co.uk Tel FirstPort.co.uk Address Postcode Behind the scenes, and following our residents’ feedback, we have also improved our complaints system, and introduced new health & safety procedures and audits. A really significant investment will come with the introduction of our particularly revolutionary, end to end, purchasing system. This will really help us focus on and manage our suppliers and their prices. We are particularly delighted to welcome our new customers and developments, and are looking at expanding even more this year, as we have on-going discussions with both new and previous customers, including one very exciting new retirement village. Retirement Homesearch has seen some significant improvements recently and overall, we have seen an increased level of sales and more favourable movement on prices laterally in 2014, but the referendum did have a huge effect during this time. Particularly exciting for us all is the rebranding of the business, this showcases our commitment to you, to embrace and deliver on our five values. It is a really motivating and particularly busy time for us as we strive to set the highest of standards, lead the industry and improve our service to you. I would just like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued support and feedback, particularly the feedback and comments we received from our customer satisfaction surveys towards the end of 2014. EASY, SAFE BATHING Send to: FREEPOST RRGY-AHAX-AHSX, Aquability UK Ltd, Farnborough, GU14 0NR. www.FirstPort.co.uk | SPRING 2015 FIRSTPORT | 45 STOP! wearing one • Invisible, 100% custom made, digital, fully programmable hearing aids. No one has to know you’re wearing one Introducing the World’s First Invisible Hearing Aid * AT LAST. The hearing aid that thousands have wanted is now available. SoundLens is the world’s first totally invisible hearing aid when worn. With SoundLens, nobody can see it because it fits snugly and comfortably right inside your ear canal. STILL CAN’T SEE IT? OUT OF SIGHT. OFF YOUR MIND SoundLens fits snugly in the second bend of your ear canal and uses the ear’s acoustics for natural sound quality. But the best bit is nobody can see it. SoundLens is a completely new concept in hearing help and compensates for your individual hearing loss. Everything works automatically too. There are no controls to worry about so there’s no need to keep fiddling about and adjusting settings. You can start enjoying life again as you concentrate on hearing, rather than thinking about your hearing aid. When speech and conversation sounds are detected the sound is automatically increased at different frequencies so you hear and understand it clearly. Even in background noise. SoundLens continuously analyses incoming sounds and adapts to each individual situation so you always get the best hearing possible. You get all the benefits you want in a digital hearing aid without the obvious sign that you are wearing one as it’s completely invisible in most ears. NEITHER CAN ANYBODY ELSE WORLD LEADER Manufactured exclusively by Starkey, a world leader in hearing aid technology, this special system is now available in the United Kingdom. SoundLens, whilst not suitable for all hearing losses, comes packed with Starkey’s best feedback canceller and their smartest noise reduction and speech preservation system ever developed. FREE INFO PACK To learn for yourself about this super new concept for invisible hearing simply complete the coupon or call the freephone number below for further helpful information and free illustrated booklet. FOR YOUR FREE INFO PACK World’s first invisible-in-the canal hearing aid Custom designed for your ear Natural sounding Completely digital Virtually no whistling or buzzing Works great on the phone * Invisible when worn when correctly inserted in ear canal Pictured left to right are Edith Oakes, Sharon Bowen (Development Manager) and Christine Brennan celebrating The Adelphi’s success at the awards Please post me FREE, AND WITHOUT OBLIGATION, details of the SoundLens Invisible Hearing Aid. Tick if pensioner FREEPHONE 0800 740 8680 QUOTE STOP5195 SOUNDLENS AT A GLANCE Invisible, 100% custom made, digital, fully programmable hearing aids. No one has to know you’re wearing one • • Invisible, 100% custom made, digital, fully programmable hearing aids. No one has to know you’re wearing one • Mr/Mrs/Miss .....................First name............................................................................................ Surname ..................................................................................................................................................... Address ....................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................. UK call centres 24 hrs Mon-Sun ............................................................................................................................................................................. www.hiddenhearing.co.uk L Or post the FREEPOST coupon Hidden Hearing, Medway Street, Maidstone ME14 1HL. Postcode ...................................................Tel No ................................................................................. (in case we need to confirm your address) Phone or send coupon today (No stamp required) to: Freepost RTKEUJBU-EYSU, Hidden Hearing Ltd, Medway Street, Maidstone ME14 1HL Please state if you do not want mail from other companies. STOP5195 Your successes... We celebrated with four of our developments at the EAC National Housing for Older People Awards, held at Doncaster Racecourse. www.FirstPort.co.uk | SPRING 2015 46 | YOUR SUCCESSES FIRSTPORT | 47 Your successes... activities. There are many social events which occur regularly, from musical afternoons, where residents play the piano and the trombone, to a Tour de France party held last year in the front lounge. On a bright sunny day towards the end of November we joined some of our residents and their Development Managers to celebrate their success! In addition, we had attendees from Hardys Court as well, Development Manager Jennifer Debenham and June Burge who is Chair of the Residents Association were there to pick up their silver award. The residents at Hardys Court are very proud of their development, as you pass through its elegant entrance you are greeted by beautiful gardens. With 38 flats, there is a warm and friendly atmosphere and residents interact with each other in a relaxed manner. Socially, residents organise raffles, fortnightly bingo, afternoon tea’s, fish and chip suppers as well as coffee mornings. To also witness our two developments receiving their highly commended awards was a pleasure and both, Fairholme Court and Northwell Place were very worthy recipients. David Gabriel, Head of Retirement Homesearch, presents an award at the EAC National Housing for Older People Awards Doncaster Racecourse provided the perfect setting for a memorable day The annual EAC National Housing for Older People Awards ceremony took place in the picturesque surroundings of Doncaster Racecourse on 25 November 2014. As everyone arrived, they were entertained by Anita Harris and her wonderful anecdotes, as well as comedian Barbara Nice and a live jazz band. A delicious lunch was then enjoyed Carol Crowe, Head of FirstPort Retirement by all the guests. The Elderly Accommodation Counsel (EAC) is a national charity that aims to Property Services, presenting an award to a help older people make informed choices about winning development meeting their housing and care needs. In total, 35 award winners and 27 commended developments had been selected from the 257 developments nominated for the 2014 Awards and over 3,288 residents took part in the UK-wide resident consultation survey. The survey, run by the EAC, allows residents to rate their property, covering a wide range of topics, such as the quality of the building, accommodation, local services, lifestyle and many others. The results are collated to give an overall score. In addition, the results provide excellent feedback on what residents think of their properties and where they can improve in the future. All developments that participated in the survey before the September 2014 deadline were automatically entered for the awards ceremony, with the top 40-50 developments then being selected by the EAC as finalists to attend on the day, in their respective categories. The survey itself, is actually in the form of a fun and engaging card game for residents to play as a group, whilst actually scoring their development and contributing to the awards’ process. ISSUE 14 The stage awaits at the EAC National Housing for Older People Awards... In each development category, there was a Bronze, Silver and Gold winner, so the tension was high, with residents and Development Managers in attendance only finding out on the day, which level of award they were receiving. We were delighted that four of our developments who participated in the card game survey were invited to the awards ceremony, two being awarded as finalists and two as highly commended. We are proud of our winners and commended developments. Our selected developments invited to the awards ceremony were: – The Adelphi, Harrogate, North Yorkshire Silver Award winner in the Retirement Housing Schemes - 60 units and over category – Hardys Court, Weymouth, Dorset Silver Award winner in the Retirement Housing Schemes - 36-44 units category – Northwell Place, Swaffham, Norfolk Highly Commended in the Retirement Housing Schemes - 36-44 units category – Fairholme Court, Eastleigh, Hants Highly Commended in the Retirement Housing Schemes - 30-35 units category It was a fantastic achievement for all four developments to be recognised and awarded these accolades - we are very proud of your achievements and success. The Adelphi and Hardys Court both received a silver award and to see the sheer joy of everyone in attendance highlighted the pride and dedication all the residents and Development Managers have. Residents rated both of their developments particularly high for the community spirit and friendship. From The Adelphi, Development Manager Sharon Bowen attended along with two residents who were involved in playing the survey, Edith Oakes and Christine Brennan. Having been recently redecorated throughout, The Adelphi has a charm and a great sense of community about it with strong links to the local school and taking part in many fundraising All images courtesy of Phil Witcomb We were delighted to sponsor the awards report and an award category under our new FirstPort brand, along with Retirement Homesearch who also sponsored a category. It was a show of support from both businesses that we believe and endorse the role that this survey has in giving us valuable feedback. We would like to thank all of our developments and residents who participated in the survey and huge congratulations to the four developments who attended and received their awards on that memorable day in November. It is fantastic recognition for you all and you should feel very proud of your success. “There’s a wonderfully friendly atmosphere at The Adelphi, we consider ourselves very fortunate to live here.” The resident consultation survey (card game) is well worth playing; it stimulates interesting conversations between residents on a variety of important issues. It also contains notes on how to help residents play the game without compromising their confidentiality. For more information on ordering your card game for your development, visit www.housingcare.org www.FirstPort.co.uk | SPRING 2015 48 | LET’S CELEBRATE FIRSTPORT | 49 Roseburn House Edinburgh Residents held a sale and raffle for Medecins Sans Frontieres and raised £400 to buy protective suits for medical staff to wear fighting the Ebola epidemic in Africa. Let’s celebrate Fundraising and events... Here are some of your special occasions and achievements... Fundraising Havenfield Cambridge £300 was raised at a coffee morning for Marie Curie cancer charity, with a raffle and cake stall Havenfield Broadway Court Gosforth, Newcastle Upon Tyne On one of our Macmillan coffee mornings we raised £417. With lots of thanks to residents and families baking fantastic cupcakes and the boozy Christmas Cake which raised over a £100 in the raffle. Chardwar Gardens Bourton on the Water, Gloucester Resident Mrs Sheila Owen celebrated her birthday on 26 September by hosting a tea party and raffle in aid of Macmillan nurses. A total of £350 was raised and a good time was had by all. ISSUE 14 Homebourne House, Devon A big thank you to all who helped our very successful Macmillan coffee morning, we raised £175 There was cake making and tombola prizes. Special thank you to Mrs Sheila Wood, apartment 39, for organising this event Rivendell Court Hall Green, Birmingham Each year we do a fund raising month during July. In 2014, our chosen charity was the RNLI and we raised £850 and we presented the cheque to Janet Krause of the RNLI fundraising team. The money was raised by various functions such as Raffles, a tombola, bingo, a quiz and a ploughmans’ lunch Rivendell Court Manton Court Manton Court Horsham, West Sussex During a Macmillan coffee morning, we raised £280.35 so a huge thank you to everyone for their help, support and donations. We had ‘guess how many 100s and 1000s on the cake’ and ‘which cup had the double espresso in it’ amongst cakes, cheese scones and flapjacks. Alexandra Court Windermere, Cumbria £315 raised for Macmillan Cancer Support by the residents during the world’s biggest coffee morning Eden Court Cupar, Fife Residents held a Macmillan coffee morning which was organised by one of our residents Mrs Anna Farmer and her husband Bob. Anna has strong links with the Macmillan cancer trust and there was some competitions for the residents to get involved with. Also there were some generous donations for a raffle given, of which one or two came from the residents themselves. All in all a very enjoyable morning was had by everyone who attended which raised a magnificent sum of £230.05 Homestour House Christchurch, Dorset The residents raised £305 during a Macmillan tea party, bringing our total donated over the past 3 years to almost £1,000. Thanks and congratulations go to Mary Stapleton and her team for another successful event, to the Diamond Divas who provided the entertainment and to all the residents Bagshot Court Milton Keynes Residents held a coffee & cake morning in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, with raffles, cake auctions, a tombola and donations which helped raise the sum of £350. A big well done for the hard work put in by residents, friends and family Pegasus Court, Reading Pegasus Court Reading Millie Simons has been organising Macmillan coffee mornings here at Pegasus Court for the past 8 years. Back in September, along with her faithful band of helpers, we managed to raise £1,250. Redlin Court Surrey We raised a fantastic amount of £344.50 for the world’s biggest coffee morning in support of Macmillan cancer support. A large selection of cakes was on offer as well as a raffle and a sale. Springbank Altrincham, Cheshire A little fundraising the residents did on 27 October on behalf of Genesis (breast cancer prevention). The sale of Christmas cards and gifts made £258 in sales at the weekly afternoon tea. Fairways Court Whitby, North Yorkshire This year instead of our usual Macmillan world’s biggest coffee morning event, we held a “pie and pea tea” for residents and raised £476 which was a huge success. We also won two awards in the Whitby in bloom event as well. Charlwood Court Torquay, Devon Residents and friends managed to raise £281.61 at a Macmillan coffee morning with a cake sale, a tombola, and ‘guess how many 100s and 1000s on the cake’ game. Mumbles Bay Court Swansea A varied selection of donated knitwear, handicraft items, quilts, cushions, paintings and cakes, plus a raffle and many donations, helped raise an incredible £800 on behalf of Macmillan nurses. Pegasus Court Harrow We raised £137 for Macmillan cancer support and £33 for St Lukes Hospice back in September 2014. We held a coffee morning with a raffle and a card sale. Pegasus Court, Harrow Anglia Court Dagenham, Essex Back in September we held our first “Coffee & Cake” morning in aid of Macmillan cancer care. Residents, friends and families, including our lovely Development Manager Sue, all contributed to a successful event! Our tables were laden with home-made cakes generously donated! We held a raffle, took donations and even auctioned the surplus cakes. We thank all concerned and proudly announce that our efforts raised a marvellous £608.60. Anglia Court Royal Court Teignmouth, Devon The residents of Royal Court joined in with the Macmillan world’s biggest coffee morning event raising a total of £660. Reeves Court Reeves Court Camberley, Surrey The residents, mainly from our craft group, have been knitting for the charity ‘Children in distress’ in Romania (covering life threatening illnesses and orphans) from babies to teenagers. Also £162 was raised at a Macmillan coffee morning Roberts Court Great Baddow, Chelmsford Residents supported the world’s biggest coffee morning in aid of Macmillan and raised £200. Allandale Court Burnham-on-sea, Somerset Allandale Court were notified by The British Heart Foundation that they had sold furniture and various other items sent to them by our Development Manager and the sum of £481.23 was raised. These were items donated by residents who were moving out and were no longer required. Swn y Mor Conwy, North Wales Residents raised a brilliant £402.61 pounds for Macmillan cancer support with cakes, coffee and a raffle www.FirstPort.co.uk | SPRING 2015 FIRSTPORT | 51 Let us catch you if you fall Moresby Court Fareham, Hampshire At the Macmillan world’s biggest coffee morning event we raised £475.35. And Moresby Court won a Gold Medal at the Fareham in bloom 2014 event! Homecrest House Scarborough From various fundraising events, we raised £150 for the Scarborough branch of the Samaritans, £129 for Children in Need 2014 and £150 for our support for Guide Dogs for the Blind Sorrento Court Birmingham Sorrento Court raised £280 for St Mary’s Hospice through raffles, a bring and buy and a name the teddy competition For an For anyone yone pr prone one tto o or w worried orried about ffalling, alling, a our ne new w ffall all det a detector ector w works orks thr throughout oughout y your our home tto ok keep eep y you ou safe. saffe. C Conveniently onveniently w worn orn on your your wrist, the detector detector automatically automatically alerts our oper operators ators for fo or help when it senses se enses a fall. faall. It also functions as an emer emergency gency alarm, so help is only only the push of a but button ton aaway. way. Click or call ffor o or more more information inffo ormation appello.co.uk appello.co.uk Tel. 6474 T el. 0333 321 6 e Ancholme Mews Brigg, North Lincolnshire Residents have a collection tin and a raffle at our weekly coffee mornings where they raise money for their local Lindsey Lodge Hospice. They were delighted to receive a letter of recognition from the Hospice recently when their regular donations had exceeded a total of £1,000 Robartes Court Truro, Cornwall We held a fundraising tea on 20 November 2014. We are a small development in the heart of Truro and we managed to raised £250 between 25 residents all for The Royal British Legion Sandbriggs Court Garstang Residents marked the 30th anniversary of the Ethiopian food crisis in October by holding a soup lunch, raffle and book auction in support of the Association for Sustainable Development in Ethiopia (ASDE), a charity known to residents. A video of the work in Ethiopia was shown. At the event £331 were raised and publicity in the town brought in a further £220 in donations Events How you spent your Halloween... Millers Court Millers Court Shirley, Solihull Held a Halloween themed fish and chip supper enjoyed by all the residents. The Homestead Lytham St Annes, Lancashire We had a fun and spooky Halloween evening at The Homestead. Along with ghouls soup and bread and ghostly sayings. A great evening was had by all Albion Court Albion Court Burnley, Lancashire We held a fish and chip lunch to celebrate Halloween. Some of my lady residents dressed for the part and they were given a small bunch of roses for their efforts Eden Court Cupar, Fife Residents enjoyed themselves on Thursday 30 October at their regular coffee morning by dressing up in Halloween costume, certainly one or two of the residents paid particular attention to their own style of costume which certainly livened up the day, well done also to some of the ladies who participated, all enjoyed their morning coffee. Goldsmere Court Hornchurch, Essex For Halloween, we enjoyed a party in the lounge, with food, a raffle entertainment and a fancy dress competition. Lots of Halloween decorations were put up and a good night that turned into the early hours was had by everybody Kensington Court Formby, Merseyside There was great fun at our quiz night, most of the questions where based on Halloween or old horror movies. We even had Halloween cakes and some of the residents made hats at the craft afternoon so all in all we had a very enjoyable evening Kensington Court www.FirstPort.co.uk | SPRING 2015 52 | LET’S CELEBRATE Liddiard Court Stourbridge, West Midlands One of our residents, Jennifer WhiteHouse dressed for the part during our ‘Cosy Coven’ celebrations for Halloween. Our party, complete with a jacket potato lunch, was enjoyed by all. Avon Lodge Southbourne, Bournemouth Some of our residents celebrated with a cheese & wine and bingo evening. A great night was had by all How you spent your Christmas & New Year... Manton Court Horsham, West Sussex On Saturday 13 December at 7pm in the communal lounge the residents enjoyed their christmas party. Manton Court Homethwaite House Keswick, Cumbria Years 5 and 6 of St Herbert’s School, Keswick, came to sing christmas songs and other more modern choices for residents in the Lounge on December 12. We also had some refreshments afterwards. ISSUE 14 FIRSTPORT | 53 Pegasus Court Wantage We had an amazing christmas party. Thank you all so much for joining in the fun and for your generosity. Mick the bingo caller you are a hoot. Pegasus Court Eden Court Cupar, Fife Residents held our christmas party on December 10, a lovely meal was had by all which was cooked and served to the residents by a local caterer. Afterwards, Mrs Santa Clause (performed by Mr Alastair Bett, one of our residents) arrived at the dinner and carried out her duties very well, entertainment was provided by two gentleman who performed wonderful tunes on their ukuleles. Wellington Court Deal, Kent. The Warden House school choir came in and sung Christmas carols to the residents. Goody bags were handed out to all afterwards along with some juice and sausage rolls. Charlwood Court Torquay, Devon Residents enjoyed their annual “christmas village”. Constructed by resident Derek Moorin, the display and other festivities raised £121.41 for our charity ‘Let The Children Live’. A great effort by Derek in making this. Charlwood Court Eden Court Kimbolton Court Peterborough Residents had a great day out for their christmas lunch at a local Pub! Downy Court Poole, Dorset We all had a lovely time. singing carols, eating food, dancing and lots of laughing. Thank you to everyone for their hard work, to make it a good evening. Holly Court Leatherhead, Surrey Our residents at our christmas party, were entertained by a magician! Great day was had by all! Bridewell Court Farnworth Village, Widnes We had our christmas meal on December 17. This was the first time that residents have had a sit down meal together and it was attended by 32 residents. We enjoyed a three course meal, which they had a choice of starters and sweets and a main course of Beef and Turkey with all the trimmings, followed by mince pies and coffee, also several bottles of Bucks Fizz, we had our resident keyboard player playing seasonal and well known songs which had the residents singing and dancing. Residents and Development Manager worked together to provide a wonderful day. Let’s celebrate A quick note to say goodbye... In February 2015, we said goodbye to Nancy Hill who retired after 26 years’ of service with us. Nancy was based in Glasgow and worked in various roles during her time, including being a Retirement Homesearch manager and an office administrator. We wish Nancy all the best in enjoying her retirement! 103 Birthdays, anniversaries and congratulations... Here are more of your special occasions and achievements... 99 95 Doris Cooper Woodspring Court, Swindon Tom Horlock Coachman Court, Rochford, Essex Birthdays Werner Stender Riverside Court, Pulborough, West Sussex Dorothy Steere & Rose Welch Cedar Court, Addlestone, Surrey 108 98 Mrs Grace Jones Pegasus Court, Broadway, Worcester Edna Bradshaw St Georges Court, Dorset 105 Vera Greenwood Ranulf Court, Sheffield Fred Cuddeford Kingfisher Court, Isleworth, Middlesex Arthur Hunter Maple Grange, Bristol Hazel Johnson The Homestead, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire 100 Mr Wilfred ‘Glyn’ Morris Pegasus Court, Paignton Francis Fellowes Francis Fellowes Laburnum Court, Leighton Buzzard Ted Ogelsby & George Swalwell Fairways Court, Whitby, North Yorkshire 93 Gordon Blackburn Riverside Court, Pulborough, West Sussex Joan Capon The Meads, Windsor Kate Leaf Fairways Court, Whitby, North Yorkshire Edna Folwell Riverside Court, Pulborough, West Sussex Mrs Hilda Margaret Lloyd Kingston Lodge, Surrey Brenda Morton Restharrow, Bournemouth Mr Wilfred ‘Glyn’ Morris Fred Robson Maple Grange, Bristol Elizabeth (Dinah) Walsh Old Rectory Court, Southend-on-Sea Alice (May) Ramsden Giles Court, West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire Nancy Hill Rene Clarke Tudor Court, Birmingham 94 Miss Helen Wilson, Cleeve Lake Court, Bishops Cleeve, Gloucestershire. Rene Clarke 97 Sid Rowley Cedar Court, Addlestone, Surrey Peggy Armstrong Stoneleigh Court, Porthcawl, South Wales 96 Roy Dash Maple Grange, Bristol Marjorie Shannon Cedar Court, Addlestone, Surrey Bee England, Jean Renfree & Edie Chalk Cedar Court, Addlestone, Surrey 92 Eddie Barker Riverside Court, Pulborough, West Sussex Mr Kenneth Maughan Abbey Court, Northumberland Ted Mullett & Vivienne Odell Cedar Court, Addlestone, Surrey www.FirstPort.co.uk | SPRING 2015 ADVERTISEMENT “Even though my hair is naturally quite light, I have been conscious of the soft, downy hair that grows around the side of my face, upper lip and chin since my early thirties. When I was younger, it didn’t bother me quite so much but, with age, the problem had become more noticeable, particularly when the sun or light catches my face at certain angles. I tried all sorts of solutions. Creams, which I found messy and resulted in one unfortunate incident where I actually burned my top lip! 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An excellent THE TIMES investment.” MAGAZINE 2 FREE GIFTS when you try no!no! at home RISK-FREE* FOR 60 DAYS Just a smooth, steady glide is all it takes Mrs Dorothy Gregory Holmes Court, Kent Bernadette Hume That’s right! Experience the convenience of home hair removal with the no!no! Hair PRO – now Risk-Free* for 60 Days – and this stylish Deluxe Travel Case and no!no! Smooth Lotion, pictured, are yours to keep free of charge. Your 60-Day Risk-Free* Trial includes everything you need for fast, long-lasting salon-like results: •1 x no!no! Hair PRO in pink, turquoise or chrome; •1 x wide Thermicon™ tip for large areas like legs, arms, chest or Frank & Veronica Hough Buckingham Court II, Bognor Regis Ken Riley Yvonne & Roy Hodson Aspley Court, Bedford Development Anniversaries Residents celebrated the 10th anniversary by transforming their lounge into a dining room to have a champagne lunch and a celebratory cake. A singing couple were invited along, after the meal, to complete the occasion. Smithy Court, Stockport Residents celebrated the 10th Birthday and had a cake constructed of the outside of their building. Entertainment was provided by children from the local Bishopbriggs Academy, playing the saxophone, fiddle, guitar and piano. Bishopsgate, Glasgow Your Engagements Congratulations to Madge Ward and George Simmonds, residents at Hall Barn who recently got engaged… they found love at Hall Barn. Hall Barn, Colchester Gail Moffat Development Manager congratulations Development Manager Gail Moffat was married 29 September 2014 and is now Mrs Gail Hamp... a great day was had all round... congratulations Gail! Bishopsgate, Glasgow In November 2014, Development Manager Christine Allen retired after four and a half years. A lunch was held to thank her for all her help and support over the years and to wish her well in her retirement. There were 30 people in attendance, a sign of how well she is liked by the residents. There was a collection made by the residents and Christine was presented with a vase, which she had chosen herself, to have in her new home. Woodspring Court, Swindon We apologise that we, unfortunately, can’t include all the birthday, fundraising and anniversary messages we receive, but we will look to publish them on the FirstPort.co.uk website soon. These are celebrations which have taken place between the previous issue and this current issue. Please send your social events to: [email protected] Life&Style Team c/o FirstPort, 11-12 Centre Court, Vine Lane, Halesowen B63 3EB www.FirstPort.co.uk | SPRING 2015 Everyone deserves a happy retirement… Why not enjoy yours at The Hawthorns? 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