Befriending

Third Age Project runs several programmes and projects aimed at improving the quality of lives for the elderly. Some of our major programmes are described below.

60+ Health Club

The need for a 60+ Health Club has never been so urgent or necessary.  We operate within a deprived inner-city neighbourhood where there is a high level of general poor health, low self-esteem and poor knowledge and understanding of health issues, and barriers to accessing mainstream services. Primary care is at crisis point and over stretched, with some seeking access to healthcare services through A&E at nearby University College Hospital. Public Health England’s recent report acknowledges the urgent need for a greater focus on prevention services, new innovative solutions and ways of engaging with older people in non-clinical community-based settings, particularly those unable to self-manage long term health conditions. Diabetes alone costs the NHS £14 billion a year. 

In 2018

131 older people registered with the Health Club (93 women and 38 men), with 64 being new members.

80% were of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) origin.
80%
26% of club users were of Bangladeshi ethnic origin.
26%
113 (81%) had an identified health condition (67 women and 33 men).
81%

Ethnic background of 60+ Health Club users

Ethnic Background of 60 health club users

The 60+ Health Club achieved impressive outcomes over the year and was evaluated though an independent survey completed by 63% of club users.

90% reported they now felt healthier as a result of taking part.
90%
89% reported an improved general sense of wellbeing.
89%
87% reported they had increased their knowledge of health issues.
87%

An independent customer satisfaction survey from a random sample of 42 club users found 100% rated the service 8 or more out of 10, with 72% giving 10 out of 10.

Following a one-day training and induction session our older Bangladeshi women’s group launched their new weekly Walking for Health on 1st February 2018. On a very cold and wintry March day they celebrated International Women’s Day by having a picnic in Regents Park!

The Men’s Shed (a pilot project)

The idea was to create a male friendly space for older men to meet with table tennis, pool table, a refreshments bar and comfortable seating, run at the same time but alongside the 60+ Health Club on Wednesday mornings. In 2018, 51 older men registered with 26 new users.

New Mens kayak club
New Mens kayak club

3. Health & Wellbeing Community Learning

There is increasing recognition and acknowledgement of the importance of the creative arts for health and wellbeing, and feedback from our users and supporting partners provides powerful evidence of impact on health outcomes.

The key aims of our learning programmes are to maximise the impact of community learning, reduce health inequalities and support sustainable and resilient communities.

Benefits for learners include:

Women's Keep Fit Club
Women's Keep Fit Club

We are able to deliver a large range of accessible free community adult learning tasters and courses through our partnerships with supporting organisations. Classes include: home crafts, crafts, yoga, drama, ESOL, jewellery, Tai Chi, art & drawing, computers and country dance. We regularly hold open taster sessions at community events and at our premises and hold a well-attended Open House Week each year.

With exercise promoting the release of feel-good endorphins, participants are encouraged to return each week and progress. These group sessions also significantly reduced isolation and encouraged communication among participants.

In 2018, 53 people registered for this class, with average attendances of 25 per week (a 56% increase on last year). 94% of our older people registered with the chair-based exercise class and rated it 10 out of 10 in a survey for assessing the impact attendance has had upon users lives.