Latest news with #AgeScotland
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Health
- Scotsman
Age Scotland announces £310,000 to support grassroots dementia projects across Scotland
Age Scotland is delighted to announce a new round of the Encouraging and Supporting Grassroots Activity (ESGA) fund, offering £310,000 in grants to local groups working with people living with dementia and unpaid carers across Scotland. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Grants of between £5,000 and £20,000 are available to fund activity over a 12-month period, running from 1st April 2026 to 31st March 2027. Applications are now open and must be submitted by 5:00pm on Friday 5th September 2025. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Funded by the Scottish Government through the National Dementia Resilient Communities Programme Board, the ESGA fund supports the delivery of the National Dementia Strategy for Scotland. It aims to build resilience and sustainability in community-based support for people affected by dementia. Evanton Wood Community Group The fund prioritises community-led activities and Age Scotland particularly welcomes applications from groups working in rural or remote areas, and those supporting people from ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities, where access to dementia services can be especially limited. All funding decisions will be made in partnership with a panel of people living with dementia and unpaid carers, ensuring that lived experience is central to the process. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Pasna Sallis, CEO Funding Director for Weekday Wow Factor and former recipient of the ESGA fund, said: "ESGA funding has secured a vital weekly meeting space for Weekday Wow Factor's Glasgow Meeting Centre, providing a safe and supportive environment for people living with dementia and their families. In a time when so much can feel uncertain, this consistent space offers comfort, routine and a sense of stability. "The funding also enables us to support members' physical, mental, social and emotional wellbeing through regular group activities and personalised 1:1 support. These sessions help build confidence, strengthen connections, and foster a strong sense of community and purpose." Tom Arthur, Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing, said: Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'In delivering change for our dementia communities, we have been clear how vital grassroots organisations are to providing more accessible, personalised support that meets the needs of people living with dementia across Scotland. "The Scottish Government welcomes the launch of this year's fund by Age Scotland, which has been supported by our local and national partners through the Resilient Communities Programme Board. 'We also welcome this year's funding focus on rural areas and underrepresented communities, which will help strengthen the sustainability of local support networks in these areas.' Anna Clements, Head of Dementia at Age Scotland, said: 'We're proud to launch this new round of ESGA funding, which continues to invest in local, community-based solutions that make a real difference in people's lives. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'This fund has been co-designed with people who live with dementia and those who care for them. Their insight is central to our decision-making, and we're committed to funding activity that reflects their priorities and experiences.
The Herald Scotland
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Funeral details announced for TV entertainer Glen Michael
His funeral will be held at Masonhill Crematorium, Ayr, KA6 6EN on Wednesday, 16th July, at 3.30pm, with donations sought for Erskine Veterans Charity and Age Scotland. His family expressed their thanks to Girvan Community Hospital his doctor, and carers. Read More: There will be a live webcast of the service on Username: mera1660 Password: 022885. STV's audience director Bobby Hain said last week: 'We are deeply saddened to hear that Glen Michael has passed away. "Glen was a wonderful performer and personality and we know that many viewers will have very fond memories of him. 'He was an STV legend, with Glen Michael's Cavalcade a particular favourite for children across Scotland during its 26-year run. 'Our thoughts are with his family at this time and we send them our deepest condolences.'
The National
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
I knew the welfare state was broken — I became an MP to fix It
At one point in my life, I was classed as long term unemployed. My niece said I was the busiest unemployed person she'd ever met but I just could not get a paid job. So I had that "advantage" over other MPs in that I truly understood what it was like. Therefore, I was deeply committed to supporting people in those situations and actively went out looking for them. It's important to note that I wasn't doing this on my own. In fact it couldn't have happened at all without the incredible team I had around me. Everyone in that team played a part in this and, satisfyingly, one of my former caseworkers, Robyn, is now a welfare rights professional. READ MORE: I've been an MP for 42 years. I've seen Westminster take apart the welfare state Most of the work we did was with individuals experiencing terrible treatment at the hands of the DWP. Now, I have family and friends who work for the DWP and they care passionately but the system itself can be cruel and yes, like in any workplace, so can a minority of the workers. Why else, for example, would anyone take the decision to sanction the benefits of a young couple for the first 6 weeks of their newborn's life because the dad went in the ambulance with mum, stayed with her for the birth and completely forgot to sign on? The system is cruel enough to allow that to happen but the majority of DWP workers would use their discretion. This one chose to remove their income and even their milk tokens. So that's the kind of thing we were dealing with. And we were VERY good at it. We made full use of the MP hotline to the DWP which partially bypasses the hoops anyone else has to go through. But I was always conscious that for every one person who asked me for help, there were many more who suffered in silence. So we had a three pronged approach: Advertise the fact that we COULD help as widely as possible Fight for the people who responded Fight for policy change so that we could also help all those who didn't reach out On certain issues we ran full on campaigns. Pension Credit was one of those. This goes to pensioners on the lowest incomes but you've got to apply. And all organisations advocating for older people eg Age Concern Scotland and Age Scotland will tell you the myriad reasons why so many people don't apply. At one point £7.7million was going unclaimed every year in the constituency of Glasgow NE alone. So we wrote to thousands of older people in the constituency telling them how to apply. READ MORE: I claimed Universal Credit – this is what it was like The letter addressed many of the reservations they might have and for those who thought it was a complicated process we told them to book a slot in the office and we'd do it for them. The phone rang off the hook and for three full days my office was like a factory with four of my team spending the day sitting with people at 15 minute intervals and doing their applications for them. Meantime, I set up an All Party Parliamentary Group on Pension Credit and held a debate in Westminster to campaign for the government to put more effort into increasing the number of people who claimed their entitlement. The following year we found that the constituency had one of the highest take up rates rather than one of the lowest. We can't claim all the credit but it does show that you can make a real difference. And that leads me onto an important lesson that 3 older working class women in Springburn taught me. I'd been speaking in Mhairi Black's debate on Benefit Sanctions. It was emotional and exhausting. READ MORE: What it's actually like to apply for DWP disability benefits I remember coming out of it thinking "what's the point?". I was banging my head against a brick wall because nothing changed. I felt useless if I'm honest. Two days later I was at a Christmas fayre when these three women called me over. They had got together to watch it and loved it apparently, particularly every time a Tory MP intervened on me to demonstrate their complete lack of understanding. I was a bit taken aback and explained how I'd felt I'd wasted my time. But they taught me that whilst effecting change is the crucial thing, almost as important to them was seeing someone who "gets it" standing up, telling their stories and refusing to back down. I want to thank those three women in Springburn because I never forgot that and I never again felt what I was saying was pointless.
The Herald Scotland
19-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Swinney defends universal winter fuel payment U-turn
On Wednesday, the Scottish Government announced that only pensioners with an income of less than £35,000 would receive financial help. While those with higher incomes will still receive the payment, they will be required to repay the money via their tax return or PAYE. Age Scotland estimates that around 160,000 households will lose out. READ MORE Less well-off pensioners will receive £203.40 if they are under 80, and £305.10 if they are older — marginally higher amounts than the £200 and £300 paid in England and Wales. Asked about the decision in Holyrood on Thursday, the First Minister said: 'What we have done is we have taken an approach which reflects the system that we believe will make the greatest impact on tackling the impact of fuel costs on older people within our society. 'That has resulted in us taking the steps that we have set out to make sure that we can target and focus the resources that are available to us and to enable us to utilise the resources that are under the control of the Scottish Government as effectively as we can to meet our wider priorities within the public works.' The announcement came only weeks after Mr Swinney argued that the winter fuel payment should be restored to 'all pensioner households'. Speaking ahead of a meeting with Sir Keir Starmer on 23 May, he called for a 'national mission' to raise living standards and a 'restoration' of the benefit 'so all pensioners get a payment'. Asked about the U-turn, Mr Swinney said: 'Since then, the UK Government has changed its position, and it has set out an approach which has got financial implications for the Scottish Government, and we have responded accordingly.' READ MORE The decision to originally means-test the Winter Fuel Payment — stripping it from around 10 million better-off pensioners — was one of the new Labour Government's first and most controversial policies. At the time, Chancellor Rachel Reeves justified it as a necessary 'hard choice' to save about £1.5 billion a year. With the Winter Fuel Payment being devolved, that prompted the Scottish Government to announce its own benefit, the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment. Those on certain means-tested benefits were due to receive £200, or £300 for over-80s, while all other pensioner households would receive a flat £100. Last week, the Chancellor confirmed that around three-quarters of pensioners in England and Wales — those on incomes up to £35,000 — would again receive a payment of £200, or £300 if they are over 80, from this winter. The U-turn by the Treasury meant that thousands of Scottish pensioner households not on Pension Credit but with a modest income were in line for just £100 — whereas if they lived in England or Wales, they would get £200 or £300 if over 80. In a speech on Monday, the First Minister confirmed the Scottish Government's benefit would at least match that proposed by the UK Government.
Glasgow Times
12-06-2025
- Health
- Glasgow Times
Unpaid carer from Glasgow shares experience of loneliness
Anne, 60, was a full-time carer for her mum and mother-in-law for the last decade. She said: "Being a carer for someone living with dementia was very isolating. "I gave up my career in financial services to be a full-time carer for my mum and moved into her house. Alex (Image: Suppleid) "It's been a very lonely journey no matter who is around you physically and my husband and I feel very broken emotionally and physically." Anne shared her story as Age Scotland revealed in its latest research that almost half of over-50s in the country feel lonely all or some of the time. Read more: Homes in two busy areas in darkness after being hit by power cut Hollywood legend pictured visiting beloved gastropub Land where Margaret Fleming was murdered sold after price slash The survey of 1,287 people also found that 41% of unpaid carers experience 'crippling loneliness'. Alex, 71, from Motherwell, also shared his experience. He said: "I've lived on my own since I came back to Scotland. "I don't have any family or friends around now. "The reality is that so many people fall away from your life as you get older. "And before you know it, you're on your own." Age Scotland believes that more investment is needed to tackle loneliness, as it could have severe health impacts on the nation. Katherine Crawford, chief executive at Age Scotland, said: "Scotland is in the grip of an epidemic of loneliness with chronic levels of loneliness not going anywhere. "It is heartbreaking to think that the equivalent of one older person on every street in Scotland feels lonely all or most of the time." She added that loneliness can significantly impact health, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and dementia, as well as causing mental health challenges. Age Scotland's friendship line encourages those in the older community struggling with loneliness to call for free on 0800 12 44 222.
