New Services for Older People...

Age Concern tell us about the new day centre facilities in Methwold

At Methwold Day Centre, which is run by Age Concern Norfolk, we provide a day centre support service for older people in the surrounding communities and also younger people with physical disabilities. This service includes a day centre where people can participate in social activities, and also provides bathing and personal care, a laundry service, and mobile meals service.

Our current service users, including younger people with physical disabilities have told us how much they would benefit from a shopping service, particularly being supported to be able to go shopping independently. In addition, many older people attending Methwold Day Centre have told us how they would really enjoy someone to visit them at home for a chat over a cup of tea - many older people rarely have an opportunity to socialise and chat with others. Also, we are in the process of planning activities outreach services to support our service users to access activities and learning opportunities of their choice outside the day centre.

Over the next few months, in conjunction with Norfolk Social Services we are hoping to develop these services and opportunities for local people living in the surrounding communities. In order to realize these plans we need your support.

For example, for the shopping project to be successful and for us to be able to extend the service to local older people who do not attend the Day Centre, we will need a number of local volunteers - people who are able to make a commitment for few hours (this could be as little as 3 hrs per month) to accompany service users to local shopping centres and help support them to carry out their shopping. Similarly, to become a befriender (someone who visits an older person in their own home), or someone who supports a person to regularly attend an adult education class or activity of their choice, you would need a willingness to help and the ability to commit a few hrs of your time on a regular basis. For some of the services we will use Community Transport, and therefore will not need all of our volunteers to be able to drive or have use of their own car.

The more volunteer support we receive, the wider we will be able to extend access to these services to other older people in the community.

If you would like to know more about our plans for future development or would be interested in volunteering to help with any of these exciting new projects, please contact Hilary MacDonald at Age Concern Norfolk County Offices: 01603 785215 or Denise Lakey or Doreen Harrison, Day Centre Coordinators at Methwold Day Centre: Tel: 01366 728880