Most  W E L C O M E !    As Always!
Wandsworth Pensioners' Forum’s purpose is:Continued:As NOW  =       Ww. O. P's. Forum

 To represent older people in Wandsworth to government, local and national and has been doing this since 1991.

The Forum publishes a newsletterquarterly reporting on recent activities and with articles of interest to older people.

Monthly meetings are held at which there are speakers on topics of interest and accounts of these appear in the newsletter. There are individual members and affiliated organisations. The newsletter has a circulation of 4500 currently, going to members and affiliated organisations. Copies are made available to Councillors, MPs and MEPs. Also, to libraries and organisations where older people attend. The newsletter has been funded, this year, by 'Community Chest'.:&
'Young's Charitable Foundation'

We 'THANK THEM'  deeply, for their humane gesture to the older people of Wandsworth!

The Forum, from January 2004 to April 2006, was commissioned, under the,'Wandsworth Community Empowerment Network', with facilitating an Older People’s Network which links through WCEN to the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP).

The Network has attracted people who work in organisations for older people and has therefore a wider representation than the Forum on its own whose committee has usually only consisted of older people themselves.

The Forum, last December, conducted a questionnaire through the newsletter on the theme of Safer, Stronger Communities and submitted a report to the LSP.

It is hoped that, 'Wandsworth Council' will be supporting the Network in the near future.

The Forum committee, of some 18 people , officers and nominated members from the individual membership and from the affiliated organisations, meets monthly and reviews issues that have arisen in local and national policies and consultations and comments are held / made.

The Management Committee and the membership of the Forum has a diverse ethnic mix reflecting the population of  older people in Wandsworth.

The Forum has recently made comments on environmental policy of Wandsworth Council, on the Government's consultation on how best to represent patients and the public in the NHS and onthe numbers and needs of older refugees and asylum seekers.

There is still concern at the lack of lunch clubs or community centres where older people can go and meet others and have lunch or just a cup of tea.
The Council is convinced that most older people do not want day centres, yet seem to forget that the 5% or so which do want them represent a lot of people who have no choice of any other provision.
This is compounded by the lack of adult educational provision for older adults who are not requiring this facility for work.

The Forum and the Network are very concerned that many isolated older people will become even more isolated and lonely as a result.

Lilias Gillies           
Hon Secretary                                October 2006