Sandwell Over-60’s Advocacy Project (SOAP)

Paddy Elmore

Paddy Elmore joined Sandwell Advocacy
as the Over-60’s Advocacy Co-ordinator in
May 2005. The project itself has been established since April 2003 after Sandwell Advocacy had identified that the specific
needs of the over-60’s in Sandwell were not being adequately met. The main focus of this Project is to introduce and develop longer-term volunteer based Citizen Advocacy to provide advocacy support aimed at individuals over
the age of 60.

Following an award of additional funding, this post has recently been made full-time enabling us to broaden Paddy’s role to incorporate co-ordinating our volunteers generally. He also takes on some issue-based advocacy to directly work with those
who are over-60 who need support.

SOAP exists to:

Offer advocacy to those over the age of sixty.
To target specific issues faced by the over sixties in the Sandwell area.
Help those who are feeling vulnerable or isolated and find it difficult to say and get what they need.

The Project has been beneficial because:

It has provided a recognised and much needed advocacy service to those over the age of sixty.
It has been able to target specific issues faced by those over the age of sixty.
It offers a dedicated service that is not provided by another organisation within the Sandwell borough.

If you feel that you might need support or would like to talk to us about someone who does, please click this link to our referrals page.