Activities for older people

Brighter Futures for Older People

An important service for people 70+ living in Maidstone offer:

A regular telephone call from a friendly voice at a day and time to suit you
The solution to some of those annoying day to day problems
Information, advice and help with a whole range of enquiries
An escorted errands service with volunteer transport provided at 01622 756662
Regular, organised shopping trips to a local supermarket
Exercise classes designed for older people to help maintain health and independence.
Befriending from a friendly and understanding volunteer who will pop in for a cup of tea, a chat or a game of cards
Day trips to places of interest

To find out more please call the Brighter Futures helpline 01622 762403 Monday - Friday 10am – 4pm.

Counselling Support

Are you, or do you know someone who is, aged 50 or over, lives in the borough of Maidstone and would like counselling to help dealing with depression, anxiety or bereavement.

If so, we can offer between 6 and 10, fifty minute sessions with a trained BACP registered counsellor.

This is a free service.

For further information please contact Age Concern on Telephone: 01622 753618 email info@ageconcernmaidstone.org.uk

Free counseling service to all Maidstone residents aged 50 and over, in an area near you.

Call 01622 753618 or email info@ageconcernmaidstone.org.uk

Age UK

Age UK is a successful independent local charity registered in 1972 promoting the welfare of the welfare of the older residents of the Borough. We were originally founded in 1957 as Maidstone Old People’s Welfare Committee.

Age UK has 12 day centre’s that run every day of the week in and around the borough of Maidstone, Price Lunch £3.95 being picked up by transport £4.30.

Regular activities Bingo, Crosswords Entertainment, Arts and Crafts, bring and buy, Trips out, card games.

Dementia Day Care Service giving 6 hours care per day 10.00am to 4pm £44.00. That’s £7.33 hr this is open to everyone within the borough of Maidstone. Clients can phone into Mill Street for a referraland offer the following services:

Day Care
Domiciliary Bathing
Foot Care
Independent Living Support
Disability Travel Vouchers
FREE Computer Classes
Information and Advice
Traders list
Insurance Arranging
Charity Shop in partnership with Age Concern Enterprises
Wheelchair hire

Age Concern also hosts regular Coffee Mornings at St Stephens Court, Tovil. Hold Wii and Tea activity sessions. Provide Eat or Heat Crisis Kits.

To find out more contact Age UK Maidstone, 11 Mill Street, Maidstone, ME15 6XW or call 01622 753618.

Basic digital camera course

At Computer Skills Centre, St Martin‟s Church Hall, Northumberland Road

Friendly help so you can learn to use a digital camera to:

Download photos from Camera to PC
Save them in a named folder
Find Photo Files
Crop / Rotate - Basic Photo Editing
Insert into a Word document

Dates will be arranged to suit learners call 01622 752751 for more information.

Citizens Rights for Older People (CROP)

CROP is a voluntary organisation with charitable status.

CROP offers a free and confidential domiciliary home advocacy service providing help and guidance to the elderly person. CROP advocates will work with the older person in order that they can maintain their independence and have control over their choices they wish to implement.

CROP accepts referrals for anyone over the age of sixty who may be:

Making important decisions and / or facing major changes, the outcome of which will affect the remainder of their life

Feel that they have no family or friend able to take on the advocacy role

Wish to be given the opportunity to act for themselves

Some ways that CROP can help:

Maximising benefit entitlement, Completing forms such as (Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Carers Allowance, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit), Pension Credit.) And also, Financial Matters, Consumer disputes, Making a complaint, Negotiating care or moving to sheltered accommodation to residential care.)

Our Maidstone and Ashford branches are based in Lenham, 9a High Street, Lenham, Kent ME17 2QD or call 01622 853899.