June 2019
Hope you are all well and looking forward to another British Summer. The clocks have already sprang forward and let’s hope we get another sunny one again this year.
During the Spring our Owen Owen Trust volunteer visitors have been very busy holding afternoon tea parties around the country. Events have already taken place in Liverpool, Wirral, Chester, Preston/Blackpool, Kidderminster and Stourbridge and Doncaster. I hope all who attended enjoyed catching up with their old colleagues and friends.
We have one more afternoon tea planned which is taking place in Liverpool on Tuesday 10th September. Please contact the Owen Owen Trust office to book a place if you would like to attend this.
In March we sadly said goodbye to Rosemary Williams, our longest serving visitor who has given 32 years to the Trust. She was appointed in 1997 and at just short of her 95th birthday has decided that it’s time to put her feet up. We all wish you well in your retirement Rosemary. The beneficiaries in the Shrewsbury, Newport and Colwyn Bay areas who were contacted by Rosemary will now be telephoned twice a year by either Paula or Karen from the Owen Owen Trust Office.
We held our Biennial visitors meeting in Liverpool on Wednesday 5th June and I’m very pleased to say that most of our volunteer visitors and trustees were able to attend. Our biennial meeting is a great opportunity for everyone to get together from all over the country to share ideas. Since the last meeting we’ve said goodbye to visitors Barbara Lacey and June Skinner who have both retired and sadly Terry Ward and Rita Lovell who passed away. We welcomed new visitors Margaret Ball who covers Liverpool, Moira Connor, covering the Wirral area and Margaret Escott who covers the Redditch and Evesham areas.
Daniel Pattison, Head of Communications for the Campaign to End Loneliness was our guest speaker at the Visitors meeting and we discussed ways in which the Trust can help tackle the issue of loneliness. There are currently over £1.3 million chronically lonely people in the UK and the age groups most affected are 18 – 24 year olds and those over 75 years old. Research has shown the affects of loneliness are the equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day so loneliness is literally taking years off people’s life. The UK is the first European country to appoint a dedicated Government minister for loneliness. For more information on The Campaign to End Loneliness visit their website www.campaigntoendloneliness.org. The Silver Line is a free confidential helpline for older people which is open 24 hours a day everyday of the year. Their number is 0800 470 8090 and their website is www.thesilverline.org.uk
Daniel agreed that the Trust was exemplary in trying to help any former employees who may be feeling lonely by organising its afternoon teas and Christmas lunches and the volunteer visitors phone calls and visits were a lifeline to many of the beneficiaries.
Following the meeting some of our visitors and trustees enjoyed a tour around the Family History section and the archives of Liverpool Central library with archivist Jan Grace. Jan shared some old photographs of the Owen Owen Liverpool store and we also looked around the beautiful Picton Reading Room.
Your visitors will let you know about the events coming up in their areas. It seems too early to mention Christmas but we do have a date for our Christmas lunch in Liverpool if you want to put it in your diary early .It will be held on Tuesday 10th December at the Holiday Inn Hotel and anyone interested can book a place by phoning the Owen Owen Trust office.
Our newsletter is a good opportunity to remind you all how the Trust can help you and what we can and cannot fund.
The Owen Owen Trust can help with repairs and renewals (ie decorating, painting and carpets), white goods such as fridge freezers, washing machines and tumble dryers and TV’s. We can’t help with medical expenses (ie glasses and hearing aids), funeral costs, home helps/ domestic help and gardening/ fencing etc.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you would like to apply for an additional grant and we can talk you through the process of applying. Please also let us know if we haven’t got your up to date contact details. It’s important that we have current addresses and telephone numbers for you all.
Look forward to hearing from you. Enjoy the Summer.
Best Wishes
Karen and Paula
Owen Owen Trust, 4th Floor, 151 Dale Street, Liverpool L2 2AH Tel 0151 237 3985
karen.sloss@owenowentrust.org.uk Paula.Woosey@owenowentrust.org.uk
Owen Owen Trust are also on Facebook if you’d like to visit our page.