Digest- April 2025
“Digest” – April, 2025
Last month’s Meeting:
We enjoyed an interesting talk from Tim Watts about the Lions who are an international charitable organisation with about 9,000 members in Britain.
They respond with financial support when large catastrophes occur across the world.
In the Leigh branch the average age is 72, and they support Leigh Regatta and hold a well-known Duck Race to raise funds. They also run a charity shop in London Road, West Leigh where they collect people’s old spectacles for charity. Tim is a busy volunteer in several local groups including The Southend Pier Museum Trust.
In Committee:
Issy Isaacs chaired our Meeting in the absence of an elected Chair.
Jean Howes spoke about the need for a back-up system for everything, with cover for all posts. We have a number of assets stored and kept at various locations, which need to be labelled and listed with the keepers address. . Alan Grubb suggested that we keep two sets of rechargeable batteries for our PA system as they need to be charged the day before use. Bob Howes agreed to issue receipts for subscriptions paid at the AGM at the following Meeting.
Marketing SDPC:
If you know of any local charity or voluntary organisation who may host an indoor community networking event or an open day, please let us know. We would be keen to attend to advertise our Campaign and meet other campaigning groups in the area.
Campaigning:
We will continue to monitor how the Co-Production Project develops, so that we may decide whether we will still need an Older Person’s Champion or not.
Your views on what our next local campaign should be about would be very welcome. The crisis in the social care service seems a good idea, given the experiences I have heard about locally. We need an enlarged dementia team in Southend to deal with the large number of people this killer disease is affecting.
40th Anniversary Meeting, 15th October 2025
This special celebration will run from 12 noon till 4pm. We shall invite some local organisations to attend and use tables to promote their work. We hope to cater for about 60 people and obtain quotes to cover the cost. We shall invite the two MP’s, the Southend Mayor, and suspend our normal Agenda.
NPC Report: Issy Isaacs reportedthat the NPC London Region Council held their AGM on Thursday, 27th March and that all three Motions were rejected, which was good news. We had a good talk from one of the NPC Vice- Presidents who explained the NPC’s financial position, and was positive about their future as a Company Limited by Guarantee.
Carers Choices:
Emma Wheeler, the Hospital Discharge Assistant Manager, emailed me having read my article in the January “Digest” on our Website,
Carers Choices offer a range of care services, and are based in Benfleet. Emma shares our belief that the National Care Service needs urgent reform, and their charity gives support to unpaid carers at home, patients being discharged from hospital, and a range of other specialist services.
Contact: Tel: 01268 923908.
Email: emmawheeler@carerschoices.org
SAVS and local College Students.
Jean Howes recently had a meeting with Jamie of SAVS, in order to write a brief for students to manage an IT project. This will raise Southend District Pensioners Campaign on -line presence, increase awareness and membership in the local area. SDPC which was established 40 years ago still has limited membership. The students will carry out research into potential members and why older people are not engaging with us. The students will explore what the barriers are to people joining.
Suez Waste Contract:
Thank you to our Member Majzoub B. Ali for his comment. “Suez Waste Management Company has just taken over from Veolia, who did well at the start of their eight year contract, but didn’t keep up that standard. We should ensure we don’t have a similar performance from Suez”
Dates for your Diary:
Jazz Centre UK. Live concerts on most Saturday afternoons. 2pm till 4pm. Beecroft Art Gallery, Victoria Avenue, Southend. SS2. Tickets £10-£15.
Southend Central Museum. Victoria Avenue, Southend. The Princely Burial. A permanent exhibition.
Southend Council Concert Series. Monthly serious music concerts continue, but the venues now alternate. Friday evenings. From 8pm.Book by phone 01702. 215011
Wednesday, 7th. May. 12.30pm SDPC Friendship Lunch. AtStrawberry Fields, near Westcliff Tesco’s. Contact Margaret Haydon to book. Tel: 07814 714 937.
Saturday, 10th. May. TrustLinks May Fayre. 11am -2pm. Westcliff. Junction of Fairfax Drive and Prittlewell Chase.
Sunday, 11th. May. 7.30pm. Madama Butterfly by Puccini. Cliffs Pavilion. Southend.
Wednesday, 21st. May. 2pm. -4pm. SDPC Meeting. Balmoral Community Centre, Salisbury Avenue, Westcliff. Barry Linton Essex Police. “How to stay safe online Part 2”.
Please send any items for publication in your “Digest”To Bob Howes (Editor), Email: howes 01702@outlook.com or to 91, Brightwell Avenue, Westcliff, SS0 9EG.