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Website: self-manage by strikingly simple
The VOX Forum comprises the following organisations and individuals:
Mo Smith, Regenerate-RISE
Regenerate-RISE reaches the isolated elderly in South-West London and has a passion to rise to the challenge of eradicating isolation amongst older people. RISE provides a full programme to suit the needs of their clients, which includes activities, lunches, outings, transport, a visiting programme at home and in hospital along with support and care in the community and is currently based at the Platt Christian Centre in Putney, SW15. RISE has set up Praise@Platt which provides a monthly time of Christian worship aimed at older people who have expressed an interest in learning more about the Christian faith and who do not generally attend Church. The Founder, Mo Smith believes that we can be the hands and feet of Jesus to an isolated, neglected and often invisible generation bringing hope and fulfilment in life, whatever the age. RISE works across Roehampton, Putney and Southfields and is hoping to initiate five other projects in five major cities across England during the next few years. For further information please see RISE's website www.regenerate-rise.co.uk or email Mo Smith for further information.
Michael Collyer, Church Army
Michael networks with older people agencies both Christian and others, visiting individuals and projects. This information gathering provides support and ideas for Church Army evangelists and others woking in this pioneering field or hoping to do so. His research aims to encourage the Church to move on from simply providing pastoral care for older people to enlisting their skills in mission, especially among the young old or saga generation, those who have experience and energy to evangelise their peers, most of whom have not been Church goers.
Michael joined the Sheffield Centre in the summer of 2005. It has given him greater access to the rest of the research team, Church Army college library and staff as well as to evangelists-in-training. It is hoped that this will dispel the myth that the Sheffield Centre is only concerned with younger church planting initiatives. As part of the team, Michael will continue to publish the outcomes of his findings, through a series of papers entitled "Discovering Faith in Later Life". The periodical "Focus on Older People Bulletin" he produces provides details of the Church Army's resource material in relation to "Evangelism and Older People".
For more information on Michael Collyer's work on exploring the spiritual needs of older people, visit the Church Army website and clik on "Sheffield Centre" (or click here) to download a range of materials by Michael or contact him at the Sheffield Centre on 0114 2727451 or via email: ask@sheffieldcentre.org.uk.
David Shafik, Keychange Charity
Keychange Charity, formerly known as Christian Alliance, was founded in 1920 by a group of women concerned for the social and spiritual needs of young single women working in cities. Just after the First World War, lunch clubs were set up where young women, many in menial jobs, could meet and make friends. Hostels opened for young working and student women and later for men. In the 1950s holiday homes were established to provide young families with affordable seaside holidays.
Superficially, conditions have changed enormously since our work began, but there are still major social problems in the UK. Modern trends in family life have led to dramatic and shocking changes in the structure of today's population. Increasingly there are large numbers of people who feel marginalised by society - alone and lonely in a country of 60 million.
Over the last 80 years the work of Keychange Charity has responded to the demands of a rapidly changing society. We now operate in two distinct areas of social need: providing homes for frail elderly people and supported accommodation for young and vulnerable homeless people. We also have an outreach project to street sex workers. We are currently planning for expansion in all areas. All of our centres are run on Christian principles.
David Heydon, Outlook Trust
Before taking over as Director of Outlook in January 2003, David spent two years working as Assistant to the Founder, developing a deeper understanding of the spiritual needs of older people and building for the growth of Outlook as an organisation, on the foundation laid by Rhena Taylor. He is excited to be caught up in God's work, bringing hope of eternal life to people over 55 and liberating them from the confines of their own thinking and the consequences of ageism. For Christians there is so much more to life than just 'doing church' week by week or maintaining the status quo. He longs to find imaginative new ways in which the gifts and experience of older Christians, can be used to reach others with the love of God.
Outlook inspires, encourges and resources individual Christians, who are partners in mission and ministry to older people. Many are already retired and are committed to sharing their faith with others in whatever way God prompts them. Encouragement and support is given to the members through prayer, personal contact, regular mailings, conferences, training days and the provision of relevant resource materials.
Outlook also works with churches to ensure that mission and the spiritual welfare of their older members is given its rightful place in their action plans. Individual churches are encourged to host day conferences and training days to promote greater awareness about the spiritual needs of older people and how these may be addressed.
Other Forum members include Michael Butler - Christian Council on Ageing, Claire Haswell and Rob Merchant