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Supporting older people in Kingston borough for 80 years

New appeal

A legacy of care:

£80,000 for 80 Years

Donate

June at Staywell

Awards ceremonies, celebrating our team, advice to beat the heat, and more...

People dancing in Raleigh House, Staywell's flagship day centre in New Malden.

Well done to Sev, winner of Raleigh House's first-ever staff pool tournament!

First up: Staywell sees success at Celebrating Communities Awards 2026

Deputy Chief Executive Anne Bren (left) alongside trustee and volunteer Anne Cann (centre) receives Staywell's 'Highly Commended' award for the Community Innovation Category.

We are pleased to announce that our team had a rather exciting evening at Kingston Council’s annual Celebrating Communities Awards. Staywell itself also saw some success on the night. Our staff and volunteers were collectively ‘Highly Commended’ in the Community Innovation category, an award given to individuals and organisations like Staywell who introduce new approaches or creative ideas to help improve services and address challenges within the local community.

Meanwhile, our trustee and veteran volunteer Anne Cann received the Lifetime Achievement Award for her 48 years(!) of service spent helping older people in the borough, from her start as a volunteer hostess at Holly Lodge in the Malden & Coombe Old People’s Welfare Association days, right up to her trustee work at Staywell today.

Now aged 89, Anne represents the continuity of the voluntary tradition that created local support for older people after the Second World War, but she was also a key figure in the period leading to the merger of Age Concern Malden & Coombe and Age Concern Kingston in 1999. This merger created a borough-wide organisation and ultimately became Staywell.

Her leadership helped ensure that the values of local neighbourliness, practical care and community commitment were preserved while the organisation expanded its reach and professionalism. Through decades of change — from volunteer-led welfare work to commissioned services, from local day centres to a borough-wide charity — Anne has offered wisdom, steadiness and active commitment.

Anne Cann through the decades: as a volunteer then and as a trustee today!

Her service is remarkable not only for its length, but for its quality: she has combined hands-on volunteering, strategic leadership, governance, innovation and loyalty to the people of Kingston. Her experience caring for her late husband during the 2000s helped ensure that the voice of the unpaid carer has always been prioritised as Staywell evolved. Anne Cann’s contribution has helped shape services that continue to support older and vulnerable residents today, leaving a legacy that is embedded in the fabric of community care across the borough.

Well done to her, our volunteer nominees who attended, and everyone else from the Staywell team — we couldn't be prouder of you all!

Celebrating our 80 years in style

By now it’s no secret that Staywell is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, but what you may have missed is our staff, volunteers – both past and present – together with both voluntary and statutory sector partners, having an extra-special get-together to mark the occasion!

Leo the therapy dog getting ready to make his special guest appearance.

The evening marked an important milestone for the charity, but more importantly gave us a chance to thank the people who make it all possible. Without the hard work of staff and volunteers alike, our legacy would be just that: a legacy. But thanks to the dedication (and determination) of the team behind our efforts day-to-day, we can instead look forwards to tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, and the day after that.

Without them, there is no Staywell. Our people are what makes the support we provide to the Kingston community possible – support we hope to continue across the borough for another 80 years. For this, we cannot thank them enough.

From the guestbook:

‘I look back on my time at Staywell with fondness and would ask that you pass on my warmest wishes to everyone on the team. I hope you all have a great evening celebrating a wonderful charity.’

‘You do such amazing work – and have been doing for an incredible 80 years! Congratulations!!’

‘What an amazing group of people you all are. I truly enjoy each moment of being part of Staywell.’

Thinking about the future

While thinking about the future, it is worth remembering that putting our affairs in order is one of the most thoughtful things we can do for the people we care about.

Changes to inheritance tax due in April 2027 mean that more people may wish to review their financial arrangements, pensions and Wills. For many, this provides a useful prompt to revisit plans that may not have been looked at for many years. A clear, up-to-date Will can provide certainty for family and friends, ensure that our wishes are understood, and make things easier for those left to deal with our estate.

When reviewing a Will, some people also choose to remember a cause that has been important to them during their lifetime. A gift to a local charity can be a lasting way to support future generations while ensuring loved ones remain the priority.

For charities such as Staywell, legacy gifts help us continue providing practical support, companionship and advice to older people and carers across the borough. As public funding becomes increasingly stretched, community support is becoming ever more important. Our experience is that people are often motivated by a desire to give something back locally and to support services that have helped them, their family or their community.

Not everyone is able to leave a gift in their Will, and there is never any expectation to do so. However, for those who are considering updating their arrangements, even a small gift can make a meaningful difference and help ensure local people continue to receive support for years to come.

After all, a well-prepared Will is about more than finances – it is about looking after the people and places that matter most to us.

Including a donation to Staywell in your will?

If you would like to leave a charitable legacy for Staywell in your Will, you can learn more on our website or contact our Chief Executive, Shane Brennan.

[email protected]

020 8942 8256

Get stocked up: the new issue of Staywell News is here

A few copies left ready and waiting in Raleigh House reception.

The latest issue of our free quarterly newspaper Staywell News has just arrived hot off the presses, packed full of stories from around the Staywell community.

Be sure to pick up your own copy next time you’re at one of the day centres, or keep your eyes peeled while out and about in RBK: deliveries will be arriving at council libraries soon, along with some very supportive local businesses too.

If you fancy lending a hand and distributing a few copies yourself – be it at your workplace, business, community group, or perhaps a waiting room in desperate need of a literature refresh – please get in touch with Oliver at [email protected] to discuss further.

Extreme weather & heatwave advice

The Raleigh House Scrabble Club still managed to keep their edge in the heat.

With temperatures in London expected to reach similar heights of the recent heatwave, we thought we’d share a few tips ahead of time to help you prepare.

Over-65s and vulnerable people with pre-existing conditions are among the most at risk during this hot weather, especially when taking medications which affect the body’s ability to thermoregulate.

This is exacerbated by how our houses are built. British homes are designed around colder weather, with older houses, top-floor flats and well-insulated homes all being particularly hard to keep cool, especially those in denser urban areas. However, there are a few things you can do to keep things a little cooler, no matter the type of home you live in:

1 — Shade or cover the windows, especially during the hottest times of day between 11am and 3pm

2 — Open windows where safe once the air outside feels cooler, usually at night, to try and get air moving through your home

3 — If you have access to electric fans, use them when the air temperature is below 35°C and take care to avoid dehydration from aiming the fan directly at your body

4 — Double- (or even triple-) check your heating is off

5 — Turn off lights and electrical items when not in use, as these may generate more heat than you realise

6 — Move to a cooler part of your home if possible, especially for sleeping – this might be a room on the ground floor as heat rises up through the house

7 — If you are able to travel safely, it may be cooler outside in the shade or in a public building, especially those with air-conditioning like places of worship, libraries, and shops

Council tenants and people living in social housing who are struggling to keep their homes cool should contact their landlord or housing provider for advice, especially if they are older, have a health condition, or live in a home that overheats. Kingston Council’s housing and heatwave advice pages also signpost support and guidance for residents, and some council homes may be eligible for energy-efficiency improvements through social housing retrofit programmes.

We're hiring more Help@Home staff!

Help@Home is one of Staywell’s most popular services, offering a little extra help with everyday needs. Our team offers regular and ad-hoc assistance with day-to-day tasks and errands, which are as varied as the clients we serve.

Perhaps someone needs help with their laundry and changing bedsheets, struggles with getting to and from appointments, or just needs a hand with the big shop – our staff can help with it all, while also being a familiar, friendly face who’s always up for a chat. For those looking after a family member and needing a break, we can offer sitting services too.

There are multiple openings for this role as we are keen to meet an increasing demand. The role is flexible, with part-time positions starting from 18 hours a week. You’re never on your own as a Staywell Help@Home worker, as you always have the back-up of an office-based team and our suite of other services, such as Information & Advice or Handyperson.

You can find the full job description on our website, with further information and instructions for how to apply are available on our Current Vacancies page. Email [email protected] for an informal chat to learn more about the role.

Toby and John from our very friendly Community Furniture Collection team strike a pose in front of a freshly painted KCF van.

Thank you again for taking the time to catch up with us, our people, and our work. Your continued support, in all its forms, is as vital as ever in helping us help others around Kingston Borough.

We couldn't be more grateful.

See you next month,

— Staywell

Staywell

Raleigh House, 14 Nelson Road, New Malden, KT3 5EA, GB

020 8942 8256

[email protected]

Staywell (formerly Age Concern Kingston upon Thames) is a charity registered in England & Wales.

Charity no. 299988 • Company no. 2272550

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