Educating at care campus

Expanding the range of activities at its £44 million care campus in Golders Green, Jewish Care is launching a series of five-week courses at the end of February.

In partnership with The Institute, an East Finchley-based adult education specialist, the charity is offering courses ranging from Hebrew calligraphy to Pilates.

Head of community centres Robin Jacobs said: "Our vision is for the campus to be a hub of communal life from early in the morning until late in the evening.

"This partnership starts our journey to that reality."

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Age-old questions discussed with Jewish Care

More than 80 people from 22 United Synagogue communities attended a conference on the challenges of ageing, organised jointly with Jewish Care.

The event included workshops, expert speakers and group discussions about new programmes and services.

"Being older in 2010 is very different than it was in the past," said Candice Woolfson, director of US social action arm, Chesed.

"We want to make sure we offer the services our older members want and need. This conference provided a forum to hear their views."

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Elderly not valued by the young

Less than 50 per cent of young people feel those over the age of 70 are important to society, a report by Jewish Care has shown.

The charity fears the results are a sign that organisations working with older people will find it increasingly difficult to recruit volunteers and funds.

An Ipsos Mori poll, commissioned by Jewish Care, found that 53 per cent of those under the age of 35 had not spent quality time with anybody over the age of 70 in the last six months or more, and that 15 per cent of 16-24-year-olds said they could only learn "a little" from older people.

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Care duo win major industry awards

Two Jewish Care staff have been honoured in the inaugural Great British Care Awards for London, supported by the Department of Health.

The care trainer prize went to Gill Yentis, the charity's practice development worker for disability and dementia services. Christina Brago-Nimako, social care co-ordinator at Rubens House in Finchley, took the care home activity organiser award.

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Cancer charity opens extra Manchester service

Chai Cancer Care has opened a new south Manchester branch serving cancer patients and their families.

Operating from two refurbished rooms at the Morris Feinmann Home in Didsbury, the charity will provide counselling, massage, reflexology and acupuncture to cancer sufferers.

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Appealing Scots seek £70k for welfare

Jewish Care Scotland hopes to raise £70,000 from its annual appeal to enable it "to continue to provide the services that the community wants and needs". Thousands of leaflets are being mailed to supporters and board members will make personal appeals in Glasgow shuls over the festival period.

A charity representative said: "This year is going to be particularly tough with the economic climate, a growing ageing population and a shrinking community. However last year's targets were held and services maintained."

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Redbridge centre's fire damage

A faulty external light fitting is thought to have been the cause of a fire at Jewish Care's Redbridge Jewish Community Centre last week which damaged the main dining hall and large kitchen.

The fire started in the early hours of the morning and was quickly brought under control.

Jewish Care chief executive Simon Morris said alternative catering arrangements had been put in place and "we are able to continue running the centre's services as usual".

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Liverpool synagogue hit by floods

Flood waters seriously damaged parts of Liverpool's Childwall Synagogue this week after torrential downpours left large parts of the city under water and many main roads closed.

The shul's Harris Polak and Aida Shifrin halls were filled with two inches of water as Tuesday's rains led to the collapse of a ceiling over one of the rooms.

Overflow from drains, which struggled to cope, brought more water into the Childwall building, which sits 20ft below street level.

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