Caring Together in Woodhouse and Little London would like to offer our very best wishes for Christmas 2017 to our members, supporters, volunteers and to those who have helped to fund us over the past year. Enjoy yourself, keep safe, and we will see you all in the New Year. The Caring Together offices will be closed from 4pm on Friday 22nd December 2017 and re-open at 9am on Tuesday 2nd January 2018. If anyone requires urgent help during this period please contact Adult Social Care on 0113 2224401, or in an emergency, outside of their office hours, the Adults and Health Emergency Duty Team on 07712 106378.

Morgan City Living kindly agreed to adopt Caring Together as the recipient of monies raised at their Christmas Jumper Fundraiser. The amount raised was £451.52 and it looks like they had some good fun in raising it. This is greatly appreciated by Caring Together. Many thanks to all who participated in and contributed to this. Morgan City Living can be assured  that the amount raised will be put to good use in providing services to older people in Woodhouse and Little London. Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to all there from all here at Caring Together.

Caring Together were invited to St Mark’s Church in Woodhouse yesterday evening to take part in their Carol Service. Staff and volunteers were treated to the excellent St Mark’s Community Choir and were made very welcome. Afterwards Turkey ‘baps’ and mulled wine were passed around for everyone. A wonderful evening, and the perfect occasion to get everyone in the Christmas mood.

The Wednesday and Friday Groups at Caring Together decided to have a couple of sessions making their own decorations for the Christmas Festivities. Everyone agreed that it is nice to have some original pieces of home made craft alongside the shop bought glitz. (and also gave us the opportunity of using up some of the craft materials accumulated over the years).

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As promised, we said that we were going to post some more images of the 6 weeks collaboration with the  LUUMIC Society at Leeds University. This was a massive success and definitely something that we would like to do again in the future. Singing as part of a group is more than just a bit of fun. It’s been scientifically proven that it is good for your health: from getting more oxygen into the blood, to increasing the flow of feelgood hormones and improving mental health. More of this we say.

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CLASSS (Community Leeds After School Study Support) a small charity working with children aged 6 – 8 years are, as we have posted here before, part of a new partnership with Caring Together in which some of our members and staff correspond with children once every half term. The latest batch of highly ornate and decorated letters arrived yesterday and once again brought smiles to our faces.

Once again Caring Together were invited by Notre Dame for their annual Christmas Party for older people in the local area. As usual, the entertainment was first class, and the reception and service by the students was exemplary. From the teachers choir to the individual performances and duets of the students, those present were treated to a wonderful afternoon of talent on display. Many thanks to the staff and students involved in organising this and we wish them the very best for the Christmas festivities and the New Year.

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Caring Together , as we do every year, organised an assisted shopping trip yesterday for those members who require a little extra assistance. As always, this was only possible with the help of our volunteers, who provided one to one support. Many thanks for their help. It was a cold and blustery day but this did not stop everyone enjoying the trip. If any members have any ideas regarding similar assisted outings in the future, please let us know.

Caring Together volunteers were on hand once again this year to put together hampers for our older members. The hampers, made up largely of food donations from the parishioners of the Grove Methodist Church in Horsforth, will be distributed by staff and volunteers during December. Many thanks to those that helped today and have pledged to help out during December.

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