Hello everybody!!! Thankyou sooooo much for taking your time to sponsor me and my little sister in our biggest sport challenge...EVER!!!! We thought that if we were going to do something for charity then we may as well go all out and do something completely out of our comfort zone...

We have both grown up around the elderly (our mum worked in a nursing home for 10 years) and we know first hand how lonely and isolating it can be and how a strangers kindness can impact so much in the life of an older person. Something so small in our lives like a smile as you pass them on the street can mean so much to some one who lives alone.

 Spread the Warmth is an Age UK campaign to stop older people suffering and dying needlessly in winter.

The facts

26,000 winter deaths every year...

Every year, more than 26,000 people die needlessly during winter because of the cold weather.

... 9 in 10 of which are older people

Older people are more vulnerable to effects of cold weather - out of the 26,000 winter deaths every year, 9 in 10 are older people.

Over a third of people in the UK aged 65+ say they are dreading the cold weather in winter

Why is cold weather an issue for older people?

As we get older, our bodies respond differently to the cold – increasing the likelihood of a heart attack, stroke, or pneumonia

Cold weather also makes it more difficult for people to get around – which can lead to depression, loneliness, and isolation. Over 500,000 older people spend Christmas Day alone

Cold weather adds to the financial worries of older people - 36% of people aged 60 or over in Great Britain stay or live in just one heated room of their home to save money. 30% say they avoid heating rooms like the bedroom, bathroom or living room because they are worried about the cost

Spreading the warmth

During Spread the Warmth, Age UK and the majority of our network of local partners will:

• Distribute essential items like clothes, heaters and electric blankets – to keep people warm
• Provide benefit checks to ease financial worries
• Offer snow clearance services, shopping support and befriending visits – so those with mobility issues can get what they need
• Run Christmas parties, theatre trips, and Christmas shopping trips - to help fight isolation
• Distribute information guides, including tips on how to stay warm in your home.
• Distribute thermometers – so older people know when to turn on their heating. 

 

Anyone who knows me and Ash will know that we are soooooo not built for running and i will probably need a knee replacement when i cross the finish line but its for such a good cause and if you would like to know more then go to the age uk website. You can even apply to be a befriender which means that from 1 hour a week to as many as you can fit in you can visit an elderly person and just sit there and have a chat and a cup of tea!!!

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.

Totes emotionale!!!!

Thank you...

 

Af & Ash xx