LATEST NEWS

'Purri Folkie' Gypsy and Travellers Group, Leeds

Leeds Gypsy and Travellers Exchange (Leeds GATE) has secured Community Chest funding to establish a group supporting older people from the Gypsy and Traveller community. The group, called Purri Folkie (Old People), will aim to promote participation and reduce isolation within the target community. Purri Folkie will meet regularly, and will provide information, support and advice to elders, carers and other family members. One of their main aims will be to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of the Gypsy and Traveller community, whose average life expectancy is just 50 years compared to the Leeds average of 78 years. To achieve this aim, group meetings will include outdoor activities as well as visits from health professionals and dieticians. The group will aim to launch itself during the International Week for Older People in September.

For further information on Purri Folkie, please contact Claire Graham at Leeds Gypsy and Travellers Exchange: +44 113 234 6556 or claire-g@leedsgate.co.uk.

BME Elders Focus Group, Leeds

The BME Elders Focus Group was launched in September 2004 after the Leeds Older People's Forum secured funding for a part-time BME Elders Focus Group Worker. The overall aim of the Focus Group is to "improve and develop the involvement of voluntary organisations supporting BME elders in the partnerships responsible for developing older people's services in Leeds". There are currently 15 voluntary organisations who are members of the group.

The BME Elders Focus Group has recently been selected to undertake a project, in collaboration with Help the Aged in London, to raise awareness about the risk of falls to older people from minority ethnic communities. In addition to raising awareness, the project will aim to reduce the risk of falls through a number of sessions delivered to BME elders. These sessions will include strengthening and balance exercises as well as individual health assessments. The project will also aim to foster better links with local falls prevention services in Leeds.

For more information about the BME Elders Focus Group, please contact Jenny Sleight, BME Elders Focus Group Worker: +44 113 276 0999 or jenny.sleight@opforum.org.uk.

SEEM II workshop at the European Social Services Conference 4 - 6 July 2005

A workshop about the SEEM project has been recently held by the SEEM II project team at the European Social Services conference in Edinburgh. The conference addressed how public services in Europe should respond to growing care and health needs in a challenging social and economic environment. The SEEM presentation focused on examples of good practice from the partner cities such as the development of an ethnic minority action group in Leeds (UK) to discuss issues around social & health care for ethnic minority elders or the establishment of a community centre for ethnic minority elders in Gothenburg (Sweden).

Further information can be found on the following website:

www.socialeurope.com/edinburgh/

SEEM photographs star in national display, June - July 2005

Two photographs, taken by photographer Bukkie Opebiyi and showing minority ethnic elders from Leeds, were recently included in a national exhibition in London under the UK's presidency of the EU. The photos were taken at the Black Elders 'Dementia Café' in Leeds, which is organised as part of SEEM by Leeds Black Elders' Association, a partner in the project. The pictures show a group of BME elders socialising and making kites, one of several activities which take place as part of a programme designed to improve confidence and social inclusion within the group. The number of participants attending the Dementia Café has increased steadily since the start of the project, demonstrating the need and importance of such services for BME elders. The club has gone from strength to strength, and will now be used as an example of good practice in the conclusions of the SEEM project. The photographic exhibition, entitled 'What has being European done for me?', is aimed at showcasing the benefits of European integration at an individual level. The original exhibition ran from June 27 to July 2 at the Sheridan Russell Gallery in London, and plans are in motion to take the collection of photographs on a national tour.

SEEM partner attends the 18th World Congress of Gerontology in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 30 June 2005

In June, Dr Vera Gerling from the University of Dortmund, a partner in the SEEM project, attended the 18th World Congress of Gerontology in Brazil in order to give a presentation on European approaches to service delivery for BME elders, and specifically on the SEEM project. The overall theme of the Congress covered ageing in Brazil and South America, with presentations and seminars on many subjects under this wider theme. Although SEEM did not relate directly to the Congress' theme of ageing in South America, Dr Gerling's speech was well-received and generated much interest, as the role and needs of BME elders will increase greatly across the world in the coming years.

To view Dr Gerling's presentation to the Congress in the form of a downloadable .pdf document, please click on the link below:

SEEM presentation, Rio .pdf

BME exchange visits March - June 2005

The SEEM partners have recently organised twelve BME exchange visits between the different partner cities: Gothenburg to Dortmund, Dortmund to Gent, Gent to Lille, Bucharest to Leeds, Lille to Leeds and Leeds to Gothenburg. Two BME elders and an accompanying person from every partner city visited another partner city to learn about social & health care and what kind of services for ethnic minority elders are currently being developed. The visits focused for example on how to develop an Older People's Forum representing all the voluntary organisations working for and with elders or how to run and build up self-help organisations.

It is hoped that this will further develop contacts between black and minority ethnic elders' organisations in the different partner cities and encourage BME elders to influence service delivery in their interests.

"SEEM II - it's a great project. We see things here from one side of the coin. But venturing into other cities in other countries, we see the other side. Then we can sum up and compare, and we know that Leeds are trying their best." - Mrs Odessa Stoute, Leeds BME Elder.

Third partnership meeting in Gent, 27 - 29 April 2005

The third SEEM II partnership meeting took place in Gent from 27-29 April 2005. A packed timetable including a mix of seminars, workshops and a project visit to an Integration centre in Gent were organised during the visit. The main focus was the development of an "Elders Booklet" which will promote and summarise the best examples of good practice learnt during the project and the SEEM II final event in Brussels.

Dissemination seminars in each partner city, September - October 2005

All SEEM partners will hold a dissemination seminar with BME elders and their organisations in their city in the second half of 2005. These seminars will inform elders about the project's results, build further partnerships at a local level, and consult and involve elders in service delivery.

Please contact the relevant partner organisations to get a programme and further information about dates and venues.