By David Gledhill, Marketing & Communications Lead IN this busy life, it is rare to get the chance to reflect on the effects of our actions and take the opportunity to blow our own trumpets. However, this is one of those occasions and having just read through some of the responses we received to our survey about what people thought about our hastily set up … Continue reading Reflecting on Torbay Community Helpline, and your responses

INTREPID fundraiser Ann Whitehouse has been back out on the road to raise more money for charity. Despite pouring rain and high winds Ann donned her rain mac and walking shoes and set out for Goodrington Sands from the centre of Torquay to raise cash for the Torbay Timebank and Ageing Well Torbay. She managed to raise just over £100 from family and friends despite … Continue reading Ann, 72, raises over £100 in trek from Torquay to Paignton for local charities

By David Gledhill, Marketing & Communications Lead It has been said many times in the few months that we live in interesting times and to achieve, what used to be ‘normal’ and commonplace, we have to get creative. For the last five months,  Ageing Well Torbay events have been in abeyance as we instead focused all our efforts on making sure no-one was isolated and … Continue reading Ageing Well Festival @Home

Parks and tourist attractions across the Bay are being used as safe spaces in a unique scheme to help vulnerable people emerge from shielding in a safe and controlled way. Government support for the most vulnerable people who have been self-isolating since the start of lockdown ended at the beginning of August, but some people are still reluctant to emerge. Callers to the Torbay Community … Continue reading Safe spaces and buddy scheme for Torbay’s shielding residents

By David Gledhill, Marketing & Communications Lead If you are one of the lucky ones who is no longer self-isolating, you could be forgiven for thinking that everyone else is out and about too. After all, Torbay is busy, particularly given the recent good weather, but what you can’t see are those that are choosing to continue to shield or are choosing to avoid crowds … Continue reading Buddy system and shielding hours for trips out

By David Gledhill, Marketing & Communications Lead Tricky this coronavirus – just when you think it is (relatively safe) to go out and about it comes up and bites you where it hurts the most. Last week saw the official lifting of shielding by the Government, which ironically coincided with a strengthening of the rules regarding socialising in as much as you are no longer … Continue reading A thank you to helpline rapid responders

By David Gledhill, Marketing & Communications Lead TORBAY is getting busy again with the streets thronged with shoppers and tourists – so much so you could be forgiven for thinking things were back to normal. But we should not be lulled into a false sense of security and it is important to remember that not everyone is back out and about shopping, visiting cafes, restaurants … Continue reading Shielding and socialising in Torbay

The convenience of companionship through the coronavirus crisis led to love blossoming in lockdown for a couple who had both previously sworn never again. Sylvia Harrison had nursed her second husband Don for more than ten years before he died and she moved to Brixham three years ago to be nearer her daughter. The last thing on her mind was another relationship. Graham White, who … Continue reading Love in Lockdown

By David Gledhill, Marketing & Communications Lead At the end of next week, many of the services provided for people who are shielding will be withdrawn. Following Government advice, Torbay Council won’t be checking in with you on a regular basis anymore and the food parcels and medicines will no longer be delivered, which for some people will be problematical. Not everyone is happy about … Continue reading Torbay Community Helpline set to stay for the long run

A new report from the Ageing Well Torbay learning series has been released, detailing the work that went into establishing the Torbay Community Helpline. In the days leading up to March 23rd (the beginning of lockdown) and beyond, staff from all projects and programmes of Torbay Community Development Trust rallied together both members of the community, volunteers and partner organisations in an effort to help … Continue reading Pandemic Response – Building resilience in the community in response to COVID 19 pandemic – 2020 report