Community Groups Supporting Older People Across Leeds
In later life, it is important to maintain social activities and interaction with others to help prevent loneliness and isolation. Joining local community groups can be a great way of meeting like-minded people whilst engaging in activities such as lunch clubs, singing clubs or having companionship visits from volunteers.
We have created a list of the community groups covering Wetherby and North Leeds to help you find the right support in your area. Many of these organisations provide information and advice on a variety of topics relating to later life so this guide should help you identify where to find the support you may need.
Wetherby and Surrounding Villages
WiSE – Wetherby in Support of the Elderly
The One Stop Centre, Westgate, Wetherby, LS22 6NL
https://w-ise.org.uk/
Supporting Over 60s in Wetherby and the surrounding villages, WiSE provide a range of services to help older people including befriending to prevent loneliness, transport to get people to activities or events locally and grass cutting. They have an extensive activities programme taking place throughout the area, including line dancing and knitting groups. In addition to their activities programme, they also run a monthly companionship café, Elderberries, which provides entertainment and refreshments. They also have a community café in Boston Spa which runs Tuesday to Thursday from 9am to 3pm in the village hall which is organised and run by volunteers.
Rainbow Care Group – Dementia Daycare
4A Mercury Court, Manse Lane, Knaresborough, HG5 8LF https://therainbowcaregroup.com/dementia-daycare/
Delivering expert dementia day care in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Wetherby and Otley, Rainbow Care Group encourage social interaction and host their day centres in community settings to help promote independence. One of their day centres is based on a local farm and offers the clients the opportunity to bake cakes in the farm kitchen. They also host a specialist sport-themed daycentre to help reminiscence and other sessions involve taking their clients for a pub lunch or on days out to different local venues!
North East Leeds
Garforth Neighbourhood Elders Team (NET)
Dover Street, Garforth, Leeds LS25 2LP
http://www.netgarforth.org/
Garforth NET supports over 60’s in Garforth and the surrounding villages, providing befriending services as well as information and advice on benefits and the entitlements available for older people. They organise outings and social events, regular coffee mornings on a Thursday and afternoon teas as well as other friendship groups including a Silver Surfers computer club, lunch clubs, wellbeing walking club, chair-based exercise, yoga, singing, knit and natter, and a men’s group. They even have a weekly drop-in ’Leg Club’ run by a local district nurse to provide support and information to people with lower-limb conditions. This is also supported by an Adult Social Care drop-in service every Tuesday 9am–12pm to provide information about the support available for older people.
Decafe East Café, Garforth
Dover Street, Garforth, Leeds LS25 2LP
https://www.carersleeds.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Memory-Cafes-in-Leeds-July-2018.pdf
Located in Garforth NET, the Decafe East Café takes place the third Thurs of the month from 1-2:45pm. You can enjoy lunch and entertainment at the café for a small fee. This is a safe space for people living with dementia and their families to receive advice well as the chance to socialise with others in the community.
Forget-me-not Café, Garforth
Garforth Methodist Church, Church Lane, Garforth, LS25 1NW
Running every Tuesday 1pm-3.30pm at Garforth Methodist Church, The Forget Me Not Café, organises activities including Remin-Sing (a memory-lead singing group), Craft & Games and a safe place to socialise.
Seacroft Friends and Neighbours, Seacroft
Kentmere Community Centre, Kentmere Avenue, Seacroft, Leeds LS14 1BW
https://www.seacroftfriends.org.uk/
Seacroft Friends support people to live independently in LS14 and provide services such as advocacy and advice on finance and benefit support, befriending and assisted shopping. They also supply equipment including dementia clocks and carbon monoxide detectors, second hand mobility equipment and have a book and jigsaw library services. In addition, there is a local Wellbeing Coordinator who can provide support and advice about long term health conditions.
Thorner Over 60’s Association
31A Main Street, Thorner, Leeds, LS14 3DX
This club supports over 60’s in Thorner in the Bungalow. They have a weekly lunch club and other activities to prevent loneliness and isolation including a weekly coffee morning on a Thursday and Spanish classes along with other craft groups. The Post Office is even based inside the building making it a great place to pop into!
Community Action for Roundhay Elderly (CARE)
45 Potternewton Lane, Leeds, LS7 3LW
https://www.opforum.org.uk/groups/member/community-action-for-roundhay-elderly-rvs/
Supporting people over 60 in Roundhay, Oakwood and Moortown with befriending visits to support those who are unable to get to their groups as well as community transportation, gardening, home library services, help with hospital appointments and provide day trips. They also have lunch clubs, a Book Club and coffee morning alongside knitting groups, Carer’s drop-in sessions, and CAREConnect social club held on Thursday afternoons.
North West Leeds
Chapel Allerton Good Neighbours (CAGN)
1st Floor, Should of Mutton, 45 Potternewton Lane, Chapel Allerton, LS7 3LW
https://www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/our-services/service-search/leeds-york-hub/chapel-allerton-good-neighbours-cagn-46250000/
Covering Chapel Allerton and Brackenwood, Chapel Allerton Good Neighbours supports older people and those living with dementia. They are part of the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) and offer companionship visits, lunch clubs, community transport and home library services. Why not try one of their seated exercise classes or other groups. They even offer Cognitive Stimulation Therapy for those with mild to moderate dementia.
Meanwood Elders Neighbourhood Action (MENA)
1st Floor, Shoulder of Mutton, 45 Potternewton Lane, Leeds, LS7 3LW
https://www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/our-services/service-search/leeds-york-hub/meanwood-elders-neighbourhood-action-mena-46414000/
Part of the Royal Voluntary Service, MENA support older people and those living with dementia in Meanwood and some parts of Adel and Alwoodley. Open weekdays, they offer activities such as lunch clubs, chair-based exercise classes, singing, arts and crafts groups. As with MENA, they also offer Cognitive Stimulation Therapy for those with mild to moderate dementia.
STEP (Supporting the Elderly People) – Headingley
Shannon House, Off Spen Lane, LEEDS, LS16 5EJ
https://www.stepleeds.co.uk/
Aiming to prevent isolation and loneliness in the over 60’s, STEP support people in Far Headingley and West Park. They provide activities including exercise to music, afternoon tea with bingo, Tai Chi, weekly roast lunch, breakfast club, Zumba Gold and group bingo sessions.
OPAL – Older People’s Action in the Locality
55 Bedford Drive, Leeds, LS16 6DJ
https://www.opal-project.org.uk/
Supporting over 60’s living in LS16, including Cookridge, Tinshill, Ireland Wood, Holt Park, Adel and Bramhope, OPAL is a lively and well organised community group providing a range of services and information from their hub in Tinshill. They offer volunteer transport to help with appointments and social activities as well as organising social trips using wheelchair friend vehicles. Their services also include wellbeing calls to lonely people, companionship visits, lunch clubs and a variety of different exercise classes including Tai Chi, yoga and seated exercise. They also have a dementia project to provide support to those living with dementia and provide information to their families.
Their community café is open Wednesday to Friday and provides delicious homemade food including sandwiches, soup, loaded jacket potatoes and other seasonal specials along with amazing cakes.
Dementia Friendly Horsforth
https://www.facebook.com/dementiafriendlyhorsforth/
Dementia Friendly Horsforth provides information and support for those living with dementia. It is an initiative created by the Dementia Action Alliance to build awareness about dementia in the local community and to encourage local charities and businesses to operate in a more dementia-friendly way. They organise Musical Moments (a singing for the memory group) as well as other awareness initiatives within the community.
There is also a monthly Dementia Café hosted alongside the Alzheimer’s Society and Home Instead in Morrison’s Café, Horsforth to provide support and advice for family members as well as the chance to socialise with others in the community. This takes place on the second Tuesday of the month from 2-4pm.
MHA (Methodist Housing Association) Communities Horsforth and Horsforth Live at Home Scheme
Central Methodist Church, Town Street, Horsforth, Leeds, LS18 4AP
https://www.mha.org.uk/communities/
Helping people over 55 in Horsforth, MHA Horsforth and Horsforth Live at Home scheme provides a range of social activities within the community as well as supporting those in the MHA assisted living facility. They provide lunch clubs, befriending services, assisted shopping or appointments and day trips. In addition, they also host social groups include Walk and Talk as well as a weekly seated exercise class.
Covering the Wider Leeds Area
Leeds Older People’s Forum
Josephs Well, Hanover Walk, Leeds LS3 1AB
https://www.opforum.org.uk/
Championing older people in Leeds, they help promote services in the area which support older people and bring together the local community networks or groups across Leeds which support older people in specific locations. In addition, they encourage businesses and charities across the city to become Age Friendly and Age Proud. They aim to tackle loneliness and social isolation, whilst promoting independence and celebration of growing old. Leeds Older People’s Forum help signpost information and the local organisations which support older people.
Leeds Dementia Action Alliance (DAA)
https://www.dementiaaction.org.uk/local_alliances/2892_leeds_dementia_action_alliance
Leeds DAA is a partnership between Leeds Older People’s Forum and Alzheimer’s Society to make Leeds a dementia-friendly city. This initiative brings together local businesses, charities and voluntary organisations from across the city to make Leeds a better place for those living with dementia. They seek to challenge the stigma of dementia and provide practical ways to help. Leeds DAA can provide information and support for families to help someone live independently with dementia.
There are so many community groups supporting older people across Wetherby and North Leeds, providing activities for older people to take part in. Whether you want to join in with a lunch club, or would benefit from companionship visits, there are some great organisations within the area that can help.