A huge “Thank You” to all of those who attended the Together for Sutton (TfS) Older People’s Information Network on 20th May 2025, it was a pleasure to see so many of you in one space again; and a long awaited one at that too! I think we had over 70 Sutton professionals in the one room, a great turn out, and a great way to share such important information within our sector.
Simon Breeze, CEO Community Action Sutton.
A big “Thank You” to all of our inspiring guest speakers, stallholders and the Salvation Army Team. I have heard that some of you were moved to tears with our final presentation, I was too. I always feel that real-life lived experiences really do bring it home to all of us, it is just too easy to think about an issue and remain detached as it’s ‘just our job’! But to hear someone’s truth, well, that brings it all home doesn’t it! Makes us truly think beyond the job, the impact to that person, and impacts we can have for the better.
The focus for this Information Network was to explore support available in our borough for our older residents; be it statutory support commissioned by the London Borough of Sutton, voluntary sector support, peer support, groups and activities. We wanted to try and cover as much as possible utilising our networking session, and I think we achieved that!
To open up this event, we invited Peter Glass, the CEO of Age UK Sutton, to set the scene and remind us of who Age UK Sutton are and what they do, painting the picture of what the landscape looks like for older people in our borough and introducing the new Sutton Dementia Hub.
Peter Glass, CEO of Age UK Sutton, 20 May 2025 Age UK Sutton.
We then took a deep dive into the real deliverables that Age UK Sutton bring to our borough, and the real impacts they have on our older residents. Michelle Blagrove and Hilary Dodd brought our focus back to ageing well in Sutton, the fact that this is not always possible for some people, and that it is through their work that this can become easier, perhaps more manageable for some. With all of our amazing services in Sutton, we do have the ability to support each other from cradle to grave, but it is only through continuous information sharing, continually updating our knowledge banks, through events like this with peer support and networking, that it really comes to life.
Hilary Dodd, Chief Operating Officer, Age UK Sutton, 20 May 2025 Ageing Well in Sutton Age UK Sutton.
The reality is that we are all ageing, and by 2032, a quarter of our Sutton population will be over 50. With mental health and the fragility of our bodies and minds, ageing well should be a given, but sadly that is not always the case and as we know only too well, our bodies can work against us!
Michelle took us through the new Dementia Hub for Sutton, explaining that dementia comes in many forms, and affects not only those living with it, but all of their family and friends supporting them. You can find out more information about the Sutton Dementia Hub here.
Michelle Blagrove, Age UK Sutton, 20 May 2025 Age UK Sutton Dementia Services in Sutton.
It was a very heavy first half of the Information Network, and some much needed refreshments and cake was needed! This quarters Structured Networking session aimed to kick off a one-stop-shop knowledge dump of all known services that older people in the borough could join in with. Be it a group, a class, a service or an event; we asked you to list everything! You’ll be pleased to know that I brought home all of your thoughts from this session; my intention, to get these all typed up and work with Age UK Sutton, LBS and the Sutton Information Hub to try and bring a central calendar of these spaces together for everyone, professionals and residents. Watch this space!
Kicking off the second half, Brian Magorrian, Memory Assessment Services in Sutton, walked us through what it is like for someone to have dementia and the how the Memory Assessment Service can support residents through their journey. This is dependent on each individual and the circumstances that they find themselves in, so very much a person centric service, thus a person centric support plan.
Emma Easton, Admiral Nurse Team Manager, then explained who Admiral Nurses are; a service of Registered Nurses who specialise in dementia care and work with families affected by dementia who have complex needs. This service is available for people with dementia and their families from pre-assessment, through the disease progression into end of life, and post bereavement. The key here being that the Admiral Nurses work with families and the person living with dementia to support them through this journey holistically. Unlike some illnesses and conditions, there is no cure for dementia, once it has been diagnosed, the person must live with it and adapt as life changes for them.
Emma Easton, Admiral Nurse Team Manager, 20 May 2025 Admiral Nurse Dementia Hub Presentation.
Rachael MacLeod, CEO Sutton Carers Centre, then took the stage (with Siri) to bring the focus to Carers, young and old, of those living with dementia. This condition is so dibilitating and can really take its toll on those around the person who is living with dementia. The need to ensure we care for those caring for others is critical. Even if just a short respite each week. It is hugely important to remember the Carer as well as who they are Caring for.
Rachael MacLeod, CEO Sutton Carers Centre, New Contact Details Slide.
We finished our event with Kim Clarke, introducing My Mental Wellness UK CIC, a UK wide website supporting those who are experiencing mental health issues, or who may be in crisis at that moment in time and need to know services close to them, wherever they are in the UK. This Community Interest Company was born very much from lived experiences of founders Kim and Tracy North. A very easy to use website, based on identifying the location of the user, and connecting them with local services to support them either immediately, or longer-term with their mental health issues. Please do take a look at the My Mental Wellness UK CIC site here and share it far and wide.
Kim Clarke, Founder and Director of My Mental Wellness UK CIC.
All in all, another fantastic Together for Sutton Information Network which wouldn't be possible without all of you joining us, so thank you. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Kate Lawman, kate@communityactionsutton.org.uk, and we will be sure to join you up with the right people at the right time. Equally, if you need to use the Together for Sutton services, you can complete an online referral here or call us on 020 8254 2616.
