Independent living - The Printing Charity

“I’m in a much better frame of mind since we moved here.”
Life in a Printing Charity Almshouse: Christopher & Patricia’s story

Christopher and Patricia moved into Southwood Court as Christopher’s mother, Rose, a Southwood resident herself, had worked in the print sector for many years. They were eligible for a home there through that close family connection, and the ground floor apartment is...

Pension Awareness Week 2024: “We’re Here for You – Sharing Information to Support You”

Pension Awareness Week 2024, running from September 9th to 15th, is an important initiative dedicated to helping people across the UK better understand their pensions and prepare for a more secure retirement. Run by Pension Geeks and supported by Money Helper, there...

How you can avoid being scammed

Your personal information is very valuable, and criminals are always coming up with elaborate new ways to make you part with it. Older people are often seen as easy targets and therefore need to be extra vigilant to scammers’ tactics. Follow and share our top tips to...

Celebrating Silver Sunday: life in an Almshouse community

The 1st October is Silver Sunday, a flagship event from the Sir Simon Milton Foundation and now a national day for celebrating older people. Across the country, local groups, volunteers and businesses organise activities to help older people make connections within...

How to choose a home for your retirement

Considering the move to a retirement scheme is a big decision, and there are various factors to think about. Whether you are helping someone you love, or considering it for yourself, we’ve compiled a list of questions to ask that can help guide the decision-making...

Home resident Bob recalls his print apprenticeship

This May is local and community history month, with the aim to promote and preserve local history. The residents of our retirement communities in Basildon and Bletchley have many stories to tell, and as communities are able to provide real insight into working in the...

Celebrating print’s role in the coronation and the Printing Charity’s Royal connections

At the Printing Charity, we’re very proud of our Royal connections, which stem back to the very beginning. To mark the King’s coronation on 6 May, we’re taking a look at some of our associations with the Royal family both from the past and into the present, and how...

‘She’s happy, and I’m very happy that she’s happy’: a relative’s perspective of our retirement homes

Laura’s mum Rose, a Southwood Court resident, had worked in print for 17 years. Rose had been considering a move to Southwood for a while, and Laura persuaded her to take the next step after becoming increasingly concerned about Rose’s safety at home. She explains:...

What it’s like to live in our retirement homes: Rose’s story

Rose had been thinking about applying to move to Southwood Court, our retirement home in Basildon, for a while. It was her daughter who persuaded her to take the final step and apply, and she’s pleased she did. Rose spent more than 17 years of her career working at...

What it’s like to live in our retirement homes: Les’s story

Les’s father worked in print, in a Basildon-based company called Pembroke Cartons. Les was born in the area; in fact, his home in Southwood Court is the same distance away from the local parade of shops as the house in which he was born! Les knew about the Printing...