Category Archives: Health & Wellbeing

Free Christmas Day activities with WEA

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Dear all,
Free online Christmas Day activities with WEA

In these uncertain times, WEA staff will be providing FREE online activities on Christmas Day for everyone. Our short activities will run throughout the day and will provide fun and a chance to chat. So whether you are feeling lonely, or are just needing a moment away from the busy family, the WEA will be here for you this Christmas.

Activities will take place on Zoom, meaning you can engage in a safe space with friendly faces from the comfort of your own home.

Click on the button at any point during Christmas Day to join:
09:00-10:00 – Christmas (virtual) Walk in Dorset/Sussex

10:30-11.30 – Christmas carols – join in with some of your favourite Christmas carols

11.30-12:30 – Christmas Games – participate in a variety of fun games

13:00-14:00 – Christmas cooking through the ages – a discussion

14:30-15:30 – The Queen’s Speech – watch and discuss with a drink and mince pie

16:00-17:00 – Funny poems – share your funny poems or listen to others

17:30-18:30 – Festive Crafts – learn how to make a festive wreath

19:00-20:00 – Christmas quiz – participate in a fun festive quiz

20:30-21:30 – Christmas songs sing-a-long and guess– join in to some of your favourite Christmas tunes
Join us any time on Christmas Day

Click on the below link for more information and the link to log on via zoom on Christmas day.

  https://www.wea.org.uk/christmasdayactivities  

Holiday Season Wishes from all at Caring Together

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Dear all,

The Caring Together offices are now closed for the holiday season, returning on the 4th January 2021. We will be turning our phones on periodically to check for anything urgent and calling into the office, and making some necessary visits and calls. See also the useful list of contacts from the insert in our newsletter and detailed below. Festive and New Year’s wishes from us all!

Useful Numbers Dec 2020

 

 

Shared Moments: ‘Pre Christmas Thoughts from Oliver

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THINGS would be worse if it wasn’t for the BBC’s health correspondent, who always signs off his pieces with a jaunty little rhyme: ‘Dominic Hughes – BBC News.’

It’s a pity he did not have a much earlier life as a foreign correspondent, in which case he could have signed off with ‘well, that’s all from me, Dominic Hughes – Moscow’ or ‘That’s all from me – Abyssinia.’ (Which might become mildly amusing if you say it aloud at least three times; if that doesn’t work try it on a very old person, who might just remember it from the days before they invented clever jokes

And yes I know that Abyssinia is now used only to describe an area of Ethiopia (because I’ve looked it up on Google) and that I’ve just sinned by recycling a terrible ancient joke, but these are hard times. We have to accept recycled bad jokes because, for now, there’s not much else in the television store cupboard.

Besides, old jokes aren’t always unfunny, just nearly always. Dad’s Army, Fawlty Towers, Morecambe and Wise or Tommy Cooper (most of the time) still work; I think this is more than can be said of On The Buses or the Carry On films.

It’s not the sexism or racism that bothers me, it’s the feeling that I’m being bashed in the ribs by somebody who won’t leave me alone until I laugh so much I need medical help. This is why I tire of Sid James or Reg Varney quite quickly but still laugh at Basil Fawlty and Captain Mainwaring, whose winning and enduring quality is that they have no sense of humour whatever.

I’m also resistant to Michael McIntire. I have to admire him on the grounds that he is (says Google) ‘the highest grossing stand-up comedian in the world’; it’s just that, were he sit next to me on a train and start to shower me with amusing anecdotes, I would feel the need to pull the communication cord, assuming that, in the wake of the pandemic,  there are still such things as communication cords, and, come to that, trains.

Perhaps the secret is to make people laugh without looking like you want them to laugh, a trick which 12-year-old boys can’t usually manage but should be within the range of most grown-ups (excluding The Krankies, who are obviously a special case).

I learned this week that Humphrey Lyttleton, who hosted the BBC Radio 4 show ‘I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue’ from 1972 to  2007, didn’t initially think the programme, which has just been voted best radio comedy of all time, was very funny at all. He was so disgruntled with it that he wanted it to be taken off the air and only enjoyed the bits where he made rude comments about the audience and his fellow performers.

I suppose he mellowed over his 35-year stint on the show, but he still maintained an air of contempt for whole enterprise and never gave any sign of being amused. That’s exactly why the listeners loved it.

And now it’s my duty to wish you all a merry Christmas within limits. If possible. And a joyous new year.

And to you too Oliver from us all at Caring Together, until next time….

Poetry Corner: ‘Oh Christmas Tree’ by Arthur Vaso

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Oh Christmas Tree

Oh Christmas tree
Oh Christmas tree
Oh no I’m singing to a Christmas tree

Rum eggnog in me
Rum eggnog in me
Oh no I’m singing to the Christmas tree

Oh Christmas tree
Oh Christmas tree
Much pleasure thou can give me

Oh mistletoe
Oh mistletoe
I’hve a Christmas tree I want to show

Oh Christmas tree
Oh Christmas tree
Oh, I just kissed a Christmas tree

Oh Christine tee hee
Oh Christine tee hee
I thought you was a Christmas tree

No more rum for me
No more rum for me

Or my wife will toss me out
With the Christmas tree

Notes: I have no wife, and I have no tree, I may have some rum, but shhhhhh

Copyright: Arthur Vaso | Year Posted 2014

Rainbow Junktion open on Christmas Day

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Rainbow junktion are staying open as much as possible over the Christmas period.  Under the Covid rules this will be for  pay as you feel takeaway food and a pay as you feel shop only.  They will be trying to make it a festive experience though 🎅🎅

All welcome

 

Image may contain: text that says "* •* M RAINBOW JUNKTION PAY-AS-YOU-FEEL COMMUNITY CAFE AND FOOD HUB NO REFERRAL NEEDED NO JUDGEMENT. ALL ARE WELCOME HERE USUAL OPENING TIMES: MON, THUR, FRI 12-3PM CHRISTMAS OPENING TIMES: OPEN MON 21, THUR 24, FRI 25 MON 28, THUR 31 CLOSED FRI JAN WE RUN ON DONATIONS AND THE LOVE AND DEDICATION VOLUNTEERS PLEASE PATIENT AND RESPECTFUL WHEN YOU COME THE TOTHECAFE CAFE"

Changes to ‘Christmas Bubble’ rules

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Tier 1, 2 and 3 Christmas bubble rules

Changes to the relaxations of covid rules were announced at the weekend – reducing the time you can meet with other households to just one day on December 25.  Parts of south-east England and London were put into a new tier 4 and there is no relaxation of the rules for people living in those areas.

For other areas, a summary of the new rules is below (Leeds and West Yorkshire are in Tier 3)

Three households can still meet up to celebrate Christmas on December 25.

It means that the current Tier 2 and Tier 3 restrictions, which prevent people from meeting indoors with those from outside their household, will be scrapped for 24 hours on Christmas Day.

All Christmas bubbles must be exclusive. It means that if three separate households meet up on Christmas Day, none of the groups can then see anyone else from other households.

The full rules can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/making-a-christmas-bubble-with-friends-and-family/making-a-christmas-bubble-with-friends-and-family

Leeds to stay in Tier 3

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The Government announced today that Leeds and the rest of West Yorkshire will remain under Tier 3 restrictions until at least the end of December.

A brief overview of the Tier 3 guidelines are:

  • you must not meet socially indoors or in most outdoor places with anybody you do not live with, or who is not in your support bubble, this includes in any private garden or at most outdoor venues
  • you must not socialise in a group of more than six in some other outdoor public spaces, including parks, beaches, countryside accessible to the public, a public garden, grounds of a heritage site or castle, or a sports facility – this is called the ‘rule of 6’
  • hospitality settings, such as bars (including shisha venues), pubs, cafes and restaurants are closed – they are permitted to continue sales by takeaway, click-and-collect, drive-through or delivery services.
  • Full details are available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-restriction-tiers-what-you-need-to-know#very-high-alert

This will be reviewed on 30th December 2020.

Different rules apply between 23 and 27 December when there will be some relaxation of the tier guidelines.

A full statement from Judith Blake, Leader of Leeds City Council is here https://news.leeds.gov.uk/news/statement-following-government-announcement-that-leeds-will-stay-in-tier-3

 

Shared Moments: ‘The Age of Steam and Beyond’ written by Maureen Kershaw

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Dear all,

Who remembers as a child hanging out of the train window and getting soot in their eyes? My memory was the Summer outing from Burley Methodist Church Sunday School – all the way to – Burley in Wharfedale! Our parents waved us off at Headingley Station, what an adventure being on a train without them!

After a tiring day of games and picnic by the river we were back on the train, taking it in turns to hang out of the window. By the time we were reunited with our families our eyes were smarting and stinging with the soot from the steam engine. Before long it was the birth of diesel trains and I would be asking Dad to take me on the new ‘diesel’. One day we left the Station, I think Dad just picked the next diesel out and we travelled as far as Cudworth, near Barnsley. We can’t have known there wasn’t a return train for a couple of hours, or what seemed like it. I don’t know what Cudworth is like nowadays but in the 50s it certainly wasn’t up to much; I remember a long walk round and buying sweets.

After the initial excitement of diesels I found them very boring. Gone were the compartment carriages to be replaced by open ones with bus seats. Next it was the turn of the ‘Inter-City 125’  luxury and speed. In the early 70s whilst working in Insurance, I was thrilled to travel to Folkestone and Exeter by train enjoying lunch in the restaurant car at no expense to myself. I decided I would travel on the ‘Sleeper’ next (the train not the track sleepers!) but sadly that didn’t materialise.

In December 1974 I joined my boyfriend for the recording of the Christmas “It’s A Knockout” at Aviemore. Travelling up by road wasn’t a problem apart from trying to apply false lashes in a less than comfortable truck! With no snow having fallen, the Aviemore Centre had to be covered with false snow by the Fire Service but on the way back which was by train, I was travelling alone and we ran into the most frightening blizzard. Typical! More than enough real snow now. The train stopped, there was no heating and no Buffet. A compartment train too where I was the lone passenger, not knowing whether to keep my sheepskin coat on or put it over my freezing legs. Well this was the time of the mini-minis and knee high boots. Thankfully an hour later the train continued its crawl of a journey to Edinburgh.

The Summer of 1982 had rail strikes and travelling three weekends to Brighton, Southern Region however, were running their services. Travelling by coach to London then walking to Victoria Rail Station in intense heat was not good, nor Friday rush hour with the commuters. I made a mental note never to live in London!

Since then I’ve always enjoyed the opportunity of steam travel by the Keighley & Worth Valley, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway or other such trains which continue to be introduced to a younger generation of travellers too. My favourite charter train was Leeds to Edinburgh for the Leeds Rhinos Challenge Cup Final at Murrayfield. Deciding to book First Class we expected something special. ‘Special’ was being over optimistic – ‘different’ was more in keeping. The train was made up of a variety of coaches from bygone years and to be fair, those of us travelling ‘1st’ did enjoy a better quality of moquette seating. From thereon we were all as one. The refreshments trolley was a wooden tea wagon, circa 1930s, on which sat a cream and green tea urn. It was secured to the trolley by rope tied to the legs and was rather battered and bruised. We all hoped an appointment had been made for a visit to a panel beater on our return. What a terrific atmosphere on board though and I recall it was the inaugural trip for my first mobile phone. A ‘Nokia’ which when it rang for the first time, I froze and daren’t pick it up! Our travelling companions cheered me on with so much banter I couldn’t hear a word anyway!

Recent rail travel with the umpteen train operators and even more unfathomable rail tickets do not make things easy. Of course rail travel is so much cheaper abroad with cleaner trains and the knowledge that they will run. An ambition was to travel on the ‘Orient Express’ but having seen ‘Whicker’s World’ I felt I’d done it, so promised myself a trip on ‘Switzerland’s ‘Glacier Express’ which I duly took in 2009.  Memories can be made though with most journeys, whether a miniature steam railway or the new ‘Azuma’. For me and through my child eyes, the golden age of steam had the edge, the excitement and glamour. Instead I will continue to use my Senior Railcard to travel by – not ‘Trans-Siberian’ but ‘Transpennine Express’. I look forward to a more frequent  timetable and the chance of cheaper tickets again. Probably as much chance of travelling on the ‘Venice-Simplon Orient.!

Picture sourced from Yorkshire Evening Post

38 photos of Leeds trains and city railway stations through the ages | Yorkshire Evening Post

 

Praise for support offered to older people in Leeds by grassroots community groups during pandemic

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A new report has praised grassroots community groups in Leeds for the vital support they have provided for older people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report, jointly compiled by the Centre for Ageing Better charitable foundation and Sheffield Hallam University’s Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, highlights how Leeds Neighbourhood Networks have acted as a lifeline for older people in the city over the last nine months.

Funded by Leeds City Council and Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group, the Leeds Neighbourhood Networks are a group of 34 voluntary organisations that cover every part of the city, delivering services designed to help older people live independent lives and play active parts in their local communities.

The Centre for Ageing Better report says the value of these organisations has been underlined by their important role in the city-wide response to the COVID-19 crisis.

The report also says the pandemic has illustrated the need for national government to give councils the “adequate and flexible” funding required to sustain initiatives such as the Leeds Neighbourhood Networks.

Despite the financial pressures caused by COVID-19, Leeds City Council is bringing forward proposals which will protect funding for the groups next year, allowing them to continue their vital work supporting older people’s physical, mental and social wellbeing at this difficult time.

Councillor Rebecca Charlwood, Leeds City Council’s executive member for health, wellbeing and adults, said:

“The Leeds Neighbourhood Networks are a long-term success story for our city, so it’s heartening to see the work done by staff and volunteers being recognised in this way.

“Protecting and supporting older people has been a priority for the council throughout the pandemic and the tireless efforts of all those involved with the neighbourhood groups have contributed enormously to that.

“Their local knowledge and community contacts mean they have been perfectly placed to reach out and help our older residents cope with the difficulties that this year has brought.”

Anna Dixon, Centre for Ageing Better chief executive, said:

“The coronavirus has highlighted how important local support networks are, especially in times of crisis, and the vital role that trusted community organisations play in supporting people at risk.

“The Leeds Neighbourhood Networks are an excellent example of how councils and community organisations can work together to meet the needs of their communities. Their work demonstrates the value of investing in community infrastructure so it is there when it’s really needed.”

The ‘key findings’ section of the report shows that the Leeds Neighbourhood Networks were able to respond quickly to the challenges posed by lockdown and other COVID-19 restrictions, assisting vulnerable and isolated older people by doing everything from shopping to organising hot meal deliveries and picking up medicine.

Then, after the first national lockdown began to ease over the summer, they created opportunities for older people to enjoy more face-to-face contact while following social distancing rules. Notable examples of the work carried out during this period included the relaunch of an allotment project and the setting up of a mobile library service.

Elsewhere in the report, there is a focus on the willingness of the Leeds Neighbourhood Networks to adapt to changing circumstances, with some becoming community care hubs responsible for the co-ordination of voluntary action in their area. There have also been productive link-ups with private sector companies, including supermarkets, pubs, cafes and takeaways.

There is praise for the practicality of the council’s Leeds Neighbourhood Networks funding model and how it has allowed the groups to tailor their work to the specific requirements of their patch during the pandemic.

The report concludes: “National government needs to provide adequate and flexible funding for local authorities and other local commissioners to develop and sustain social and community infrastructure such as [the Leeds Neighbourhood Networks]. Ringfencing small proportions of physical infrastructure investments, such as that of the proposed national infrastructure bank, to be spent on community infrastructure is one way to achieve this.”

For anyone who didn’t know Caring Together is a Neighbourhood Network Scheme.  For more information about the Neighbourhood Network Schemes across Leeds, including a full list and an interactive map showing the scheme for each area visit https://www.opforum.org.uk/nns/