Hats off to campaign that makes older people warmer

Hats off to campaign that makes older people warmer this winter!

Hatted innocent smoothies now on sale to raise money for Age UK.

Age Concern Buckinghamshire knitters (left to right): Greta Thorne, Daphne Batchelor, Maureen Rixon and Pat Darvil

PICTURE CAPTION: Winter can be hard when you are in later life, with many older people suffering needlessly. innocent, the UK's number one smoothie company, and Age UK are today launching The Big Knit - their annual initiative to help make older people warmer in winter.

Knitters from Age Concern Buckinghamshire, pictured above, are joined by some top celebrities in backing The Big Knit - celebrity hat designers this year include Paul Smith, Roger Moore, Sienna Miller and Christopher Biggins.

As part of Age UK's new Spread the Warmth campaign launched earlier this week, from today (November 3rd) innocent smoothies will be wearing knitted woollen hats in all Sainsbury's and Boots stores. For each hatted bottle sold, innocent will donate 25p to Age UK. All monies raised will help fund vital winter projects through the Spread the Warmth campaign, enabling Age UK to help people in later life by providing information and advice and Winter Grants to cope with issues like heating, health and human contact.

The aim is to raise up to £200,000 to help make older people warmer this winter. People across the UK have been busy knitting and have created over 600,000 hats. www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/bigknit

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To talk to any of the knitters in the photo or for images of celebrity-designed hats, contact Ashley Cox at Age UK on 020 8765 7513 or at ashley.cox@ageuk.org.uk

Notes to Editors

About Age UK

Age UK is the new force combining Age Concern and Help the Aged. The Age UK family includes Age Scotland, Age Cymru and Age NI.

Age UK is inspired by the belief that it can improve the lives of people in later life. It celebrates ageing and believes it presents unprecedented opportunities and challenges at home and abroad. Age UK will challenge ageist prejudice in society, provide services that address market failures and support the public and private sectors to design age-friendly products and services. It will support people to remain in their own homes through campaigning and practical services and its Information and Advice service will offer millions of people support on a range of issues from claiming benefits to staying fit and healthy.

Age UK will fund biomedical research that helps tackle the ill health and poor quality of life that are too common as people age. Working with over 350 partners across the country, Age UK helps influence local decisions and delivers the most appropriate services. Its network of over 500 shops will act as a focal point for the local community, providing information and help with local services. Age UK works across the globe as well as in the UK, with its international partner, Help Age International, championing older people's rights and needs and as an active member of the DEC.

About innocent

innocent is the UK and Europe's favourite smoothie company, selling natural healthy products in over 13 countries and employing over 220 people across Europe. Innocent's mission is to make it easy for people to do themselves some good and to make it taste good too. In addition to 100% pure fruit smoothies, their successful latest products - orange juice and veg pots - fit with their mission of getting natural healthy products to as many people as possible. As a business, innocent want to leave things better than they find them. This is reflected in everything they do, from sourcing their fruit from farms with higher social and environmental standards to developing the world's first 100% recycled plastic bottle to donating 10% of profits to charity.

Download the photo for this press release

Media contact: Ashley Cox
Telephone: 020 8765 7513