Advice to share with citizens

Befriending services

December 9, 2021December 9, 2021Kirklees Council

Shorter days and bad weather during Winter can sometimes make people feel even more isolated from their community and in need of human connections. Here are some of the organisations who run befriending schemes for people living in local places across Kirklees.

Royal Voluntary Service – Home Service

RVS provide social and emotional support to help people keep leading independent, healthy and happy lives. Support is available for everyone aged over 18 years. Under 18s will also be considered on a case by case basis. Befriending can be either face to face or over the telephone.

Tel. 01484 226363
Email: home.libraryservice@kirklees.gov.uk

Royal Voluntary Service – Supporting people

RVS – Volunteering within the community

Age UK

Age UK offer a befriending service for any older person who feels lonely or isolated and try to support them to lead a more fulfilling life. Support is available for everyone aged over 18 years. This can be either face to face or over the telephone (a joint project with Yorkshire Children’s Centre).

Tel. 01484 415465
Email: communityconnections@yccuk.org.uk

Age UK – Request a befriender or volunteer

Yorkshire Children’s Centre

Our Community Connections Befriending Service is available to adults over the age of 18 who may be experiencing isolation and loneliness or a limited social life. Support can be either face to face or over the telephone (a joint project with Age UK).

Tel. 01484 415465
Email: communityconnections@yccuk.org.uk

Community Connections – make a request or volunteer

MHA Communities

MHA Communities befriending service is about getting people together to make friends. Support is available for people aged 55+ in the Huddersfield, Dewsbury and Cleckheaton areas. This can either be face to face or via telephone.

Tel. 01484 515420
Email: Cheryl.flynn@mha.org.uk

MHA Communities – Befriending

Luv2MeetU

Luv2meetU is a friendship service for people with a learning disability or autism. We support people to make friends and share interests. Befriending support is available for everyone aged over 18 years. This can be over the telephone, by text, via email or though chaperoned face to face friendship meets.

Tel. 07867 179902
Email: Wendy.ponton@hft.org.uk or Zoe.swearman@hft.org.uk or Halina.akrich@hft.org.uk

Luv2MeetU

The Kirkwood

The Kirkwood provide befriending support for people who have life-limiting illness or who are bereaved. This can be either face to face or over the telephone.

Contact: Sharon Kingsley
Tel. 01484 557917

The Kirkwood

A time to say thank you: Kirklees Volunteers Week 2021

June 1, 2021June 2, 2021Kirklees Democracy

Volunteers Week 2021

Volunteers’ Week is a national event that takes place from 1st to 7th June every year. It’s a time to recognise and say thank you to volunteers who do a great job in our local communities. Over the last year even more people than ever – from all walks of life and in all our local places – have gone out of their way to help their neighbours, support each other and make a huge difference.

The coronavirus pandemic has rightly raised the profile of volunteering. More people than ever are now aware of the immense contribution that volunteers make every single day.

That is why this #VolunteersWeekKirklees is a special time to say thank you.

Be inspired

A Year Like No Other: Pandemic Volunteering Stories

Third Sector Leaders Kirklees and Kirklees Museums & Galleries are marking the role volunteers have played locally in supporting people during the Covid-19 pandemic. They’ve created an online photographic exhibition to share the stories of some of the local people who’ve volunteered and helped out during the pandemic. The stories will eventually become part of Kirklees Council’s Museums & Galleries collection.

View the online exhibition

Get involved

Kirklees Virtual Volunteers’ Fair: 8th to 10th June 2021

This Virtual Volunteers’ Fair is a chance for people to meet some of the local organisations who need help from volunteers. Different community organisations are taking part each day. It’s a great way for people to find out how to start their volunteering journey. You might want to share the link with your local networks:

Kirklees Virtual Volunteers’ Fair

Join in online

TSL Kirklees Volunteering will be sharing your inspirational stories on social media throughout the week – @TSLVolunteering (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).

You can follow, share and join in using the hashtags #VolunteersWeekKirklees #VKW21.

Thank you from Kirklees Council and TSL Kirklees

“We’re hugely grateful to all the Mutual Aid Groups, volunteers and local organisations across Kirklees who have been supporting others in our communities – especially for keeping each other safe in a year like no other. We’ve been blown away by the kindness and creativity shown by so many. We just want to make sure you know that, whether you’re an organiser or volunteer, we recognise your efforts and are very grateful for the time you give in support of your neighbours, friends and community. We are proud to work alongside such inspiring people and organisations.”

Cllr Cathy Scott and Cllr Paul Davies

Kirklees Council’s Cabinet leads for working with
people in the voluntary sector during the pandemic

Cleckheaton Town Hall lit up purple

In partnership with Third Sector Leaders, Kirklees Council are lighting up Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Batley and Cleckheaton Town Halls in purple on Tuesday 1st June 2021. to mark the start of Volunteer’s Week and to say thank you to local volunteers.

The TSL Kirklees Volunteering team have given small grants to organisations in Kirklees to use to thank their volunteers and have sent out 1,000 thank you cards.

Have you recently got involved in making a difference in your community?

March 18, 2021Kirklees Democracy

Online workshops, March & April 2021

We’ve been running workshops with local people to hear your stories and talk about how more people can come together to make local places better.

Lots of the people who have participated in our workshops so far have been doing all sorts of great things in their community for some time. Now, we’re particularly interested in hearing from more people who have only got involved quite recently, and who have a story about this to share.

Could you help us find someone, perhaps from the organisation or group you’re part of, who might also like to join in a pair of workshops? We’re looking for people who have only recently become involved in their community, who were perhaps not confident to begin with, or who didn’t know how much they had to offer until taking that first step.

These workshops for Kirklees citizens are an opportunity to meet with other local people to look to the future. It’s a bit of an experiment for us. But what we know for sure is that now, more than ever, we want to work with and alongside each other in our local places.

How to take part

Participants will take part in two workshop discussions. You can register now for the first session:

Monday 29th March, from 2pm to 4pm

The workshops will be online via Zoom video call. They will involve a mixture of activities and small group discussions. It’s a safe environment and everyone will have a chance to talk.

You’re welcome to join in if this sounds like the right thing for you, Or if you can think of anyone who might be interested, please share this link with them:

Register to take part

The workshops will be run by the Kirklees Democracy team. We’re working with an organisation called the New Citizenship Project, who are supporting this work.

Recipes From Home cook book supporting the community

January 29, 2021April 15, 2021Kirklees Council

We all love a good recipe book and have probably been doing more cooking and baking at home over the last year than ever before. It’s wonderful then that our colleagues at Third Sector Leaders Kirklees have been working in partnership with community groups and One 17 Charitable Trust to produce a Recipes From Home cook book.

The book includes 30 easy-to-follow recipes for nutritious meals on a budget and is published on the Caring for Kids website.

Buy Recipes From Home

All the profits from the sale of the book on the website go to the six groups involved in cooking up the book in the first place. It can be purchased for £5. An organisation in Northern Ireland has ordered 30 books already, but even purchasing one book can make a difference.

When you place your order online, you can even make a note saying which of the six groups you’d like your contribution to go to.

The six groups are:

Crosland Moor Cooks (Oak Primary School)
Men’s Matters “Library Takeaway” group (Dalton Library)
A Taste of DASH
Home-Start Mums
Ravensthorpe Rosoi (Ravensthorpe Community Centre)
Worth Cooking – Worth Unlimited, Lowerhouses

Buy Recipes From Home

How can more people come together to make local places better?

January 26, 2021January 26, 2021Kirklees Democracy

Illustrations from our workshops

Online workshops, February 2021

We know that mutual aid groups and community organisations have made a huge difference in our local places over the past year. So we hope you’ll want to be part of these workshops about how we can help more people feel confident in their ability to make our local places even better.

Please come and share your experiences, listen to other people’s stories and make new connections.

You will take part in two workshop discussions. You can register now for one of these first sessions:

Tuesday 16th February, from 2pm to 4pm
Thursday 18th February, from 10am to 12 noon
Saturday 20th February, from 10am to 12 noon
Wednesday 24th February, from 5pm to 7pm
Friday 26th February, from 10am to 12 noon

We’ll arrange the second session with you later, at a time that’s suitable for you.

The workshops will be online via Zoom video call. They will involve a mixture of activities and small group discussions. It’s a safe environment and everyone will have a chance to talk. We hope you’ll want to join in.

Register to take part

The workshops will be run by the Kirklees Democracy team and an organisation called the New Citizenship Project, who are supporting this work.

The Great Winter Get Together – helping each other tackle loneliness

December 9, 2020December 9, 2020Kirklees Council

The Great Winter Get Together is a month long series of activities run by the Jo Cox Foundation, lasting from 14th December 2020 to 18th January 2021. Taking forward Jo Cox’s vision of a “less lonely, more connected world”, the series of five themes are all about tackling loneliness one connection at a time.

The Great Winter Get Together

Say Thanks – 14th December to 20th December

Say Thanks is about shining a light on local heroes who have helped people throughout the coronavirus pandemic. There are postcards you can download, print and send to let those people know just how much they are appreciated, and images for sharing on social media.

Say Thanks

Reach Out – 21st December to 27th December

More than ever before we need to support one another. This week is about encouraging people to connect with someone they’ve lost touch with, whether it’s an old friend or ex-colleague. If you’re not sure where to start, there’s a toolkit to help you with ideas.

Reach Out

Reaching Out Toolkit (PDF)

Show you care – 28th December to 3rd January

Acts of kindness go a long way to showing someone you care. This is about bringing a smile to someone’s face, which can also make us feel good about ourselves. There’s a downloadable Kindness Calendar for each day of the week, with suggestions on things you can do to give someone a lift or contribute to making a kinder, more giving society.

Show you care

Kindness Calendar (PDF)

Understand Loneliness – 4th January to 10th January

The changes many of us have experienced during the last year have been difficult, resulting in increased loneliness for many people in our communities. Loneliness has had an impact on our mental health and wellbeing. In partnership with the Marmalade Trust, a charity dedicated to raising awareness about loneliness, the foundation have produced a toolkit to help improve our understanding.

Understand Loneliness

Understanding Loneliness Toolkit (PDF)

Help Out – 11th January to 17th January

Volunteering is a great way to help support the most vulnerable in our community. Help Out is about finding out what you can give, whether that’s an hour, an evening or more, it all helps. Help Out is supported by the Royal Voluntary Service and there’s a toolkit to help you figure out how you can help this winter.

Help Out

Helping Others Toolkit (PDF)

The Great Winter Get Together

Looking after each other’s wellbeing during Covid-19

Being a carer in lockdown – what you can and can’t do

November 17, 2020November 18, 2020Kirklees Council

Image show a man holding Kirklees Think Carers sign

This guide is a reminder of some of the important things that carers are still allowed to do during the national lockdown.

Unpaid carers have always performed a vital role and that network of support around a person is more important now than ever. But, with a changing situation it can be difficult for carers to feel confident about what they are (and are not) allowed to do.

If you’re a carer or know someone who is, this guide could be very useful. Key things to know are:

You can be a carer and provide support to a vulnerable person, even if they live in a different household or you are not in a support bubble together. You can still go to the home of the person you provide care for, to support them.
Where you can, maintain social distancing.
Often, it isn’t possible to maintain social distancing when providing care support. You should still do what you can to limit close contact as much as possible and take other precautions such as washing hands and opening windows for ventilation.

The guide explains everything that carers need to know:

Being a carer in lockdown (PDF)

Further information and support

If you’re not able to connect with people due to social isolation, or are feeling lonely or worried about yourself, the person you care for, your work, or anything else, please do contact Carers Count.

Telephone: 0300 012 0231

Carers Count

Wellness Service – helping people live healthier, happier lives

November 11, 2020November 18, 2020Kirklees Council

The Wellness Service at Kirklees Council helps people to live healthier, happier lives and supports people to feel more able to look after themselves. They have a range of support services, all free of charge.

Get support with:

Improving mental wellbeing
Improving physical wellbeing
Steps for life and active for life
Stop smoking
Support for carers
Healthy weight
Connect to local groups

If you or someone you know might benefit from one of these services, now is the time to act.

As with many services the Wellness Service is currently restricted from providing the usual support sessions, but they are still open and ready to support adults 18 years+.

They are holding one to one consultations by phone appointment and these can be arranged by telephone or by completing the referral form.

To make an appointment:

Telephone – 01484 234 095

Online: Refer yourself (or someone else) to the Wellness Service

Find out more about the Wellness Service

Looking after each other’s wellbeing during Covid-19

Auntie Pam’s – support is still available for mums-to-be

November 11, 2020November 11, 2020Kirklees Council

Being able to provide help, guidance and information for mums-to-be is at the very heart of what volunteers at Auntie Pam’s do. They believe that the health and happiness of pregnant women is just as important as the baby’s, which is why they are here to help every step of the way.

Of course, during lockdown appropriate safety measures need to be in place, which means that the usual Auntie Pam’s venues in Dewsbury and Huddersfield can’t open at this time.

Help and support is still available though and local women can contact the amazing Auntie Pam’s volunteers via telephone, email and social media.

If you know anyone who might need support, a kindly ear or guidance, Auntie Pam’s is a good place to start.

Contact:

Email – auntiepams@kirklees.gov.uk

Facebook – Auntie Pam’s Supporting Mums to be (use messenger)

Telephone a volunteer between 11am and 2pm Monday to Friday:

Dewsbury – 07716 843 440
Dewsbury – 07716 843 492
Huddersfield – 07817 579 995
Huddersfield – 07779 993 764

Find out more about Auntie Pam’s

Befriending Partnership – Can you help?

November 10, 2020November 25, 2020Kirklees Council

Could you make time for a 30 minute conversation that can make a huge difference to someone’s life?

The Befriending Partnership are continuing to help tackle isolation through their telephone befriending service. Set up part of the amazing response from community organisations in Kirklees during the coronavirus lockdown, this vital service is supporting older people and vulnerable adults.

The partnership is led by the Yorkshire Children’s Centre and Age UK Calderdale and Kirklees. They are still receiving daily referrals for people who are at home and feeling lonely. This is a key time when we’re once again more isolated from each other and when we’re heading towards the colder winter months. They really need more volunteers.

Could you give up a small amount of your time to have a conversation with someone in need?

Full training (via Zoom) and support will be provided to help more people take up this important role. Not sure how to use Zoom? Support will be provided to help you.