Happy 90th Birthday to our AOPF member: Marion Kerley More Detail

The Background to our Forum

Purpose and brief history

The Andover & District Older People's Forum 'AOPF' is a campaigning organisation devoted to helping people access local help and information.

The history behind The Andover & District Older People's Forum 'AOPF' is.......

The Andover and District Older People’s Forum was formed in 2010 with the active support of Test Valley Borough Council, which retains an ex-officio representative on the 14 member Executive Committee.

The Forum’s purpose was, and remains, to actively engage in issues affecting the wellbeing, interests and concerns of the over 55 age group in the Andover area as defined by its constitution.

The Forum is affiliated to the National Pensioners’ Convention (N.P.C.), an organisation which campaigns for pensioners’ rights at a national and regional level. The Forum campaigns, where appropriate, on these issues at a local level.

The Forum’s activities have included the campaign to retain free t.v. licences for the over 75s, raising housing concerns at a seminar with our local M.P., Kit Malthouse, making its voice heard on local transport issues and contributing our views on the local Clinical Commissioning Group’s plans for health care in the Andover area.

Individual membership of the Forum is free, its financial viability rests upon grants from local organisations, fund raising activities by its members and voluntary contributions to cover the costs of refreshments provided at each general meeting.

Membership of the Forum is open to all over the age of 55 and welcomes new members who, like us, wish to actively promote the health and wellbeing of people in our age group.

CORONA VIRUS : ADVICE TO MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS

Constitution and Membership

The Constitution

If you'd like to join us and work with us to engage in issues that affect the well-being, interests and concerns of the over 55's, then please see and complete our Contact Form below. We are always keen to have new members so we look forward to welcoming you as an AOPF member.

Membership is free.

Rosemary Hamilton

It is with great sadness that we notify our members and the public that use the AOPF group and website that Rosemary Hamilton has lost her battle with Cancer. Rosemary was our Health and Social Care Officer at AOPF.

A tribute from our Vice Chairman Haydn Watkins, who was a personal friend of Rosemary’s and speaks on behalf of the Andover & District Older People’s Forum

There are times when mere words fail to adequately express our deepest feelings and emotions. For me, this is one of those times.

I have known Rosemary since I joined her as an academic colleague in Cricklade College’s Creative Arts Department in September 1978. Since then our lives have been closely linked and a working relationship developed into a bond based upon mutual respect, trust and understanding. In recent years we served together as governors of the Hampshire Hospitals N.H.S. Foundation Trust and as executive committee members of the Andover and District Older People’s Forum. In both of these roles Rosemary worked tirelessly for the good of others; the sick, the disadvantaged, the vulnerable. She fought to protect the N.H.S. from the ravages of political expediency whilst struggling with her own health conditions which sadly proved too great even for a truly heroic warrior of her calibre.

I often draw a distinction between friends and those with whom one is friendly. Rosemary was very firmly in the ‘friend’ category. When my wife, Penny, was terminally ill in Winchester Hospital Rosemary was there for me. She gave me support when I needed support, she was a helper when I needed help and she was a friend when I needed a friend.

I shall miss Rosemary far more than any words of mine can ever adequately hope to express

The following are extracts from Member’s comments after hearing the news of Rosemary’s passing……..

Rosemary was:

A wonderful Lady in every sense of the word.
Jenny & Brian Kay (Chairman AOPF and Committee Member)

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I have known Rosemary for many years as a nurse and colleague and have great respect for her skills as a clinician, a teacher, a carer, a campaigner, a mother and much more besides. I was District Nurse for 8 years at Alan’s practice at Shepherd Spring in the 1980’s before progressing into nurse management and wherever I worked I never lost sight of Rosemary. She was at the College teaching future student nurses. She was Matron at Andover Nursing Home when my aunt was there. She was on the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust Board. She was on various committees that I joined, both before and after we both retired from nursing – more latterly the Andover and District Older People’s Forum. She will be sorely missed by us all and impossible to replace. Sincere condolences to Rosemary's family, of whom she was so very proud.

Mollie Antrobus ( Secretary AOPF)

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Such a sad time where we will be restricted in showing our respects for the loss of a true 'Star'. The loss of all that experience and knowledge, is hard to grasp. Not only did Rosemary have a wealth of knowledge, but she shared it with such a warm and endearing personality. Rosemary was such a lovely interesting Lady and will be greatly missed. It is hard to put into words how one feels when a person with such knowledge, experience and of such a pleasant disposition, is taken from us.
Fred and Wendy North (Treasurer AOPF)

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Everybody is missed when they go, always they leave a hole in our lives and it is always difficult to fill that hole. In the case of Rosemary, with the specialist knowledge, and her easy way of conveying that knowledge, she will be missed enormously. Not just in our Forum where her updates and briefings were of paramount importance, but in many places where she gave her time and knowledge.

Rosemary was always good fun and cheerful even when handing out accurate and critical judgements on health issues.

I benefited from her advice and guidance when covering issues surrounding Care Homes and Care issues generally for the NPC.
Peter Rayner (AOPF Executive Committee member and National Pensioner’s Convention Vice President)

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Rosemary was a delightful person, so well known in our community in so many ways and it will be so good for her family and friends to know how much Rosemary and her work was, and is, appreciated. Sincere blessings

Hon Alderman Marion Kerley (AOPF Executive Committee member)

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We will always remember Rosemary. She put everything into whatever she did. I shall remember too her great love of family. I still have two videos she sent of her grandchildren of whom she was so proud. They must be very proud of her too. My thoughts are with them all.

Wendy Rayner (AOPF Committee Member)

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Such a loss for everyone.
Sandra Hawke (AOPF Executive Committee Member)

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So sorry to hear of the sad news regarding Rosemary, she was a great character and worked so hard for the Older People’s Forum, she will be sadly missed.
Jill Hannington (AOPF member)

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A Lady so well informed and knowledgeable that she was an asset to Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and to The Prince's Trust in Andover.

So sorry to hear this sad news. My thoughts and condolences go out to her family.

Sue Holmes (Andover Proactive Care Team)

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Very sad news, Rosemary was a passionate lady and a force to reckon with but always with a twinkle of humour in her eye I recall. Condolence from Rosemary’s colleagues at Test Valley BC.
Louisa Rice, Test Valley Borough Council

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We will miss Rosemary, a lovely lady and knowledgeable about NHS.

Peter and Margaret Ponting (Members AOPF)

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Rosemary gave so much to her community, both professionally and personally and will be missed - but never forgotten.
Ruth Facey (Member AOPF)

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A Lady that had a vast experience and knowledge in Nursing and Management of Nursing, that she shared with such a warm and endearing personality.

If anyone would like to make a donation in Rosemary’s memory, we are joining Rosemary's family in contributing to a GoFundMe page, which has been set up to support Bowl Cancer UK.