Immediate and diary: 6pm, Tuesday, 19 July, 2005
HUG Quiz Unites Generations
Young people from Connexions Oldham’s Advisory Board have organised an intergenerational quiz night on Tuesday, 19 July to raise money to support lonely older people in our community.
The quiz is part of Help the Aged’s HUG (Helping Unite Generations) fundraising campaign which aims to raise money to help the one million older people in the UK who feel totally isolated.
Mayor of Oldham, Councillor Kay Knox, will be amongst those taking part in the quiz, which will take place at the new Connexions Centre on Union Street. Each team will be made up of a mixture of young and older people. The range of questions in the quiz will reflect the varying ages of the participants.
The quiz will raise money through an entry fee for each participant, a raffle featuring prizes including cuddly toys, toiletries and a signed CD and photo donated by Lisa Stansfield.
There will also be refreshments available for purchase, with food donated by local caterers World Cuisine.
Connexions is built around involving young people and the Advisory Board is part of the service’s formal management structure.
According to a statement from the Advisory Board: “As young citizens of Oldham and members of Connexions Oldham Advisory Board, we are hosting a “HUG” quiz to raise money for Help the Aged but also to help bridge the intergenerational gap between young people and adults in our town.
“As young people, we believe that the best teams in life are those that use the unique combination of the knowledge and wisdom of maturity and youth.”
Figures from Help the Aged reveal the shocking extent of isolation among older people:
- In the last year, 630,000 older people (7% of the total) have felt as though no-one knows they exist
- 7 out of 10 women and 4 in 10 men aged 85 or over live alone
- More than a third of older people experience loneliness
- One million older people will go a whole month without seeing anyone they know
Ends
Notes to editors: The HUG Quiz will take place from 6pm to 8pm, on Tuesday, 19 July, 2005, at the Connexions Centre, Medtia Place, 80 Union Street, Oldham, OL1 1DT.
For further information, contact Andy Swain, Marketing and Information Manager, Positive Steps Oldham, on 0161 621 9321 or Patricia Lyons, Young People’s Empowerment Manager, on 0161 621 9668.
