Pathfinder West

Pathfinder West is the single point of access for Cheshire West and Chester
Adult Health Early Intervention services.

Our dedicated team can help signpost and provide information about  early intervention and prevention services, ranging from low level community support to reduce social isolation through to more specialist services to support people to remain independent and well for as long as possible.

 

These services include:

Community well-being
  • Group social activities
  • Befriending schemes
  • Assisted shopping
  • Community development
  • Support for small charities and social enterprises
Specialist support and activities
  • Mental health services
  • Supported employment
  • Learning disability and autism services
  • Sensory impairment support
  • Falls prevention
Reablement
  • Supported hospital discharge

The Pathfinder Team will also always do their best to find and make direct referrals to other relevant and specialist support services and groups where necessary, such as a local arts and crafts group or a chess club, for instance. In addition, they can signpost people to a variety of approved paid for services, such as cleaning, gardening and home maintenance services.

Professionals, service users and carers can call a single number to find out about local services making it easier for those that need it to find help.

Contact Viv Craven

Email: pathfinder@cheshireaction.org.uk
Phone: 07799 519438 

LUNCH CLUBS/DAY CARE & SOCIAL GROUPS

There are several organisations that provide a range of social group programmes and supportive interventions across various locations across Cheshire, to reduce social isolation amongst people aged 65 or over. They provide services that encourage and support older people to access mainstream services and/or activities using existing community assets within their local area.

All the following groups are delivered in accessible premises and each run for a minimum of 3 hours. They also include food and free or significantly subsidised transport where necessary.

For more information or a referral for any of the services and groups below, please contact the Pathfinder team on pathfinder@cheshireaction.org.uk or call 0779 951 9438

Age UK Cheshire

Love Later Life Social Group

Social group for those aged 65 and over. Sessions include arts & crafts, dominoes, board games, music and movement and a variety of games such as bingo, card games and quizzes. Two course lunch provided.

Held weekly Tuesday & Thursday, 10.00am – 3.00pm
Castle Community Centre, Barbers Lane, Hartford, Northwich 

OPAL Services

The following OPAL lunch clubs, run by OPAL Services – Rural Cheshire, include social, therapeutic and informative activities. The cost is £15 per day including lunch and transport.

Frodsham OPAL Club – Soup & sandwiches
Tuesday, 10.00am – 12.00pm & 1.00pm-3.00pm weekly

Frodsham Methodist Church, Kingsley Road, Frodsham, WA6 6BA

Helsby OPAL Club – Soup & sandwiches
Thursday, 10.00am – 12.00pm fortnightly
Alvanley Village Hall, Church Way, Alvanley, WA6 9BZ.

Kelsall OPAL Club – Soup & sandwiches
Monday, 10.00am – 2.00pm weekly

Kelsall Methodist Chapel, Chapel Bank, Kelsall, CW6 OQS.

Malpas OPAL CLub – Soup & sandwiches
Tuesday & Thursday, 10.00am – 2.00pm weekly

Craddock Court, Mercer Close, Malpas, SY14 8QY

Tarporley OPAL Club – Soup & sandwiches
Thursday, 10.00am – 2.00pm weekly

Deeside Ramblers Hockey Club, Gardenhurst Estate, Whitchurch Rd, Tiverton, Tarporley CW6 9NA

Tattenhall OPAL Club
Tuesday, 10.00am – 12.00pm weekly

Barbour Institute, High St, Tattenhall, CH3 9PX

Methodist Housing Association

MHA Communities – Cheshire West provide the following groups and services:

Ellesmere Port Welcome Club
The session charge is £3.00 or £7.00 for door to door collection and return.

Monday, 10.00am – 12.30pm
Little Sutton Methodist Church, CH65 8AB

Neston Social Hub
The session charge is £3 which is for all activities and includes unlimited tea/coffee/juice, biscuits, toast and cake. Transport from door to door is available but must be pre-booked. There is a charge of £7 which includes a return journey home.

For further details of FREE membership scheme please phone 0151 357 3873 or 0793 520 2563 or email cheshirewest@mha.org.uk or david.foulds@mha.org.uk

Tuesday, 10.30am – 1.00pm
Neston Methodist Church

Ellesmere Port supported shopping
Community transport provided from door to door. Advance booking is advised.

Friday, 9.30am – 12.00pm

Dementia Support Group
Two weekly drop in sessions on a Monday and Wednesday at their Welcome Clubs in Ellesmere Port and Neston from 11am to 12noon so that people can make contact with us and discuss their issues.

Befriending Services
Offering a face to face personal service as well as a telephone befriending service. A dedicated volunteer will regularly contact the member for an informal chat either by visiting or by telephone. 

Lache Community Centre

60+ Club
Opportunity for people to come together to watch films, participate in activities such as musical bingo etc. Events / activities as requested by group members.

Wednesdays (times vary am -pm)
Lache Community Centre, Hawthorn Rd, Chester, CH4 8HX

Hoole Community Centre

Over 55s club
A varied programme of events with lunch. Transport is available.

Wednesday, 10.00am – 1.00pm
Hoole Community Centre, Westminster Road, Hoole, Chester CH2 3AU

Here and Now Chester

Here and Now is a social enterprise based in Blacon, which aims to bring socially isolated people together in a friendly and relaxed environment. The enterprise was formed in July 2015 and works to enhance the lives of the older members of the Blacon and Chester Community. It offers the following groups and clubs:

Wednesday Social Group
Wednesday, 1.00pm – 3.00pm
Deva Point Blacon, Point Road, Blacon, CH1 5LD
A small fee is charged for the meal and refreshments

Thursday Social Group
Thursday, 11.30am – 2.30pm
United Reform Church 121A Saughall Road
Blacon Chester, CH1 5ET
A small fee is charged for the meal and refreshments

Digital Buddies – helping over 50s with digital problems
Friday, 11.00am – 12.00pm
Storyhouse, Hunter St, Chester CH1 2AR
Donation for refreshments.

If you would like to attend a digital session please contact Alan on 07932556062 or email
digitalbuddieshereandnow@gmail.com. 

Snowangels

Snowangels is a social enterprise which supports older people to continue to live independently and keep well. Snowangels offers two lunch clubs:

Happy Mondays Lunch Club
This group is for older people with learning disabilities/autism. It costs £5 per session and includes a two course lunch and different activities, such as crafts painting and cake decorating.

Monday, 11.00am – 2.00pm
Weaver Hall Museum, Northwich

Keep Connected Café
For people 65+, £5 for light lunch, refreshments – Greenbank School make the food, homemade soups, pies, sausage rolls

Tuesdays 10:30-12:30
The Mews, Whitegate church Hall, Northwich

SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT LIVING

There are a range of volunteer-led services that offer a range of emotional, social and practical support in local communities, to help improve older and vulnerable people’s quality of life and support them to live independently, access mainstream services and/or activities in their local area. These primarily take the form of:

  • Befriending – providing emotional and social support through regular contact with frail and vulnerable older people

In addition to the volunteer schemes the Pathfinder team can also provide details of other appropriate services – such as cleaning, shopping, gardening and general home maintenance, for instance – that will support older people to continue living independently.

For more information or a referral for these services please contact the Pathfinder team on pathfinder@cheshireaction.org.uk or call 0779 951 9438.

Snow Angels CIC

Snow Angels support people over 70 years old to continue to live independently in their own homes. Snow Angels supports older people to attend social activities. and access other services. Further information 0300 666 6226 or info@snowangels.org.uk

Neston Angels

Neston Angels provides support to older people who live alone by connecting them to an appropriate volunteer befriender and to local services and support in the Neston area. Through the befriending service, individuals receive a weekly catch up phone call from a volunteer to check how they are. In addition, ‘befrienders’ can signpost and support their ‘buddies’ to attend activities, such as lunches or activity clubs, monthly senior matinees at Neston Community Youth Centre, or anything else appropriate, with the aim of expanding their social networks. Contact: Zaria Tel: 0151 336 7805

Opal Services

Telephone Friends, a befriending service across rural west Cheshire for older people who are lonely and find it difficult to leave home. Contact Janet.handley@opalservices.org.uk Tel 07592 464 856. Good Neighbour Plus Service in the Tarporley area to provide support and friendship via attending the club and/or face-to-face friendship. Joanne.patel@opalservices.org.uk Tel 07856 095 611. Referrals via our Initial Service Enquiry Form on their web site www.opalservices.org.uk

MHA Communities

Cheshire West covering Ellesmere Port and surrounding rural areas. Focus on social inclusion activities and healthy living for people aged 55 and over living in the Ellesmere Port, Neston, Willaston and surrounding rural areas.  Weekly social groups and light exercise classes.  Floating Mental Health support service.  Green Care environmental gardening project. Befriending on a 1:1 or telephone basis.  Community Transport and Social outings. Chat & Check safety call service.  Supported shopping online or digitally. For details and information contact Alison on 07720 680394 or David on 0793 520 2562 or email CheshireWest@mha.org.uk or david.foulds@mha.org.uk

DEMENTIA

Alzheimer’s Society

Provides a specialist post-diagnostic dementia advice service for people with dementia and their carers, delivered by expert Dementia Advisors (DA) and trained volunteers from the point of diagnosis. The Dementia Adviser Service offers one-to-one support for people affected by dementia. Dementia Advisers offers information and practical guidance to help understand the condition, cope with day-to-day challenges and prepare for the future. This can happen face-to-face (where appropriate and safe), over the phone or in writing. For more information or a referral for any of the services provided by Alzheimer’s Society, please contact the Pathfinder team on pathfinder@cheshireaction.org.uk or call 0779 951 9438.

MHA

Weekly Dementia Support Group

For details and information contact Alison on 07720 680394 or David on 0793 520 2562 or email CheshireWest@mha.org.uk or david.foulds@mha.org.uk

PHYSICAL DISABILITY

DIAL West Cheshire

DIAL West Cheshire’s Ability Angels is an assisted shopping service whereby friendly, trained volunteer helpers are available to accompany disabled or older people who would like help to do their own shopping within the City of Chester. In addition to providing a friendly shopping companion Ability Angels can help with:

  • Carrying shopping bags;
  • Wheel chair and door assistance;
  • Reaching for items;
  • Guiding sensory impaired customers;
  • Reading labels.

LEARNING DISABILITY AND AUTISM

There are a number of services specialising in offering support for adults with learning disabilities, including Autism, Asperger Syndrome and other learning disabilities. These services range from one-to-one support to providing groups and sessions

For more information or a referral for any of the services listed below, please contact the Pathfinder team on pathfinder@cheshireaction.org.uk or call  0779 951 9438

SEE Communications CIC

SEE Communications CIC is delivering a service – The Peoples’ Choice Group Project – which aims to reduce social isolation, raise self-esteem, increase confidence and improve social interaction amongst adults with learning disabilities and associated mental health conditions. The Peoples’ Choice Group Project supports people with learning disabilities/difficulties and autistic spectrum conditions to meet and make new friends; speak up about things that matter to them in their local communities; and gain confidence and skills, through working and social sessions.

People’s Choice Working Group – fortnightly meetings Wednesday afternoons Northwich Crafty Chatters Craft/Colouring Packs – posted fortnightly

Contact: Northwich Group Email: jackie.peopleschoicegroup@gmail.com

Phone: 07596 322 854

Chester Group Email: ali.peopleschoicegroup@gmail.com

Phone: 07746 422 282

Crossroads Together

Crossroads Together provides social skills groups for adults with Asperger’s to enable them to improve their social skills and meet others with similar difficulties and strengths.

They hold fortnightly groups, alternating between a structured session led by a speech and language therapist and social groups offering activities that enable newfound skills to be put into practice. For example, activities that involve turn taking, making choices and decisions, interacting with other people and following rules.

All sessions online but with the opportunity for face-to-face contact, they hold a “coffee and catch up” session every six weeks, in which the attendees meet face-to-face in a local café for a drink and a chat. To cater to everyone, they alternate the location of this meetup so that all 3 areas Ellesmere Port, Northwich and Chester are covered. However, attendees from any area are able to attend any of these sessions, as long as they can arrange transport for locations further from them.

DIAL West Cheshire

DIAL West Cheshire provide an in-house supported volunteer programme aimed at users with a learning disability.

SENSORY IMPAIRMENT

Those affected by visual and/or hearing impairment can access the following local services, provided by Vision Support and Deafness Support Network, which specialise in the respective disabilities – offering a range of support including advice about equipment.

For more information or a referral for any of the services listed below, please contact the Pathfinder team on pathfinder@cheshireaction.org.uk or call 0779 951 9438.

Visual Impairment

Vision Support

Vision Support provides a community service to people with sight loss, to reduce isolation and support individuals to remain in their own homes. The service includes:

Delivery of and information on specialist equipment (lighting, talking watches and clocks, kitchen equipment to name a few) through the Home Visiting Service; Assisting with sorting/reading mail and making appointments and signposting to other relevant organisations. Introduction and referral to peer group support, including ‘Living with Sight Loss’; Support with Digital Skills (mobile phones, tablets, text to speech software/keyboard skills); Mobile Information Service visiting a variety of locations throughout Cheshire West (please call head office for schedule) Vision Support’s drop-in centre, Bluecoat Vision Centre, in Chester is available, currently by appointment to view equipment. Vision Support contact number 01244 381515.

Hearing Impairment

Deafness Support Network

Deafness Support Network provides an enhanced support worker and technical equipment service, providing sensory support workers to work with D/deaf and D/deafblind adults in Cheshire West and Chester. Deafness Support Network deliver bespoke support designed to meet the needs of each individual, identifying appropriate intervention, provide advice on technical equipment, and work with individuals on a one-to-one basis to determine the most appropriate equipment for the individual’s needs at home and in social situations. 

MENTAL HEALTH

Chapter and Mid-Cheshire MIND deliver mental health services to help improve mental wellbeing, reduce social isolation and increase social interaction. This is delivered through one-to-one support and social groups, including drop-in facilities.

Mid-Cheshire Mind

Mid-Cheshire Mind offers information, advice and support to people with mental health concerns, their friends, families and carers. They also offer activities, trips and days out to those accessing their services. It’s drop-in centre, based in Winsford is open for individuals to drop in. Contact: Tel 01606 863305 email hello@midcheshiremind.org.uk

Making Space

Making Space provides a mental health support service for adults living with mental ill health who require additional support in order to achieve their personal goals. The charity provide support on a one-to-one basis with one of their key members of staff who tailor their assistance to meet the needs of the individual. Contact:  Telephone 01606 606694

Chapter – Ellesmere Port

Working across Cheshire West to provide in-home support for people who are affected by mental ill health (including social isolation). Using a coaching approach over a minimum of six weeks to build skills to manage their mental health, build confidence and access support in the community https://chaptermentalhealth.org/referrals/

FALLS PREVENTION

The Falls Prevention activity is jointly delivered by Age UK Cheshire and Healthbox.

For more information or a referral for any of the services outlined below, please contact the Pathfinder team on pathfinder@cheshireaction.org.ukor call  0779 951 9438.

Age UK Cheshire

Age UK provides a falls prevention home visiting service covering the whole of Cheshire West and Chester.  Their falls prevention coordinators can visit clients aged 65+ who have experienced a fall, are at risk of falling or have a fear of falling.  These visits will offer an assessment and advice on safety issues within the property (and access to a grab rail fitting service – charges apply)

Falls prevention coordinators can also make onward referrals to a range of services to support people including the free falls classes run by Healthbox.

Health Box

Healthbox operate a structured fall prevention programme across the borough, with classes in Chester, Neston, Ellesmere Port. Contact: Tel 0151 355 0205   email jack@healthboxcic.com

NEUROMUSCULAR

Pilot at home visit / assessment service for people with long term conditions and physical disabilities. Focusing on care needs and practical solutions using outreach services from NMC.  Contact details for accessing the service are: Denise Boyall Denise.boyall@nmcentre.com  Tel: 01606 860911

SUPPORTED HOSPITAL DISCHARGE

Snow Angels CIC

Offers Hospital Discharge Services.

Further information 0300 666 6226 or info@snowangels.org.uk

Cheshire Community Action

Cheshire Community Action aim to give communities a stronger voice by engaging and supporting them to influence the places, spaces and services that are important to them.

PRIVACY POLICY

STAY CONNECTED

CONTACT

01244 400222
enquiries@cheshireaction.org.uk

Queens House Annexe
Queens Road
Chester
CH1 3BQ