We’d Love to Meet You
We have a special table in Morrisons Café on the last Thursday of each month. We would love to meet you.
Once a month, also, you can find us at the Wincanton Community Hospital, at Wincanton Health Centre in Dykes Way, in the Methodist Church at 38 High Street and in Wincanton Library in Carrington Way We aim to connect people with what they need – for care, for support and for information
If you are a carer, whether a ‘micro-provider’ (a paid carer), someone who cares for someone for love, for compassion or neighbourliness or if you are someone who is cared for or you would just like to help, please call or contact us. We have a most helpful Project Officer, professional Carers and volunteers who all want to help if they can. Please reach out to us. And we are always looking for volunteers who can offer their time or talents in a range of different ways but particularly befriending the lonely or the unpaid carers who desperately need a little bit of time to themselves.
Need to get in touch? Phone Wincanton Cares Project Officer, Annette, on 07756 759741 or email us: info@wincantoncares.org. You can contact Wincanton Cares on 07834 597893 or go to the contact page on our website where you can find a form to fill in and submit.
Meet Up with Fellow Carers
Meet In the River Cale Café. If you provide paid care in the Wincanton (BA9) area and you would like to share help, information and support with others you would be very welcome come to the River Cale Café on the third Wednesday of the Month at 2.30-3.30 pm.
Alternatively, you may be a helping hand for someone you love? You may think you are just fulfilling your duty as the nearest relative or good friend, but caring, paid or unpaid, is tough work and you need and deserve help, breathing space and time for yourself. WINCANTON CARES can help in a way that will suit you and the person you care for. Take time to give us a call on 07756 759741. Wincanton Carers Group meets on the second Tuesday of every month at 2.00 pm. It is an information and discussion group for all carers and often includes experts who can chat with carers over tea and cake.
Look out for CARERS WEEK (10th – 16th June) Did you know that around half a million unpaid UK carers fail to claim £4,200 annual carer’s allowance because they don’t know about it or how to claim it? Go to this site, phone 07756 059741 to find out more or discuss it at a Wincanton Carers Group meeting on the 2nd Tuesday of the month.
The Friends of Wincanton Community Hospital
Wincanton is incredibly lucky to have this valuable group of volunteers to support our Community Hospital. Each year they raise considerable amounts of money to assist and enhance the Hospital which helps to move patients out of the big main hospitals aiding recovery as the patients gradually move back into the Community. The Hospital also holds many outpatient clinics. These Friends deserve our help and support and we can give this by attending their well organised and fun-filled events over the summer and beyond.
This is their programme:
- Coffee mornings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at the hospital 10.00 – 12.00pm (Coffee, tea and scrumptious cake!)
- The Friends will also be providing refreshments at the Horsington Classic Car Show on the 19th May
- The Summer Fete, will be held at the Sportsground, Moor Lane on 27th July
- The Christmas Fayre will be at the Hospital on Saturday 30th November. Watch out for more details, come and enjoy!
Food!
It’s extremely expensive. But here are some ways to get extra supplies.
Wincanton Cares works with Morrisons and Village Agents to get food packs for people who are just coming out of hospital. Phone 07756 759741 Wincanton has a Community Fridge open Monday- Thursday 9.00-1.00 at the Town Hall The purpose of a Community Fridge is to help reduce food waste so anyone can come and help themselves to what is there. The scheme is run by Wincanton Town Council and relies on volunteers to collect and deliver food and to service and maintain the fridge, freezer and larder. Phone 01963 31693 Wincanton Community Church is now a distributor for Gillingham Foodbank. This means that the Church will collect food donations and distribute food boxes to those who need it. They are open for drop-in on Tuesdays 10-12 during term time. They can be found in South Street, Wincanton BA9 9DL. Phone 01963 31400.
Independent Living Centres
The three Independent Living Centres in Somerset are in Shepton Mallet (Shape Mendip,Stockhill Building,Cannards Grave Road,Shepton Mallet BA4 5BT), in Wellington (17 Knights Road, Chelston Business Park, Wellington TA21 9JH) and Yeovil (Yeovil Innovation Centre, Barracks Close, Copse Road, Yeovil BA22 8RN). They are led by Social Care Occupational Therapy teams who offer free unbiased information and advice on all sorts of equipment that can make life easier for those who need it. The centres can show specific technology to help those with caring roles and those they care for. You need to make an appointment by phoning 0300 123 2224 (ask for ‘Independent Living Centre’ when prompted).
Useful advice about general and particular equipment available can also be found at:
- https://livingmadeeasy.org.uk/
- www.somersetlifeline.co.uk (for personal alarms),
- https://somerset-cews.co.uk/ (for hiring equipment and wheelchair service)
- www.medequip-uk.com/contact/taunton
Somerset Age UK
Age UK have launched a new Wellbeing Service. This free service, aimed at anyone over 60, is about ensuring that all older people in Somerset have the opportunity to live the very best later lives they can. It consists of different elements: Chat & Map: a one-stop-shop assessment to solve an individual’s issues. Make an appointment and then a member of the team makes a home visit to map out your daily life. They then look to see where problems could be solved, and life could be made easier either by Age UK or by referrals to services provided elsewhere. Other elements include a free Walk and Talk programme, a Friendly Phone Call service or a volunteer to provide weekly companionship and a window to the outside world. To contact the service call 01823 345615, email wellbeing@ageuksomerset.org.uk or visit their website
Age UK are also offering a falls prevention service every Tuesday afternoon in The Balsam Centre, Wincanton.
- STAY STRONG STAY STEADY
- IMPROVE YOUR BALANCE
- REBUILD YOUR MUSCLE STRENGTH
- STAY CONFIDENT AND MOBILE
- HAVE FUN!
You will need to complete a short health questionnaire before starting your class. The cost is £6.00 per session. For more information please call 01823 345614, email fallsprevention@ageuksomerset.org.uk or visit their website
AND the Balsam Centre has started a new social group called MEMORY LANE for people with dementia on Thursdays 2-4 pm. Phone Trish Foers 01963 31842 or email trish@balsamcentre.org.uk
And finally. If you need help right now:
Or contact us on 07834 597893 and visit the website
