To sign up, call our Helpline on 0800 319 6789 or email telephone.services@independentage.org.

Telephone information groups for people aged 65+

Socialise with your peers and learn from subject experts in our telephone Good to Know groups.

There are many ways you can learn about things affecting people aged over 65 – our Good to Know groups are free, expert and designed to give older people what they need to know. You can think of these groups as a cup of tea and a chat at a community centre, but over the phone in the comfort of your own home. So far, we’ve heard from specialists from organisations like Deafblind UK, AbilityNet and Later Life Training.

Over 200 older people have joined so far, and here’s what they’ve had to say.

Alongside our telephone groups, we also run webinar sessions. Our webinars, led by a trained advisor, offer a deep dive into our information guides and provide the opportunity to ask questions. They are suitable for those over 65, family, friends, carers or anyone supporting an older person. Read more about our webinar sessions.

March and April

Moneywise

Tuesday 11 March 11am–12 noon
Money can be tight at times, especially with the recent rise in the cost of living. Yet many people are missing out on hundreds of pounds of entitlements they could claim or are paying over the odds for their bills. 
Topics covered: Money, advice, cost of living

Ability Net

Wednesday 19 March 12 noon–1pm
Come and hear about AbilityNet, a charity that helps people gain new digital skills, one-to-one in their own home. Want to shop online? Nervous about scams? Got a tablet but not sure how to use it? Topics covered: Technology, scams, getting online

If you're feeling lonely

Wednesday 16 April 12 noon–1pm
Most of us will feel lonely at some point, but particularly in later life. Loneliness is a very personal experience and people find different ways to overcome these feelings. We‘ll explore our guide and provide information on where to get support. Topics covered: Loneliness, socialising, befriending
 

Want to receive our Good to Know Group programme?

If you, or someone you know, would like to receive our regular Good to Know Groups programme by email or post, please call our freephone Helpline on 0800 319 6789 or email telephone.services@independentage.org and a member of the team will tell you all about how they work and get you signed up.

Then all you need to do is choose which groups you’re interested in joining that month, and give our team a call to book your place.

  • It was the highlight of my week. There are people from all sorts of walks and backgrounds… everybody’s got something to contribute.

    Fiona

  • Somebody tried to scam me last week out of £900. They said I owed money (pretended to be the bank) and sent me a code. But I was lucky, I rang my bank and never touched it. If I hadn't had that session with Independent Age, I might have fallen for it.

    Ellie

  • I found the question and answer section so useful. Other people asked questions that were relevant to my situation.

    John

  • I am a lot more careful when people call to make sure they are who they say they are. I rang the council to check if a number was legitimate which it was not.

    Peter

  • I now feel I could take action on finding suitable support and services within my home and know where to look for trustworthy services.

    Frances

  • I like how the sessions allow you to ask the questions pertinent to you on a topic. Afterwards, the person who ran the session helped to find cleaners in the area.

    Ada

Frequently asked questions

Sign up to our mailing list and we’ll keep you in the loop about all our upcoming groups. You then choose which groups you’re interested in joining that month and give our Helpline team a call for free on 0800 319 6789 or email telephone.services@independentage.org to book your place. We won’t automatically book you a place at every group – you’ll need to let us know.

Yes – as long as you have that person’s consent to refer them. Let us know their details by calling our Helpline for free on 0800 319 6789 or emailing telephone.services@independentage.org. Or, you can share our contact details and ask them to give us a call.

Our groups are free to join. You may want to check with your telephone supplier about how many free minutes you get with your mobile or landline package.

We’re here to answer any questions you might have before you sign up – give our Helpline team a call for free on 0800 319 6789 or email telephone.services@independentage.org.

Our Good to Know groups are run over the telephone, so you don’t need to be online.

There’s no need to take extensive notes. After each group, we send out a follow-up letter with details of what we discussed during the group and how to get more information or support. If you still have questions after that, we’re here to help – give our Helpline team a call for free on 0800 319 6789 or email telephone.services@independentage.org.

No – we don’t record our groups, but we can send you the follow-up letter if you can’t make it. Just let us know.

Not at all – you just choose which groups sound useful to you. We usually host four Good to Know groups each month, and you’re welcome to join as many as you like.

Our friendly Helpline team will give you a reminder call the day before.

Good to Know groups meet most weeks and last around an hour. For each group, we invite a different guest speaker to come and tell us a bit about their organisation and an issue or topic that matters to older people. There’s always a chance to learn something new, to ask questions and to hear about other people’s experiences.

We cover all kinds of topics, like wellbeing, social care, money and scams. In 2023 we held groups marking National Sleep Awareness Day, Stress Awareness Month, Pride Month and much more. We regularly host Scamwise and Moneywise groups, which are based on our guides and help to keep you alert and knowledgeable about your finances and safety. Remember, you can order these guides for free from our website. If there’s a topic you’d like us to cover, let us know – we’re all ears.

Good to Know webinars

Fancy joining one of our Good to Know webinar sessions?

Alongside our Good to Know telephone groups, we also run webinar sessions. If you would like to be kept informed, email telephone.services@independentage.org.

Our next webinar will be 'Moneywise' on Thursday 27th March 2-3pm. 

Money can be tight at times, especially with the recent rise in the cost of living. Yet many people are missing out on hundreds of pounds of entitlements they could claim or are paying over the odds for their bills. Find out how to boost your income and cut your bills by joining our Moneywise session. 

This session is suitable for everyone and is free to join.

Topics covered: Money, advice, cost of living