TWO new partners have joined Fenland District Council s Golden Age team, giving a further boost to the services available to older people in the area. The newcomers are the British Red Cross s Care in the Home programme and the Bobby Scheme. They bring

TWO new partners have joined Fenland District Council's Golden Age team, giving a further boost to the services available to older people in the area.

The newcomers are the British Red Cross's "Care in the Home" programme and the Bobby Scheme. They bring the total number of organisations working with Golden Age to 35.

Care in the Home Fenland provides short-term, practical and emotional care for individuals following a "life-changing crisis" such as bereavement, illness or accident. Volunteers support people for up to six weeks, rebuilding their confidence to enable them to remain as independent as possible.

They help with all sorts of tasks such as shopping, collecting prescriptions and making phone calls, as well as pointing them towards other helpful organisations and ensuring that people are eating and drinking healthily.

Tracy Impey, Care in the Home's coordinator, said: "The simple things we do help people stay on in their own homes - the last thing they want is to give up their independence. It's also good for the volunteers, in terms of getting out and meeting people. Teaming up with Golden Age means that we'll be able to make our free service available to a lot more people."

The Bobby Scheme is part of the Cambridgeshire Police Shrievalty Trust. It provides a free service to victims of burglary aged 60 or over as well as helping many older people who are at high risk or feel vulnerable.

Its security advisors repair minor damage caused by break-ins and install items such as locks, peepholes, door chains and alarms. They do not aim to turn a home into a fortress but provide practical help and reassurance when it is most needed - usually within 48 hours of a burglary.

Elizabeth Damazer, the scheme's coordinator, said: "We have been working all over Cambridgeshire for years. Joining Golden Age means that even more people will get to know us - and the safer they will be."

The scheme's success is shown by the fact that the repeat burglary rate for those who have been helped is less than 2 per cent, compared with a national rate of 14 per cent.

Welcoming the two new partners, Cllr Mac Cotterell, FDC's portfolio holder responsible for Golden Age, said: "We are delighted that these two excellent schemes are joining us. They will be a great benefit to Fenland's older people and further strengthen the wide range of support we already offer."

For more information:

Care in the Home: Call Tracy Impey on 01354 659724 or email TImpey@redcross.org.uk.

The Bobby Scheme: Call 07866 602100

Golden Age: Call Stephen Drew on 01354 622394 or email sdrew@fenland.gov.uk

The Golden Age team will be visiting the Fenland @ your service shops in March on January 4 and in Wisbech on February 4, from 10am to 3pm.