Living Independently is the CatStrand’s support project for over 60s, set up with funding from the Department for Work and Pensions’ Partnership Fund. The project involves:

• Regular monthly drop-in clinics
• IT classes
• one-to-one information and advice detailing entitlements and services for older people
• social events, including cookery demonstrations and tea dances
• assistance with form-filling when applying for Pension Credit, Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit
• information on issues including help with health costs; services like The Food Train and Meals on Wheels, The Garden Maintenance Scheme, the free logs and kindling service offered by Age Concern Scotland, Travel Cards and The Blue Badge, and free Fire Safety Assessments where free smoke alarms and torches are offered as part of this service
• advice and help with filling in forms for grants for central heating and insulation in the home and care and repair grants for home improvements and repairs
• home visits

GCAT has assisted many elderly people in the Glenkens by way of increase in income through entitlements, improved heating and insulation, home grants, increased IT knowledge, or simply by being picked up by the free GCAT mini-bus service and taken to a free cookery demonstration or tea dance, and enjoying live music and high tea one afternoon. If you would like more information on Living Independently, please call the CatStrand’s Community Project Worker on 01644 420374.