faith in older people

Dear Colleague, as we approach the end of the year and our final event for 2023, we would like to thank you for your support and interest in our activities. There are still places available (if you haven’t already booked) at our forthcoming Conference and details are given below. If you would like any further information please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you.

THE POWER OF THE POSSIBLE: examples of local community action by older people from faith groups

(Gift of Age research)

THE GIFT OF AGE CONFERENCE

Thursday 30 November 2023 - 4.30pm - By ZOOM

A donation to this event would be appreciated – alternatively please contact us directly to book a place

Faith in Older People undertook a major and unique survey of the contribution of older people within and from our faith communities.

The aim of this Zoom conference is to share the research with you and to invite you to share your faith community’s experience and initiatives.

The overall aim of the project was to identify and better understand the contribution made by older people in faith communities to volunteering, community well-being and citizenship, highlighting the voluntary 'ministry' which lies at the heart of Christian faith, and is also echoed in all other faiths.

To achieve this, we had the following objectives:

• Understand the extent to which older people sustain faith communities through voluntary service

• Learn about the impact from the experience of the current 'lockdown' on older people undertaking voluntary service

• 'Map' the needs, contribution, and potential of older volunteers in faith communities

• Identify examples of innovative and challenging practices, particularly ones which have developed in response to the pandemic, exploring how sustainable they are in practice

The research was supported by the TOR Christian Foundation, and we want to ensure that the research is disseminated as widely as possible, and that individuals and different faith communities have the opportunity to learn about the outcomes and to hear about a range of initiatives that are undertaken across Scotland, and we are sure that many are replicated and that many more activities are being undertaken.

A COPY OF OUR REPORT IS AVAILABLE VIA THE FOLLOWING LINK

https://www.faithinolderpeople.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/The-gift-of-age.pdf

TO BOOK YOUR PLACE – register HERE

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FiOP is delighted to welcome The Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland as our 2023 MALCOLM GOLDSMITH LECTURER

This will take place on Tuesday 24 October 2023 - 4.30pm - by ZOOM

The title of the Moderator’s talk is “A ‘with, not to’ community: Valuing our older people”; an outline of the talk is given here –

Contribution of older people to communities of faith

How we can be a community with older people when their community changes and they feel isolated?

· A community of faith gives that ‘care in the everyday’ and it is a vital part of all our lives. Too often, life-long relationships are challenged or severed when a person goes into care or becomes frail. There can be multiple bereavement – of their independence, of their sense of contribution, of self; as well as increasing isolation, loneliness and loss of control over the changes sweeping around them. A significant contribution our faith communities can make is to value, protect and nurture those relationships throughout the changes and evolutions ageing brings.

TO BOOK YOUR PLACE –register HERE

A donation to this event would be appreciated

An article from Colm McBriarty

Scottish Dementia Friendly Communities Network

The Scottish Dementia Friendly Communities Network is a new movement which started in early 2023. It is managed by the About Dementia team in Age Scotland, with funding from the Scottish Government. Our aim is to bring together as many of the groups, organisations and services in Scotland that work directly with people affected by dementia in some way – that includes people living with dementia or cognitive impairment, as well as caring partners, families and friends.

Of course, those groups, organisations and services include faith communities of every description. When a person has concerns that they or someone they know may be developing dementia, they need more than just medical advice. They need all the support and friendship that they can get. Faith communities are an essential social network in the lives of so many people in Scotland, and the strength of the friendships and relationships within them is something that could and should be a source of help, hope and advice for people living with dementia and caring partners.

Faith communities offer more than just a mechanism for religious practice. They are friendship groups, lunch clubs, support networks, music groups, social clubs, and much more besides. They offer home visits, advice, guidance, counselling, comfort, and fun. They are all the things that you, as faith communities, know they are – and they can also be dementia friendly communities.

A dementia friendly community is not necessarily a physical place or a location. It can also be a bond between people, enabling people living with dementia, unpaid carers, and families and friends to enjoy a better life together for longer. Having a good understanding of dementia is an important foundation for any dementia friendly community, so it’s important that leaders and members of faith communities reach out to trusted sources of advice on the condition. This will enable them to provide the best advice and support to their members. The About Dementia team at Age Scotland is just one of those sources of advice, and the Scottish Dementia Friendly Communities Network will be able to provide additional help.

We have monthly online meetings, regional in-person events, and we provide regular updates on important developments. We also offer a wide range of free dementia-related training, including for unpaid carers, and we can provide financial support for you to visit other member communities to learn about dementia. No person living with dementia, and no unpaid carer, should be left without a support network, and neither should a faith community. There are many, many people and organisations that can help you gain a better understanding of dementia, to enable you to provide the best support to the members of your community. Being part of our Network can help link you to those people and organisations, and we would be very happy to welcome you.

If you would like to learn more about the Scottish Dementia Friendly Communities Network, please contact Colm McBriarty at colm.mcbriarty@agescotland.org.uk and he’ll be pleased to hear from you.

FAITH IN OLDER PEOPLE AND INTERFAITH SCOTLAND JOINT EVENT:

TACKLING LONELINESS AND ISOLATION IN OUR COMMUNITIES

Wednesday 15 November 2023 - 4.30pm –

By ZOOM This event is FREE

This online conference is being held to highlight the issue of loneliness by discussing the Scottish Government Policy on Loneliness; the action that faith communities do and can take to tackle loneliness and to explore proposals for the future. The Government Strategy has been up-dated and the link is below. We know that faith communities play a significant role in supporting people who feel lonely and isolated, so it is important we take this opportunity to consider the issues and differing roles.

Our speakers will include Maureen Sier, Interfaith Scotland; Paul Okroj, Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland; and representatives of faith communities in conversation.

Social isolation and loneliness: Recovering our Connections 2023 to 2026

TO BOOK YOUR PLACE – register HERE

THE GIFT OF AGE CONFERENCE

Thursday 30 November 2023 - 4.30pm - By ZOOM A donation to this event would be appreciated

Faith in Older People undertook a major and unique survey of the contribution of older people within and from our faith communities. The overall aim of the research was to identify and better understand the contribution made by older people in faith communities to volunteering, community well-being and citizenship, highlighting the voluntary 'ministry' which lies at the heart of Christian faith, and is also echoed in all other faiths.

The aim of this Zoom conference is to share the research with you and to invite you to share your faith community’s experience and initiatives.

TO BOOK YOUR PLACE – register HERE

BOOK SUGGESTION

'Valuing Age- Pastoral Ministry with Older People' (SPCK 2008) is a textbook referred to frequently in Anna Chaplaincy training.

Scottish Interfaith Week - 12 - 19 November 2023

Community

Striving for change on our own is an insurmountable challenge. Striving for change together is when we can have the biggest impact. Over recent years we have stood together for our planet, the rights of women, refugees and all those affected by injustice around the world. But big change always starts small. By tending to our friends, our neighbours, and our local communities, we can challenge loneliness, break down stereotypes and nurture resilient relationships. This Scottish Interfaith Week we invite people across Scotland to open their doors and organise meals, workshops, coffee mornings, family fun days, concerts, gatherings and more.

www.scottishinterfaithweek.org

IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY – we’d like to ask you to become a FRIEND OF FIOP

Although, currently, most of our events are held by ZOOM – and are FREE - we still have overheads to cover from our limited budget.

An annual contribution of, say £25, would make an enormous difference to our small organisation.

As a Friend, you will receive our regular eNewsletter and invitations to our regular events.

PLEASE CONTACT US FOR AN APPLICATION FORM – info@fiop.org.uk

You can find out more about our work on www.faithinolderpeople.org.uk

OUR GRATEFUL THANKS TO THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY BECOME A FRIEND