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Our vision is of a future where older people are highly valued, have lives that are richer and voices that are heard.
Our purpose is to secure and uphold the rights of older people everywhere. Working with them, we champion their needs so that they can better their lives.
Through research, campaigning and fundraising we develop solutions, drive activities and inspire others to do the same. What we do:
Our strategy is to attack and remove the major barriers to active and fulfilled later lives. Our four urgent priorities are:
- Combating poverty
- Reducing isolation, encouraging inclusion
- Defeating ageism, speaking up for our age
- Challenging poor care standards, promoting quality in care
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Services and activities
- SeniorLine Telephone advice service providing welfare rights advice for older people and their carers. It's free, confidential and available throughout the UK. Last year, SeniorLine dealt with 90,000 enquiries. Open Monday-Friday, 9am to 4pm
England, Scotland, Wales: freephone 0808 800 6565. Callers in Northern Ireland: freephone 0808 808 7575.
- SeniorLink (Enquiries 01255 473999) Immediate telephone response service available 24 hours, 365 days a year. Over 7,500 people are now linked to the service
- SeniorMobility Helps voluntary groups provide door to door transport for older people. To date, 1,600 groups have taken delivery of specially adapted vehicles.
- Information We distributed 2.85 million advice leaflets during 2001, with 24 titles including finance, housing and health.
- Will advice (Enquiries 020 7239 1965) Free confidential advice service for older people on making wills or updating their wills.
- HandyVan scheme Fitters install free home safety kits. More than 75,000 older people's homes secured. 01255 473999.
- Research into Ageing Biomedical research.
- International programme In partnership with HelpAge International. Funds health and income generation projects. Provide: disaster and emergency aid.
- Sponsor a Grandparent Supporting older people overseas
- International programme In partnership with HelpAge International we fund health, ophthalmic and income generation programmes and provide disasters and emergency aid.
- Gardening Funding and info for local organisations across the UK to provide quality gardening assistance for older people.
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How we raise funds
- Individual Donations Legacies, campaigns, gift aid, regular giving schemes, house to house and street collections, online donations and raffles.
- Sponsor a Grandparent Sponsorship of older people overseas.
- National raffles Carried out twice a year.
- Shops 376 high street shops selling donated goods.
- Corporate partnerships Working with companies to generate support for services and projects.
- Help the Aged local committees 27 voluntary committees throughout the UK raising funds to spend on local projects.
- Students Street collections by university groups.
- Stage for Age Fundraising celebrity committee.
- Institutional fundraising - grants from trusts and foundations, central and regional government and National Lottery distributing bodies.
How we raise funds through our commercial services
- Solutions: Paid for services tailored to the over 50s
- SeniorLink immediate response service (01255 473999)
- Insurance services (freephone 0800 41 31 80)
- Accident Cash Plan (freephone 0800 096 2514)
- Healthcare Cash Plan (freephone 08081 44 2000)
- Care Fees Advice (freephone 0500 76 74 76) Provides expert advice on meeting the cost of independent care.
- Funeral Plans (freephone 0800 169 1112) Guaranteed
inflation-proof solutions to future funeral costs.
- Help the Aged Visa Card (freephone 0800 002 006)
- Help the Aged Catalogue A wide range of personal aids to make life easier. For information, Tel: 0870 7700442
- Fundraising advice and project development support is available via our UK-wide development team. Direct grant-aid leaflets: 020 7239 1827.
- Sharing the caring raising payroll giving income.
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Campaigning for Change
We campaign on the issues that matter most to older people. We continue to press the Government for improvements to the basic State Pension, and to take action on the issue of who pays for long term care. We campaign by lobbying directly to Westminster, Northern Ireland Assembly, Scottish Parliament and National Assembly for Wales. In addition, some of our current campaigns are:
- Age Discrimination A nationwide campaign to root out age discrimination in employment, health and social care, social security, transport, education and citizenship and call for measures that will pave the way towards equality.
- Anti-poverty Raising awareness of the blight that poverty causes to the lives of thousands of older people in the UK.
- Speaking Up For Our Age An ongoing programme that aims to establish a voice for older people in every area of the country through the development and support of older people's forums.
- British Gas Help the Aged Partnership A unique award-winning alliance launched in 1999, British Gas support helps to make the lives of vulnerable older people warmer, less isolated and more secure helping 1.6 million beneficiaries to date.
- Help the Aged homelessness programme A six year programme of service development, research and campaigns to improve service provision for older homeless people.
- One for All appeal Raising £1 million to fund six biomedical fellowships at universities in the North West.
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Facts and figures
Patron HRH The Prince of Wales
Chairman Jo Connell
Director General Michael Lake CBE
Established 1961
Registered Charity No 272786
Registered in England No 1263446
Income £74.9 million (2001-02)
Total Staff 1,886
Total Volunteers 4,700 (shops) 130,000 (House to House)
Head Office 207-221 Pentonville Road
London N1 9UZ
Tel: 020 7278 1114
Fax: 020 7278 1116
Email info@helptheaged.org.uk
Web http://www.helptheaged.org.uk/
National Offices: Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh
Retail Group Offices: Cosham, Loughborough, Bradford
Gifted Housing Office: Bath
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