By setting up a hub in South Leeds, and a number of satellite centres around the city, this project will aim to reach African, Caribbean and Eastern European communities, responding to the gap in Time to Shine engagement thus far.

Health for All will develop a fun filled, creative and realistic project to reach older people who are experiencing social isolation: including men and older people from African and Eastern European communities. The project will engage older people by offering a variety of activities that will spark a passion or rediscover lost interests.

The satellite sites will attract isolated seniors from the area especially targeting Eastern European and African older people in the areas in which there is a high density of those communities. We will work with local organisations with which we already have links eg the Polish Church and raise awareness of social isolation and its detrimental effects on older people, recruiting volunteers named Community Connectors from those local areas/communities.

The local community connectors recruited will be representative of the communities served. They will be passionate and have appropriate cultural and language skills and knowledge who come into contact with isolated older people to attract them to the venues and the activities. Some ideas of the activities so far include:

• An eastern European men’s fishing group, providing support and knowledge to gain fishing licences and access beginners lessons. Transport to local tarns will initially be provided but independence encouraged to maintain the activity and the friendships outside the project hours.
• Sport & Exercise Groups including five-a-side football, walking football, bowls at the older people’s needs and pace supported by Leeds Let’s Change.
• Black African Caribbean Elders Walk and Talk group, using Roscoe Methodist church as a base.

The project is already underway and participants enjoyed a great day out to Scarborough. Watch this space to see what else they get up to!

If you would like to refer someone or get involved as a volunteer, please get in touch:

Email: toshal.bhatia@healthforall.org.uk
Telephone: 0113 271 7231