Devon and Plymouth Chamber

Age UK Plymouth will be starting the new year as members of the Devon & Plymouth Chamber.

“We’re incredibly excited to be driving the charity forward in 2023 with the support of Devon & Plymouth Chamber,” said Age UK Plymouth CEO David Wood. “Now, more than ever we need to be sure that we are making strategic decisions to ensure that we are in the best possible position to support our clients. The partnerships and opportunities that Chamber Membership affords will be hugely beneficial to us and the community of over 50s in Plymouth that we support. The Chamber also provides a fantastic platform for us to continue to spearhead our commitment to building a Dementia Friendly Community through the free training and awareness programme that we have curated for the city.”

2022 has been a significant year for Age UK Plymouth, as the charity found themselves reacting rapidly to supporting people through the various lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, the past 12 months have seen the organisation again responding to the needs of the city.

In a ground-breaking partnership with Plymouth City Council (PCC) and LiveWell South West, The William and Patricia Venton Centre, Age UK Plymouth’s Mount Gould home, became the city’s first Short Term Care Centre (STCC). Officially opened in May with £820,000 of funding from PCC and a £310,000 investment by Age UK Plymouth, the centre houses 24 rooms providing a safe place for patients to stay after they have been in hospital. This could be for up to six weeks, with support from therapists and assistive technology and opportunities to engage in social activities in the rest of the building. The aim is that when people leave the centre they are feeling much better and ready to go home and live as independently as possible.

Just eight months after the first patient arrived at the STCC the team were awarded the One Devon Team Award at the NHS Devon Exceptional People awards. "Massive congratulations and thanks to everyone involved from all the Trustees," said Benny Wright, Chair of Trustees for Age UK Plymouth. "This is a well-deserved award that goes just a small way to reflect the hugely positive impact this work is having not just on those coming through the STCC, but more widely across Plymouth, as the STCC and discharge team play a vital role in reducing pressures at Derriford and Mount Gould."

The organisation’s Information and Advice team have also seen some major success this year as they were awarded a 100% pass rating following the completion of the Advice Quality Standard assessment.

Sarah Allen, Information and Advice Manager said, “The AQS is a flagship quality standard and demonstrates the service level that we are committed to providing. It is of paramount importance to us that our clients are confident in the knowledge that they are receiving accurate, complete and timely advice, and that as a provider we are not only accessible to them but also acting independently and in their best interests.”

Throughout the accreditation project Age UK Plymouth’s Information and Advice Team also managed to achieve their most successful quarter to date supporting over 50s in Plymouth in securing £581,139 in entitlements in just a three month period. Undoubtedly a huge contributor towards this huge figure is the team’s management of a large portion of Plymouth City Council’s Household Support Fund (HSF).

In just a few months the charity has been able to allocate £423,000 of funding towards the cost of living crisis. As the fund drew to a close at the end of September Age UK Plymouth has successfully assisted 973 individuals with payments of £350 (£450 to households with children) direct to energy suppliers, distributing £100 food vouchers to 280 people and replacing missing or defective white goods to the value of over £52,000.

Wrapping up the year at their Annual General Meeting the charity are proud to be celebrating a monumental year; a milestone anniversary, a host of successful partnerships and a plan for the new year which sees the development of new services, and the further strengthening of the organisations support for over 50s and those living with dementia in the city of Plymouth.