AT the January meeting of the Andover and District Older People’s Forum in the Guildhall, members were pleased to welcome Cllr Peter Boulton and his wife Lynda who attended to present a cheque for £333.

This was a Test Valley Borough councillor’s grant to cover the cost of printing copies of the ‘Phone a Friend’ parish information directory for Stockbridge, Leckford and Longstock plus one for Broughton, Houghton and Bossington. These directories contain information of use to older people who do not have access to a computer and gives them details of services available locally and further afield which will help them live independently at home for longer. It is an initiative organised by the forum for free to older citizens, as long as printing costs and delivery organisation is covered. It is complementary to parish magazines and the forum seek to work collaboratively with them on this.

Members were also pleased to have speakers from the British Red Cross local medical loans department in St Ann’s Hall in Suffolk Road and from the Macular Society who gave informative presentations about the services they provide.

They also heard about a stakeholder newsletter from Hampshire County Council about how they are planning to transform adult social care services within the reduced resources allocated by central government. It was decided to invite the head of this county council service to the forum meeting in the Guildhall on 10 March.