Mixed Messages From Government Agencies.

[modeller]

Government departments constantly advertise for health reasons elderly people should get out more and socialise, but if you try to organise anything for that group up go the barriers.
On several occasions I have tried to put up posters in libraries, and doctors surgeries, for OAP's coffee mornings and the immediate response is :
" No ! We don't accept advertisements ! "

I can understand them not accepting business ads but when it's a group of OAPs doing the very thing the government wants them to do it doesn't make sense .

[LazyGun]

Quite surprised to hear that places like libraries, or GP surgeries, would be unwllling to pin up an advert for a coffee morning for OAPs.

Its hardly commercial advertising. Are there any other high profile sites in your area where you could place the "advert"? Such as a Post Office, or Newsagents maybe?

[modeller]

Yes some small shops are being helpful but doctor's surgeries and libraries
are particularly good for OAPs. In the past I have taken it further
e.g contacting the chief librarian, with success .
We have lost our library but I'm now hopeful that the surgery will help .
If they don't I'll take it up with the trust.
What a lot of effort to just get past the "No! Mind set . " from some public servants.

[emmie]

what our local council is doing is in fact closing many older peoples centres, cost saving don't ya know...

[emmie]

they also closed any number of libraries, some good folk have taken them over and volunteer on a regular basis so the young and the old can have somewhere to sit and have a read, shame on the bloody council i say.

[karenmac60]

In our area it is council policy that no profit making organisations are allowed to advertise. This means that we can't put up posters for certain groups or individuals. If, for instance, there was an OAP group having a coffee morning to raise money for charity then we could put up a poster, but if the coffee morning was to raise funds to pay for a day out for the group then we would be unable to advertise as that group would be profitting from the event. It gets quite difficult to judge sometimes and it often seems unfair, but the council have to be very careful to avoid accusations of corruption (in this case advertising for someone else's profit).

[modeller]

karen Yes I can see that, and you seem to be using discretion,.

In the example you give I don't see how a coffee morning could raise money, as the money would come from the pensioners themselves.

You say it would be OK if they raised the money for say Age Concern to help pensioners but not if the pensioners raised it for themselves.
I don't get the logic in that.

[DaisyNonna]

Not many messages from government agencies make sense.
Always contradicting themselves.
Have not mastered joined up thinking, never mind joined up writing or joined up government.
Would love to go to a coffe morning and meet new people.

[modeller]

# Would love to go to a coffe morning and meet new people #

Good for you, but don't try and put your request up in a government agency.

[DaisyNonna]

Why should I request anything from the government?

[askyourgran]

We have a few community halls and an indoor bowling club at a church hall where coffee mornings etc are advertised, even a hand car wash run by Romanians advertise local events.

[karenmac60]

The difference is Modeller, that Age Concern are a registered charity, whereas a group of folk raising money for themselves is a group of people raising money for themselves - regardless of whether they are pensioners or not. If we allowed pensioners to do it then what's to stop a group of teenagers getting together to raise money to go out and buy drink or whatever? We can't differentiate, and we don't know where the money is going, so unless it is going to an official charity then it is counted as 'profit' and we therefore, cannot advertise for it.

[modeller]

The difference is a bunch of teenagers are not being told to go out and socialise for the benefit of their health and society . The government spends huge sums of money advertising the need to encourage pensioners to get out and about. If you cant see the difference ( or use your words # We can't differentiate # ) between a group of pensioners and a bunch of teenagers , that would explain the blind mind set of many of our public servants.

[modeller]

karen I have a letter from a chief librarian agreeing with me and telling all the libraries that posters from OAPs should be displayed . Some public servants it seems don't agree with you (We can't differentiate).
However should you wish to discuss it with him I will pass on your comments, only happy to oblige

[karenmac60]

Modeller, I am only speaking for the rules under my local authority. Obviously they all differ. When I say 'we can't differentiate' I mean we are not allowed to, that is not my personal opinion.

[modeller]

Karen You made your view very clear.

[karenmac60]

Modeller, at no point did I give my own opinion. I was simply stating my position at work. You do not have any idea what my personal view is so please do not assume that you do.