Monthly Archives: October 2021

L’impact du projet HAIRE : un portrait de notre site pilote à Feock (Translation)

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Below is the French translation of an earlier blog post in English detailing the progress of HAIRE in the parish of Feock, one of our UK pilot sites. Thanks as always to our University of Exeter intern, Valentine Naude.

Cathy Whitmore, responsable administrative dans la paroisse civile de Feock au Royaume-Uni, est une interlocutrice fondamentale pour les différents membres de sa communauté. Durant cette dernière année, elle a passé le plus clair de son temps à répondre aux appels téléphoniques et à mettre en place des mesures d’assistance pour les membres de sa communauté – tout au long des divers confinements ainsi qu’au terme de ceux-ci. Elle a également rassemblé les points de vue de tous les intervenants qui jouent un rôle dans le perfectionnement et le développement de produits et de services visant à améliorer la vie des personnes âgées – et avant tout, les points de vue des personnes âgées elles-mêmes. Le projet HAIRE a donné l’opportunité aux résidents de parler de sujets qui leur tiennent à cœur.

Pendant cette période difficile, le projet a donné de la motivation, de l’énergie, et de l’assurance à tous ceux qui ont fait du bénévolat et travaillé au sein de la communauté, y compris les commerces, les écoles et les groupes religieux. L’esprit communautaire a été mis à rude épreuve tout au long de la pandémie ; dans un précédent article qui traitait de la bonté des bénévoles au plus fort de la crise COVID, nous remarquions que 150 bénévoles se sont portés volontaires pour venir en aide aux autres villageois. Pour cette raison, Feock n’a pas eu la moindre difficulté à recruter des « Aidants HAIRE » – il s’agit des bénévoles qui viennent à la rencontre des personne âgées pour mieux comprendre leurs attentes et leurs besoins. Il y a même eu un surplus de 50% en matière d’Aidants HAIRE recrutés dans la paroisse civile, ce qui a surpassé toutes les attentes.

Une interview récente, réalisée à Feock avec la bénévole Sue Thomas, est parue durant l’évènement en ligne « Virtual Voyage », créé par Interreg 2 Mers – qui finance notre projet – à l’occasion de la Journée de la Coopération Européenne le 21 septembre 2021. Sue a rejoint le projet dans l’intention de venir en aide à la communauté locale. Dans le cadre du processus de préparation des Aidants HAIRE, elle a suivi des séances de formation visant à inculquer aux bénévoles des compétences d’écoute, d’interview, de protection et d’autres encore, qui pourraient bénéficier non seulement aux individus, mais aussi à l’ensemble de la communauté. Alors qu’Interreg mettait en valeur le travail de tous ceux qui se trouvent sur le terrain à travers la zone européenne des 2 Mers, nous avons eu un aperçu des résultats obtenus par les bénévoles de Feock. Vous pouvez accéder à l’interview de Sue sur YouTube ici.

Selon Cathy, le projet a créé un point de ralliement pour les personnalités notables de la communauté – celles qui tissent des liens sociaux et celles qui les influencent. Il s’agit de personnes qui faisaient déjà du bénévolat, en proposant et en dirigeant des activités de groupe, et les membres des conseils, par exemple – toutes des personnes qui ont un intérêt direct dans l’amélioration de la vie de nos séniors. Travailler ensemble sur le thème central du bien vieillir permettra à terme d’ouvrir la voie à des solutions plus solides et interconnectées. La paroisse civile de Feock est constituée de plusieurs communautés, et le projet HAIRE leur a permis de se considérer comme une seule famille de villages réunis dans la paroisse civile de Feock, avec des problèmes et des préoccupations similaires, plutôt que des entités indépendantes sur une échelle d’importance et de statut, afin que plus de personnes puissent bénéficier des initiatives locales.

Le projet HAIRE a inspiré ses nouveaux participants et les a incités à présenter leurs idées et proposer leur aide. Un projet intergénérationnel a été lancé par un artiste local qui a découvert le projet HAIRE en discutant avec l’équipe, et ils sont maintenant en train de planifier un « Festival Memory Shanty ». Les séniors de la communauté feront le récit de leur vie et partageront leur point de vue unique avec des écoliers, qui travailleront avec des musiciens pour composer des chansons de marin basées sur les vies réelles de leur communauté. De manière générale, le projet HAIRE a donné l’opportunité aux gens de faire preuve de créativité et d’originalité – il n’y a « pas de mauvaise idée ». Il y a quelque chose de très puissant à voir les idées des uns et des autres se transformer en action positive.

Les conversations avec les participants ont amélioré notre compréhension des changements qui jalonnent le cours d’une vie, et de leur impact à un niveau multigénérationnel. Le vieillissement nous impacte tous, pas seulement les « personnes âgées ». Le danger d’un monde qui se rétrécit au fur et à mesure que l’on vieillit, nous exposant à la solitude, est largement reconnu. Sachant cela, les individus peuvent commencer plus tôt à planifier leur avenir, avec la participation d’organismes d’assistance.

Tous les sites pilotes visent à améliorer les services qui sont déjà en place et qui jouent un rôle important, ainsi qu’à établir un lien avec eux. A Feock, l’importance et la disponibilité croissantes de la prescription sociale permet aux résidents d’être dirigés vers des activités locales pour une multitude de raisons différentes, par exemple la perte d’un être cher, l’anxiété ou la solitude. Les bénévoles du projet HAIRE sont disponibles pour se mettre en binôme avec des membres de la communauté en fonction de leurs intérêts – par exemple la natation, le jardinage ou la promenade. Les bénévoles les accompagnent en leur tenant la main (métaphoriquement) pour les aider à découvrir ou redécouvrir certaines activités sociales, et ainsi développer confiance et relations. L’équipe a développé une liste « Que se passe-t-il ? » et un « Répertoire des groupes, services, et assistances téléphoniques » pouvant être envoyés aux résidents, qui sont plus tard contactés par téléphone et se voient offrir la possibilité de conseils supplémentaires et d’assistance s’ils en ont besoin à l’avenir. Toutes les activités organisées dans la paroisse civile sont annoncées et révisées de façon régulière dans un format accessible et inclusif.

Les ateliers CREATE qui ont eu lieu pendant la période estivale ont rassemblé tous ces individus dans un espace de tolérance pour qu’ils puissent partager leurs idées, exprimer leurs opinions, et se sentir écoutés et respectés. Le projet HAIRE a pu répondre aux remarques et à la demande en solutions rapides qui pourraient être développées sur le long terme. Il faut noter que le travail de vérification autour de la pertinence des services existants et le travail de création de nouveaux services ne s’arrêteront pas quand l’étude touchera à sa fin. Les communautés impliquées sont en train de développer un type de compétences et d’opportunités qui peuvent réellement changer les choses, et qui pourront évoluer avec leur temps jusqu’à garantir une culture d’écoute et d’apprentissage aussi naturelle que florissante, qui engendrera une action positive et adaptée aux personnes âgées.

Le projet HAIRE fait appel à ses intervenants à intervalles réguliers et de façon différente tout au long du projet, tandis que nous continuons de promouvoir un changement global et durable du système ainsi que d’amorcer et de développer des modèles innovatifs de prestation des services. Dans cette perspective, nous organisons régulièrement des réunions de groupe pour établir une ligne directrice, par exemple la « HAIRE Action Group Meeting » de la paroisse civile de Feock, qui a eu lieu en Septembre 2021.

Celebrating HAIRE Volunteers in Rother, UK

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The Rother (East Sussex, UK) Voluntary Association AGM took place on 19th October 2021 and included the first RVA Volunteer Award ceremony. The award for Outstanding Volunteers was presented by The Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex, Mr Andrew Blackman, and received on behalf of the team by volunteer Hans and Councillor Sue Prochak. The nomination for the award is printed below as it sums up beautifully the work of the volunteers. It was written by Steve Broome, HAIRE Project Manager, Policy & Strategic Development Team, Adult Social Care and Health at ESCC.

 

The Healthy Ageing and Innovation in Rural Europe (HAIRE) project is an Interreg-funded initiative led by the University of Exeter that works with a wide range of partners across England, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. At the centre of the project is the importance of understanding the lived experience of ageing in multiple ways – in terms of physical health, mental and emotional wellbeing, loneliness, social relationships, connections to local organisations and services, transport, finances, and what people perceive their future might hold.

In 2020, just as the pandemic was beginning, the HAIRE project began advertising for volunteers who cared about the above issues in their Rye or Robertsbridge communities. Even in the midst of the challenges brought about by Covid, the HAIRE project was very lucky and grateful to have received interest from such an individually and collectively talented group of local people. The volunteers brought a range of professional experiences relevant to healthy ageing, and rich personal experiences of local community life and issues connected to ageing and wellbeing. All our volunteers live in the Rother area, and many have numerous voluntary and activist roles in their communities to improve wellbeing and community life in a diversity of ways.

The HAIRE volunteer team have supported the project for some 16 months and counting. The task of volunteers has been wide and complex and required flexibility.  Firstly, they undertook multiple training sessions that covered: healthy ageing theories, data, and attitudes; reflection on their own attitudes and experiences of ageing; active listening and interviewing skills; safeguarding; loneliness and mental wellbeing; understanding social networks; and action planning.

Following the training, volunteers had to put all these skills and knowledge together in conducting Guided Conversations with people aged 60+ who lived in the Rye and Robertsbridge areas. These conversations were very wide ranging, covering all the aspects of healthy ageing described above, and typically lasted 2-3 hours each. They required volunteers to build rapport and trust with others and be able to support and empathise with difficult experiences and topics, while also recording relevant information in written notes. The team have completed more than 200 hours of guided conversations, and are now repeating the exercise in going back to our 80 or so participants and seeing how things have changed for them six months on.

Beyond this, the volunteers have formed local steering groups in each of our pilot sites, meeting regularly to help guide the project, interpret data, make strategic decisions and co-produce community events. Most recently, they have helped to design and deliver events in the community with a wide range of resident and organisational stakeholders, which have resulted in innovative ideas to take forward over the remaining 18 months of HAIRE.

The volunteers have managed to do all this in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.  This has meant having to adapt to digital ways of working, despite many volunteers not having a high degree of familiarity with the technologies we have needed to use to run many aspects of the project virtually.

To date, the HAIRE project has engaged approximately 80 local people aged 60+ and taken the time to understand their experience and situation, to reflect on it, and help identify actions and sources of support that can improve their lives and age well in place. Volunteers have helped to identify the most important themes around healthy ageing in their communities and have been a key part in designing social innovations that will meet the challenges and opportunities of ageing faced by local people.

Throughout their volunteering, they have been very generous with their time, ideas, passions and personal experience. Not only has this been key to growing a team (rather than a set of individual volunteers) and to supporting each other in the multiple and challenging tasks they have undertaken, it has directly expressed the values of the HAIRE project in a way that has been ‘socially contagious’ – because they have been passionate, committed, open, kind, and generous, others have responded similarly and felt included in the project. They have set, and continue to set, the tone of the project in a way that makes more ambitious, transformative change possible.

The project, and everything that will stem from and be influenced by it, would not have been possible without the individual and collective contributions of the HAIRE volunteers. The wide range of people involved in the HAIRE project in East Sussex and beyond are extremely grateful for their involvement in the HAIRE project and look forward to continuing to improve the lives of local people with them.

The impact of HAIRE: A profile from our Cornish pilot site in Feock, UK

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Cathy Whitmore, HAIRE’s administrative officer in the Parish of Feock, UK, is a key point of contact for community members. Over the last year, Cathy has spent her time fielding phone calls and organising support for community members throughout the various lockdowns and beyond, and collating points of view from all stakeholders invested in the improvement and development of products and services that aspire to support and enhance the lives of older people – most importantly from older people themselves. HAIRE has offered residents an opportunity to speak up on matters close to their hearts.

The project has provided a sense of purpose, energy, and confidence during a difficult period for those volunteering or working in the community, including businesses, schools and faith groups. The spirit of community has been tested throughout the pandemic; in a previous post discussing the kindness of volunteers at the peak of the covid crisis, 150 volunteers come forward to help their fellow villagers. Because of that, Feock had no difficulties recruiting “HAIRE Enablers” – these are the volunteers who meet with older people to understand their needs and service desires. In fact, there was a 50% over-recruitment of volunteer HAIRE Enablers in the parish, which exceeded all expectations.

A recent interview with volunteer Sue Thomas in Feock featured in our project funder Interreg 2 Seas‘ “Virtual Voyage” online event, which was created for European Cooperation Day on September 21, 2021. Sue joined the project in order to help and support her local community. As part of the HAIRE volunteer preparation process, Sue took part in training sessions designed to provide skills in listening, interviewing, safeguarding and other skills that not only benefit the individual, but the community as a whole. With Interreg showcasing the work of people on the ground all over the 2 Seas area in Europe, we were given a glimpse into Feock volunteers’ achievements. Sue’s interview can be accessed on YouTube here.

Cathy said the project has created a rallying point for key figures in the community – social weavers and influencers. These are people already involved in volunteering, offering and running group activities, and council members, for example – all people who have a vested interested in making the lives of our older people better. To work together on the central theme of healthy ageing will ultimately enable stronger and more linked up solutions. Feock Parish is made up of several communities, and HAIRE has enabled them to envisage themselves as a family of villages within Feock Parish, with similar issues and concerns, rather than separate entities on a scale of importance and status, so that more people can benefit from local initiatives.

HAIRE has given inspiration and motivated fresh personnel to come forward with ideas and offers of support. An intergenerational project has been initiated by a local artist who discovered HAIRE through conversations with the team and they are now putting together plans for a “Memory Shanty Festival.” Older people in the community will share their life stories and unique points of view with schoolchildren, who will work with musicians to produce sea shanties based on real lives in their community. In general, HAIRE has provided people with an opportunity to be creative and innovative – there is “no such thing as a wrong idea”. There is something very powerful in seeing one’s ideas turn into positive action.

The conversations with participants have provided a better understanding of life changes and their impact on a multi-generational level. Ageing impacts us all, not just “older adults”. There is widespread recognition of the danger of a shrinking life world as we age, which puts us at risk of loneliness. Knowing this, it means individuals can start to plan for the future earlier, with the involvement of supporting organisations.

All pilot sites aim to improve the services already in place that have value and link in to them. In Feock, social prescribing’s growing importance and availability means that residents can be signposted to local activities for a range of different reasons, including bereavement, anxiety or loneliness. HAIRE’s volunteers are available “buddy up” with community members depending on their interest – such as swimming, gardening or walking.

The volunteers provide a guiding ‘hand-hold’ to help people discover or return to social activities, developing trust and relationships. The team has created a ‘What’s On’ list and ‘Directory of Groups, Service, and Helplines’ which can be sent to residents, who are later contacted by telephone and given the offer for further advice and support if required in the future. All the activities in the parish are advertised and reviewed on a regular basis in an accessible and inclusive format. They even advertise opportunities in a community phone box.

The CREATE workshops held throughout the summer months brought people together in a safe place to share ideas, voice opinions and feel listened to and respected. HAIRE has been able to respond to comments and requests to make quick wins in the short term with opportunities to grow in the long term.

We are all thankful for the work of the amazing volunteers involved in this project. During June’s National Volunteer Month, service users were asked for any comments they would like to pass on to Feock’s volunteers as well as posting on Facebook pages for anyone who would like to thank a member of the community for their support. A beautiful “thank you tree” was put together by a talented resident and used as a backdrop to the CREATE workshop sessions.

Importantly, the work to look at the relevance of services and the creation of new ones won’t just “stop” when the research comes to an end. The communities involved are developing the sorts of skills and opportunities that can really make a difference and can evolve with the times to ensure an organic, thriving culture of listening and learning for positive, age-friendly action with the voices of residents at the fore.

The HAIRE project involves its stakeholders at regular intervals and in different ways throughout the project as we continue to pursue widespread, sustainable system change and to initiate and support innovative models of service delivery. One element of this is to hold regular steering group meetings, such as the Parish of Feock’s HAIRE Action Group Meeting. This took place in September 2021.