All this took place on one of the hottest days of the year, and fans were unfortunately out of the question unless everyone fancied chasing leaflets around the room. As Lynne Misner, CEO and Founder of SAOK, put it: “Thank you so much for braving the heat to join us. Your time, energy, hard work and good spirits will make such a difference to so many older people this winter.”
SAOK reaches thousands of older and vulnerable people, providing practical support to help people stay warm, connected and cared for. The Purple Pages packs will be distributed through flu clinics and included in Warm in Winter gift bags for older people who are cold at home, helping people access services, support and community networks.
The day also gave us another opportunity to strengthen our growing relationship with the team, reconnecting with Jack and meeting Lynne. Jack Rice-West, Marketing & Project Manager at SAOK, said: “We were delighted that Suzanne and Sophia from our community partner HUC, who also designed and donated their leaflet for this year’s Purple Pages Information Packs, joined us to help pack. Their involvement reflects the shared purpose and collaborative community action that underpin our work.”
The Packathon was a brilliant reminder that partnership working does not always happen around a meeting table. Sometimes it involves leaflets, cardboard boxes, very warm volunteers and a surprisingly competitive packing technique. Together, Sophia and Suzanne packed 88 packs, contributing to a total of 1,813 packed so far.