Stockton’s Elderly To Get A Helping Hand

Older people living in and around Stockton on Tees are to get a helping hand with finding their way around the services, facilities and help available to them.

Durham City’s Clever Clogs Publishing learned this week that the North East office of the Legal Services Commission (LSC) has agreed funding for the publishers to produce a free guide to services for the Over 60s in the borough, in conjunction with Age Concern, Teesside.

Clever Clogs is best known for its kids’ guides and pocket booklets for teenagers but providing information for older people is something Editor Heather Alabaster sees as the logical next step for the company:

“We were delighted to hear our proposal had been accepted. This new guide is one of only six projects across the whole of the North East to be approved by the LSC.”

“Getting the go-ahead to produce the guide means we can help Stockton’s older people broaden their horizons, let them know what’s on and where to find it and give them access to invaluable advice and practical help and support on a variety of subjects.”

“The Clever Clogs guides for young children and teenagers are immensely popular with parents, carers and professionals and I’m confident this publication for older people will be equally well received as a valuable community information resource.”

Mark Tomlinson of Age Concern Teesside added: “As a group, elderly people are often some of the most difficult to reach and promote services to. This is where the Clever Clogs guide will come in; it will be a comprehensive, user-friendly guide for older people living in Stockton, about the services that are available to them in Stockton.”

The Golden Guide: Stockton for Over 60s will contain information on consumer rights, health and wellbeing and personal and home security issues.

It will be available this spring from community centres, libraries and information points and through health and social services professionals.

Clever Clogs Press, 17 January, 2005