Services for older people

The Abbey Centre 020 7222 0303

34, Great Smith Street, SW1P 3BU
www.theabbeycentre.org.uk
The centre runs a community development programme to help meet the needs of the communities living in south Westminster. It runs a range of activities and events for older people, including the Abbey Monday Club (Lecture and Social), keep fit, yoga and tai chi for the over 50s and Bingo.

Adult Education
Westminster Adult Education Service (WAES) 020 7297 7297

Ebury Bridge Centre, Sutherland Street, Victoria SW1V 4LH
www.waes.ac.uk
Westminster Adult Education Service (WAES) is a leading adult education provider offering over 1,100 courses across Westminster at times to suit you and at the level you need. Whether you are following a personal interest or looking to gain valuable skills and knowledge for work, WAES can help you. WAES also offers classes in SW1 designed for older learners, including fitness, ballroom dancing and IT classes in community settings. For more information please visit the WAES website or call 020 7297 7297.

Adult Social Care Services (Westminster City Council)  

Westminster City Council is responsible for arranging services for anyone who is 18 or over and has difficulty due to old age, long-term illness or disability, or who has a caring role. For more information about Westminster City Council’s Adult Social Care Services please visit their website.

Advocacy Plus 020 7837 6744

8 Godson Street, N1 9GZ
www.advocacyplus.org.uk
Email: info@advocacyplus.org.uk
Advocacy Plus (formerly WASSR - Westminster Advocacy Service for Senior Residents) Advocacy Plus provides trained advocates to support older people in expressing choices about matters affecting their everyday lives. They have specialists in housing, mental health and dementia advocacy. If you, or someone you know aged over 60, needs support with a housing problem; with health services; with home care services; with making a complaint; with how to resolve problems arising from poor memory; Advocacy Plus can help with these and other issues.
To find out how they can help you, call them on 020 7837 6744. Their service is free, confidential and independent of all other service providers.

Age UK Westminster 020 3004 5610

23-25 Praed Street, W2 1NJ
Email: enquiries@acwestminster.org.uk
www.acwestminster.org.uk
Age UK Westminster (formerly Age Concern Westminster) aims to ensure that Westminster residents over 50 years of age are able to maintain a full and independent life. Services include community hubs, activities, escorting, volunteering, befriending, direct payments, personal budgets, advice and support.

Alarms Service (Westminster City Council) 020 7286 7412

24 hour hotline or email alarmenquiries@westminster.gov.uk
for information about home assistance alarms for older people, vulnerable people or people with disabilities.

Contact the Elderly Freephone 0800 716 543

15 Henrietta Street, London, WC2E 8QG
www.contact-the-elderly.org
Contact the Elderly groups organise gatherings for frail, elderly people who live alone. One Sunday afternoon a month, volunteer drivers take elderly people on regular visits to hosts’ homes. Groups of between ten and sixteen people visit a different home every month and spend a few hours in the company of friends, old and new.

Freedom Pass (Westminster City Council) 020 7641 2266

Westminster City Council offers Freedom Passes for travel on public transport for disabled travellers. Anyone over the age of sixty can call for advice, but applications should be made at your local Post Office. Contact Westminster City Council for:

• Advice about Freedom Pass Applications
• Application forms for disabled travellers (over 60s can apply at Post Office)
• Updates on application progress for disabled travellers.

Home Fire Safety Checks by the London Fire Brigade 08000 2844 28

The London Fire Brigade offers free home fire safety visits for any resident of Westminster.
The approximately half hour visit goes over a range of important fire safety issues and because it takes place in your own home, you’ll learn fire safety techniques that are directly relevant to you and your surroundings. They can provide vital tips such as how to avoid kitchen fires, what to do with children and how to make a fire escape plan.

You will have the opportunity to have a new smoke alarm installed free of charge or they can inspect your current device to ensure its working properly.
To book an appointment with the Home Fire Safety Advice team, call free on 08000 28 44 28 or visit the London Fire Brigade website.

Home Handyman Service 020 7641 8959

Westminster City Council has expanded its home handyman service to SW1. If you’re over 60 or in receipt of a disability allowance, you’ll be able to benefit from the service and request to have a handyman carry out a range of small jobs in your home free of charge, including:

• Minor plumbing repairs and tiling
• Replacing broken windows or faulty doors
• Replacing light bulbs, plugs and fuses
• Fitting locks, door chains and spy holes
• Minor repairs to broken stairs and floors
• Fitting and replacing handrails
• Re-hanging or replacing doors

Individuals that qualify can use the service twice in a financial year. Up to £50 of materials will be free and anything more must be paid for by the householder. Each job is allowed up to 3 ½ hours to complete but some work such as gardening or work to a gas appliance will not be eligible.
Phone 020 7641 8959 for more information or to book an appointment.

Home Library Service 020 7641 5405

If you find it difficult to get to a library because you are elderly, have a disability or long-term illness or are caring for someone, the Home Library Service will come to you.
The Home Library Service offers regular visits to your home every three weeks, free request and information service and a full range of library materials for loan.
Home Library Service, c/o Marylebone Library, 109 - 117 Marylebone Road, NW1 5PS

Home Meals Service (Westminster City Council) 020 7402 0785

If you have difficult preparing meals, this service can arrange for meals to be delivered to you.

In Deep Community Task Force 020 7834 5204

www.in-deep.org.uk
In Deep Community Task Force works with older people living locally, offering friendship and support through a range of activities and services e.g. breakfast clubs, massage, a manicure and pedicure service, Christmas Hamper Scheme, home and hospital visits.

Libraries 020 7641 1300

www.westminster.gov.uk/libraries
Anyone can join and use Westminster Libraries for free. They offer:

• Many books, CDs, DVDs, language courses and talking books.
• Computer use including internet access and office. To book please call 020 7641 1300
• Many activities for children, especially in the summer holidays
• On-line services, accessible from home - reservations, renewals and free access to subscription websites

On Wednesday mornings 10-12 St James’ Library offers free internet taster sessions for beginners. To book please call 020 7641 1300

Message in a Bottle Scheme 020 7641 1444

Message in a Bottle is a free scheme that has been introduced in Westminster. It is for those aged 60 or older who live alone, or have an illness or disability, to keep their personal and medical details in a bottle in the fridge, where they can easily be found in the event of an emergency.
There are several distribution points in Westminster where you can simply go and collect one. The main ones are:

• Age Concern Westminster, 268-272 Edgware Road W2
• Westminster Social Services Reception, 215 Lisson Grove NW8
• Westminster City Hall Social Services Reception, 64 Victoria Street SW1

Bottles can also be picked up from two local pharmacies:

Bas Pharmacy
Contact: Sukhinder Basra
24 Upper Tachbrook Street
London SW1V 1SW
020 7834 6182

Warwick Pharmacy
Contact: Prakash Matani
34-36 Warwick Way
London SW1V 1RY
020 7834 4721

For more information please visit Westminster City Council’s website.

Open Age Hub 020 7976 6354

Glastonbury House, Abbots Manor Estate, Warwick Way, London SW1V 4NT
www.openage.co.uk
Open Age Hub is a facility open to anyone over 50 in the local area. Everyone is welcome. There are a range of activities currently taking place from Chair Exercise through to Computer Drop In sessions. Classes are very low cost and sometimes free. Please call the above number for a current programme or pop in for a chat. We are open Monday - Friday, 10am-4pm.

Pensions and Retirement  

For information about pensions, retirement, and winter fuel payments please visit www.thepensionservice.gov.uk

Pimlico Library 020 7641 1300

Lupus Street, SW1V 3AT
Opening Hours:
Mon - Fri 9.30am - 8pm
Sat - 9.30am - 5pm
Sun - 1.30pm - 5pm

Queen Mother Sports Centre 020 7630 5522

223 Vauxhall Bridge Road, SW1V 1EL
The Queen Mother Sports Centre runs a range of classes and activities, some of which are tailored to suit the needs of older people e.g. Fit @ 50 Aqua and Fit at 50 Workout.

Reaching U Activities Programme 020 3004 5610

Reaching U Activities Programme is a joint programme between Age UK Westminster (formerly Age Concern Westminster), Open Age and Westminster Adult Education Service. The project offers a programme of weekly learning activities for the over 50s across Westminster at a small fee of £1 per hour and some activities are payable in advance. Activities range from: dance to computers; art; history; French to Tai Chi.
For more information or to be sent a programme please call Age UK Westminster on 020 3004 5610 or email: ReachingU@acwestminster.org.uk

St. James’s Library 020 7641 1300

62 Victoria Street, SW1E 6QP.
Opening hours
Mon, Tue, Thurs, Fri - 9am - 7pm
Wed - 10am - 7pm
Sat - 9.30am - 1.30pm

St Margaret’s Drop In (RADICLE) 020 7821 1621

1 Carey Place, Vauxhall Bridge Road, SW1V 2RT
A meeting place for older people. Provides a lunch service and advice on housing, welfare etc. The centre is open from 10.30 - 4.30 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Senior Citizens’ Forum (Westminster) 020 7262 1717

The Westminster Senior Citizens Forum is a citywide group for all older people which meet approximately every six weeks to discuss issues that are of importance to life in Westminster. It is open to all older people who live in Westminster to come along.

Senior Passport (Westminster City Council) 020 7641 1444

The Senior Passport service provides access to Westminster City Council’s Social Services Teams for Older People. The service provides access to social care services and the Westminster Rehabilitation Service for older people and their carers. It can also provide information and advice about a range of services including the Keep Warm Keep Well initiative, Heatwave advice, the Message in a Bottle scheme and Disabled Facilities Grants.

Sheltered and Supported Housing 020 7641 1659

Sheltered housing schemes give older people the privacy of a flat or bed-sit with the reassurance that a scheme manager is based on-site. Some extra help is available, such as the emergency Link Line alarm service, and shared facilities such as laundry rooms and communal lounges. Supported housing is similar but the level of support available from the scheme manager is more limited. Sheltered and supported schemes in SW1 are listed below, for information about how to move into sheltered and supported accommodation for older people please visit the Westminster City Council website.

Sheltered

• Darwin House, 104 Grosvenor Road, Churchill Gardens Estate

Supported

• Glastonbury House, Abbots Manor Estate, Warwick Way
• Charlwood House, Vauxhall Bridge Road
• Parkinson House, Tachbrook Street
• Anchor Court, 2 Carey Place, 40/44 Vauxhall Bridge Road
• Dean Abbot House, 70 Vincent Street
• Eileen Anderson Court, Johnsons Place, Pimlico
• Founders House, Aylesford Street, Pimlico
• Greenwood Court, 155 Cambridge Street
• Walston House, Aylesford Street
• Wolfson House, 70-78 St George’s Drive, Pimlico

Shopper Service (Westminster City Council) 020 7641 2009

Westminster City Council’s Shopper Service provides a free bus service to local supermarkets for older and disabled residents with limited mobility.

Staying Put 020 8996 8890

6-7 Canalside House, 383 Ladbroke Grove, W10 5AA
Staying Put Services are funded by Westminster Primary Care Trust to arrange minor works and small repairs to homes for residents over 60 on a low income and/or disabled. The aim is to improve safety and aid independence in your home at a reasonable cost.
They can undertake a range of minor repairs to your home such as; fitting smoke detectors and security locks, fixing broken electrical sockets and switches, minor plumbing repairs such as replacing tap washers, unblocking sinks, general repairs and other jobs. Certain conditions apply and some repairs are not covered by this service.
To find out more call 020 8996 8890 or visit the website at: www.stayingput.co.uk

Taxicard 020 7641 2266

Westminster City Council’s TaxiCard Scheme allows residents with disabilities, which prevent them from using public transport, to travel in black cabs at greatly reduced fares.

Victoria Library 020 7641 1300

160, Buckingham Palace Road, SW1 9UD.
Opening hours
Mon - 9.30am - 8pm
Tue, Thurs, Fri - 9.30am - 7pm
Wed - 10am - 7pm
Sat - 9.30am - 5pm

Westminster Advocacy Service for Senior Residents (WASSR)  

Westminster Advocacy Service for Senior Residents has changed its name. They are now called ‘Advocacy Plus’. Click here for more information.

WELDIS  

www.westminster.gov.uk/weldis/
WELDIS is Westminster City Council’s information service for older people, carers, adults and children with disabilities, chronic illness, mental health problems, substance misuse problems, and HIV / AIDS. Visit the website for more information.

Bogus callers - Crime prevention  

For crime prevention information about bogus callers, burglars who try to trick or con their way into people’s homes please visit the Met Police website.

Citizens Advice Bureau (Pimlico) 08444 111 444

Pimlico Citizens Advice Bureau
140 Tachbrook Street, SW1V 2NE
www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Citizens Advice Bureau offers free, confidential and independent advice to residents on a wide range of issues. Anyone can visit the local centre however drop in times vary and it may be advisable to phone ahead in case you need an appointment for specialist advice.
CAB also offer a weekly debt advice drop-in service for local residents if you need advice on managing debts, mortgage arrears or help if you’re generally finding it hard to make ends meet.
The drop-in session (no appointment necessary) runs every Friday morning from 10-12pm in ‘The Youth Club’ on the Churchill Gardens Estate, Churchill Garden Rd, SW1V 3AL.

Grants for a healthy home (Westminster City Council) 020 7641 6161

If your home has damp problems, heating difficulties or poor facilities, there are various council grants available that could meet all or part of the cost of the repairs. For more information please visit Westminster City Council’s website.

Help the Aged  

Help the Aged has now merged with Age UK (formerly known as Age Concern England). Go to Age UK Westminster for more information.

Housing Benefit and Council Tax (Westminster City Council) 0800 072 0042

Housing Benefit can help you meet the cost of your rent. You may qualify for benefit if you are on low income and your savings (joint savings if you have a partner) are £16,000.00 or less. Council Tax Benefit could help pay towards some, or all, of your Council Tax bill if you are on a low income, even if you own your own home. For more information and contact details please visit Westminster City Council’s website.