A bit about us…

Quinto Community is a new charity for older people, led by older people. We are a social membership service that puts members at the very heart of all that we do! Membership will always be free. Our calendar of events will have loads to do at no cost, and some great discounts.

We are currently applying for funding to lease a shop. The shop will have two parts. The first bit is to be a charity shop (not a naff one, mind! A really great place to shop!). All the money raised by the shop will help us cover Quinto’s costs. The other way we’ll use the shop is to act as a Members’ Lounge: a place to have some events, and meet-ups!

Our Mission

We support older people in Inverclyde & Beyond,  in living enriched, productive, and purposeful lives by challenging the stigma of ageing, reducing social isolation, and ensuring they get the right support in the right place at the right time. 

Our Vision

  1. We won’t give up until loneliness is eradicated among older people.
  2. We won’t give up until our society recognises the value of older people. 
  3. We won’t give up until all older people feel valued for who they are.
  4. We won’t give up until older people who need care and support get what they need to live their best lives. 
  5. We won’t give up until older people are given opportunities to use their skills, talents and experience to benefit each other and the communities of Inverclyde.

Who are we?

Quinto is the brainchild of Dolores Waltham and Graham Gardiner. Dolores is an experienced community builder who has led several services similar to Quinto, including MYsocial as part of Age UK Lambeth. Dolores has the knack for creating community by bringing diverse people together, making friends while challenging themselves to try new things. Graham is an experienced social entrepreneur, having developed several award-winning social enterprises in Nottingham and London. In his day job, Graham is the CEO of Ardgowan Hospice. Graham will serve as board chair, and Dolores will serve as CEO.

We have a small board of Trustees, with Dr Alison Bolster and Beverley Dela Cruz joining Graham on the board.

Our Values

Older people have the skills, experience and knowledge to help themselves more than society thinks they can.
Older people are often seen as a drain on public services. Whilst it is undoubtedly true that older people can be higher health and social care users, there is an untapped resource- older people themselves- that can be used to prevent and reduce the use of public services.

Everyone has something to offer
Membership of Quinto is not passive. Reciprocity (giving something in return) is at the heart of all we do. None of this, I’m too old. I’m useless. I can’t. Everyone has something to offer. Whether that’s keeping in touch with another member on the phone, welcoming members to an event, sharing your skills, or helping behind the scenes. There’s tons to do!

We are not experts at everything:
We do not need to be the answers to all of the challenges faced by older people. We work closely with expert providers to ensure members get the right kind of support at the right time. We respectfully partner with other agencies (especially from the VCS). For example, we do not intend to employ a specialist advice worker, but rather partner with a local charity, paying them to have sessions for our members. This helps other charities become more sustainable. We will also get training for some members to offer essential advice, allowing specialists to handle more complex cases.

You are never too old to learn:
At Quinto, every day is a school day. We provide opportunities for our members to learn new skills, try new things, and gain qualifications if they want to. Our fun, lighthearted and somewhat quirky badge scheme rewards members for engagement, sharing their skills, and learning new ones! Our ambition is to be a space that offers opportunities for training in how members can help each other, look after one another and others, such as mentoring and first aid.

Everything we do aligns with the Five Ways of Wellbeing:
We believe in the research! It has been well researched that there are 5 or 6 (the latest research suggests 6!) ways we can all help ourselves feel healthier: physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Being Quinto, we are sticking with five! Every activity we do can be aligned with one of these Ways.

Our Vibe

We aim for our events to feel like a bunch of mates getting together. We strive to be a wee bit cheeky and irreverent, not taking ourselves too seriously (whilst being absolutely serious about our mission). We want to encourage members’ curiosity. We want to push the boundaries of stereotypes of ageing. There will be no Vera Lynn! No Barry on his Bontempi! But definitely a safe space and place for you to be you! 

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