Faith in Older People (FIOP) Events
HOW CAN FAITH COMMUNITIES HELP OLDER PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE ABUSE
Katherine Southern, Development Manager,
Hourglass Scotland and Northern Ireland
Tuesday 8 February 2022 – 4.00pm-5.30pm
Hourglass is the only charity dedicated to calling time on the harm, abuse and exploitation of older people across the United Kingdom. With more than 25 years’ experience and expertise, the mission of Hourglass is to listen, advise and support older people at risk of abuse and their loved ones throughout the UK. Every year, more than a million older people are physically, psychologically, financially, or sexually abused, or neglected in the UK. That’s one in six older people who are victims of abuse.
What can faith communities do to respond to this epidemic of violence? In this talk, to be followed by a Q&A, the Development Manager for Hourglass Scotland will provide an overview of what all faith communities should know in order to effectively recognize and respond to abuse. The talk will cover what the charity knows about the scope and nature of abuse of older people in Scotland, the effects of the pandemic on older people at risk of abuse, and the warning signs of abuse and neglect. The talk will also address how faith leaders can help prevent abuse by creating communities receptive to the voices of survivors, and how they can respond to the spiritual needs of victims and survivors.
Katherine Southern is the Development Manager for Hourglass Scotland and Northern Ireland. She is originally from the U.S., where she was an elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and she is now a member of Church of Scotland. She served on the interfaith council at her university and maintains an interest in interfaith work.
BOOK YOUR FREE PLACE NOW VIA EVENTBRITE – click HERE
A few concessionary places have become available. Please email info@fiop.org.uk with enquiries
ZOOM workshop – NB numbers are limited
Understanding mental health illness for faith communities
Talking about mental illness – Dr Gill Yellowlees
Tuesday 8th March 2022 *** Time: 1.30-4.30 (3 hours) *** Registration fee: £30
Dr Gill Yellowlees will lead this session as a space for us to think about how we talk about mental illness, and how we can best offer friendship and support to people who are experiencing mental health challenges, within a church or pastoral care setting. The focus for today is primarily on the needs of people experiencing mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety and psychotic illness, and particularly thinking about older people.
About Dr Yellowlees – Dr Yellowlees trained as a doctor and a psychiatrist and retired seven years ago from working as a Consultant in Mental Health for Older People in the Scottish Borders.
She trained in Spiritual Accompaniment and, amongst other things, over the past four years has led workshops on mental illness for people involved in pastoral care.
BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW VIA EVENTBRITE – CLICK HERE
Faith in Older People and Anna Chaplaincy
Join us for a FREE on-line seminar on 6th April 2022 4.30pm – 6.00pm
The pandemic has shone a spotlight on the complex needs of older people. One organisation that’s seen a rise in numbers of people wanting to help those in the older age category is Anna Chaplaincy.
Anna Chaplains – named after the faithful widow ‘Anna’ who appears in Luke’s gospel – are community-based.
Independent research shows ‘Anna Chaplains are present with older people, their families, and care staff in a multitude of ways: as friends, pastors, and ministers; sharing conversation, hopes, fears, prayers and laughter. They’re in family homes, communities and clubs, church groups, care and nursing homes, through joy and loss, life to death. To those they serve, they are quite simply, essential.’ (Impact Report 2021 https://www.annachaplaincy.org.uk/impact-report-2021 )
The Anna Chaplaincy network is now more than 200-strong and is now in Scotland, with network members in South Lanarkshire, Nairn and Orkney.
Anna Chaplains (male and female) often pursue a vocation to work in their own communities on reaching retirement-age themselves, finding renewed meaning and purpose in local ministry.
If you’d like to find out more, take part in a joint webinar on April 6 from 4.30pm – 6pm with Faith in Older People and the Anna Chaplaincy team, led by Pioneer of the movement and former broadcaster, Debbie Thrower.
Sign up for your free place via Eventbrite HERE
