NOTES OF THE FINAL MEETING OF THE EASTBOURNE FORUM FOR OLDER PEOPLE
15 April 2008

the chairman introducing Steve Thornett, chair of the Eastbourne Seniors Forum

Chairman of the County Council, Bob Lacey OBE, presents Arnold Goldman with a gift for his work for the Forum

 

At its meeting on 15 April 2008, the Eastbourne Forum for Older People agreed to cease to meet in future.

 

Steve Thornett, chairman of the new Eastbourne Seniors Forum, which had been launched on the previous day, spoke to the meeting about the aims and intentions of the new forum. The Seniors Forum "is an independent organisation which gives a collective voice to the over 50s of Eastbourne, helping them to influence decision-makers on issues which impact their everyday lives". Its membership can include anyone over 50 who lives or works in Eastbourne. See the Forum's website, www.esf-online.org. The Forum takes its place alongside comparable groups in Lewes, the Havens, Seaford, Wealden, Rother and Hastings. It also has a place in the East Sussex Seniors Association.

 

Steve noted that Eastbourne Seniors Forum wishes to work closely with all groups and organisations supporting the over 50s. Various matters about the new forum were discussed, and Steve asked the organisations' representatives who were present for guidance on others.

 

After reviewing the history of the Eastbourne Forum for Older People as a meeting of organisations, the Chairman, Arnold Goldman, said that all those he had consulted - and he - felt that organisations and groups in contact with the Forum could now work directly with the Eastbourne Seniors Forum. All are recommended to be in touch with the Eastbourne Seniors Forum over their mutual interests. The relationship between the new Forum and the organisations shown at this meeting, both in general and over particular matters, was a model for future working style and relationship. Organisations can contact Steve Thornett at sthornett2@toucansurf.com.

 

The chairman thanked his predecessor, the Forum's founding chairman, Gwen Ledger (to whom he would write); the staff of EAVS and its just-retired chief executive Lesley Goble; all those who had advised him during the time of his chairmanship, not least his deputy, Richard Drinkall; and all the organisations which had contributed to the Forum over its many years of existence both in presentations and by attendance.

 

THE FUTURE OF THE FORUM WEBSITE Eastbourne-specific news, links and contacts will be dealt with on the Eastbourne Seniors Forum website - www.esf-online.org. For the time being, they can continue to be accessed on www.EastbourneOPF.org.uk.   East Sussex and regional news and links will be kept up to date on a new website - www.eastsussexolderpeoplesweb.org.uk. When moved, they will be accessible from links on the Eastbourne Seniors Forum website - www.esf-online.org - and from any other website which creates links to it.   National news and links, formerly on www.EastbourneOPF.org.uk, have already been transferred to www.olderpeoplesweb.org.uk.

The Chairman of East Sussex County Council, Cllr Bob Lacey OBE, spoke about the importance of involving older people in public services. He congratulated the Forum for Older People on the work it had done and noted its role as the midwife of the new forum. On behalf of the Forum's many organisations, he thanked the chairman for his work and presented him with an engraved crystal paperweight. The chairman thanked Cllr Lacey and the forum's contributors for the sentiments and their gift. (The paperweight will hold down such of his future correspondence as is not electronic.)

Those at the meeting then accepted a motion to stand down the Eastbourne Forum for Older People. It said in part,

The Eastbourne Forum for Older People notes with pleasure the launch of the new independent individual member Eastbourne Seniors Forum, which it wishes every success. After a long period of success as a meeting of organisations, it feels that the work it has done on behalf of older people in the town will be taken forward by the Eastbourne Seniors Forum, alongside which the organisations look forward to working. The Eastbourne Forum for Older People therefore resolves to cease to meet and to be stood down.

Those present at the meeting included: Colin Akers (Age Concern Eastbourne), Chris Bradley (Sussex Partnership Trust), Christine Dallas, Richard Drinkall (Age Concern Eastbourne), Gerry Gillett (PO & BT Pensioners), Mal French (WRVS), Arnold Goldman (Forum chairman and Eastbourne Association of Voluntary Services), Bob Lacey OBE (Chairman, East Sussex County Council), Adrian Ley (Eastbourne CAB), Mike Nicholson (National Association of Retired Police Officers), Amanda Steer (Eastbourne Association of Voluntary Services) Steve Thornett (Eastbourne Seniors Forum), Walter Wingfield (Access Group and PARCHE).

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notes of previous Forum meetings
click on NOTES to read them

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2008

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MEETING ON TUESDAY 12 February about NEW SERVICES FOR OLDER PEOPLE IN EASTBOURNE & EAST SUSSEX. Under the two-year £3.2M Independence First programme, East Sussex County Council created some dozen new services for older people. Three services with direct impact on older people in Eastbourne gave presentations at the meeting: the Navigator Service (Caryl Ganley, Senior Navigator), the Medicines Management Project (Christina Short, Older People's Pharmacist) and the Bathing Advice Service (Jane Cremer, Occupational Therapy Assistant, East Sussex Disability Association). The Forum was also briefed on the process to establish the "sustainability" of these and other Independence First projects at the end of the two year project (David Liley, Programme Manager, Independence First, ESCC Adult Social Care). For the January 2008 Independence First Newsletter, CLICK HERE. On 14 November 2006, Martin Packwood briefed the Forum on the programme's intentions: see the NOTES of the meeting. See also the 27 November 2007 ESCC press release, "Old age no barrier to independence".

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2007

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NOTES of the meeting on TUESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2007 about NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS FOR OLDER PEOPLE IN EASTBOURNE. The speakers were Gordon Patterson, Sunrise Senior Living, Eastbourne, and Sue Burlumi, Eastbourne Borough Council Housing Manager, on the proposed ExtraCare Housing Scheme in Eastbourne. Marion Whitby, Regional Co-ordinator, Elizabeth Finn Care also spoke.

On the proposed ExtraCare scheme see also the stakeholder event on 7 February 2008 at 1030am

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NOTES of the meeting on TUESDAY 4 SEPTEMBER 2007 about KEEPING WARM, KEEPING COOL, EXERCISING MIND AND BODY. The speakers were Sara Winnington, East Sussex Healthy Homes Project; Veronica Payne, WRVS Heritage Plus Eastbourne Co-ordinator for reminiscence workshops and outcomes and Rita Howard & Gilly Moore, EXTEND.

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NOTES of the meeting on FRIDAY 8 JUNE 2007 at 3pm about PROPOSALS AND OPTIONS FOR CHANGE TO LOCAL AREA HOSPITAL SERVICES: THE POTENTIAL IMPACT ON SERVICES FOR OLDER PEOPLE. For a statement based on this meeting's discussion, and on other communications to the Forum chairman, presented to HOSC at its evidence-gathering meeting on 22 June, CLICK HERE. For the HOSC meeting, CLICK HERE.

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NOTES of the meeting on FRIDAY 8  JUNE 2007 at 1230pm about PENSIONS AND OLDER PEOPLE. Presentations were given by: (1) Carolyne Ball, Partner Liaison Manager, East Sussex Joint Team, The Pensions Service and East Sussex County Council, and (2) Nigel Waterson, MP.

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NOTES of the meeting on 10 April 2007 about COMMUNICATION WITH OLDER PEOPLE. Presentations were given by:(1) Alison Cairns, Eastbourne Libraries, (2) Nikki Laugharne, ESCC Telecare Project and (3) Lisa Hodgson, Wellbeing, Health and Occupation for Older People (WHOOP) Research Group of the Clinical Research Centre for Health Professions, University of Brighton.

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NOTES of the meeting on 6 February 2007 about HOUSING FOR OLDER PEOPLE IN EASTBOURNE. Presentations were given by: (1) Carol Kelly, Eastbourne Homes Ltd, (2) Stephen Will, Eastbourne Care & Repair and (3) Teresa Lipson, Eastbourne Housing & Support Locality Strategy Group - CLICK HERE for the Executive Summary of the Eastbourne strategy and a questionnaire for responding [July 2007]. Presentations were followed by discussion and by reflections by the rapporteur, Marian Barnes, Professor of Social Policy, University of Brighton.

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2006

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NOTES of the meeting on 14 November 2006. The presenter was Martin Packwood, Programme Manager, ESCC Adult Social Care Independence First project to promote independence for older people (Department of Health/POPP funding £3.2M over two years).

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NOTES of the meeting on 5 September 2006, which included presentations from Samaritans, Eastbourne Rainbow Network and Mediation+ (formerly Eastbourne Community Mediation Service)  on their work with older people and the challenges their older clients present.

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NOTES of the meeting on 4 July 2006, which included Debbie Bamford, Interim Chief Executive, Eastbourne Downs PCT and Transitional Lead Chief Executive for East Sussex, discussing the potential impact on older people of recent and current NHS changes. Also Gerry Gillett on the work of the Prostate Cancer Support Association Eastbourne Support Group.

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notes of earlier Forum meetings