Other organisations which can help support our Health & Wellbeing

Support

The Village Agent

Function/role: Village Agents work with people of all ages dealing with a wide variety of issues. This can include finding help in the home to maintain independence, support to engage in local activities and help with mobility and transport. Helping to solve these problems may, ultimately, help older people to remain living independently for longer. Village Agents also have the role of helping to shape services by feeding back to the appropriate body information about gaps in service e.g. transport provision. They can also motivate and support a community to respond to a local need by working together to address issues e.g. by helping them to set up a coffee morning for a group of people who are isolated or start a volunteer car scheme.

So perhaps our first point of contact for any local services relating to health and wellbeing could be our Village Agent.

Contact details:  Our Village Agent is Kirsten Rushby. Contact her by phone -07746 332 897 or email kirsten@somersetrcc.org.uk

Farmers Community Network (FCN)

Function/Role: FCN has been working with farming families in Somerset since 1995.  It is a national organisation which gives pastoral support and practical help to farmers, farm workers and their families.  Many problems occurring in farming communities are only relevant to them.  Farming is a unique way of life and so often everything is tied up in the farm – livelihood, daily work routine, identity and life style. Recent years have been particularly stressful for farmers and the aim of FCN is to alleviate some of this stress by dealing with some of the practical problems and listening to their concerns.  FCN volunteers have a range of expertise but all have farming experience. Their main role is to walk with farming families as they go through tough times and the main objective is to support them for as long as it takes to resolve the different issues.

Contacts:

Suzie Wilkinson at the Somerset Helpline:  01934 712128 or the National Helpline 03000 111 999 or chris@fcn.org.uk

The Community Bus

Function/role: To provide regular local travel.

There are regular scheduled trips each week, eg to Taunton, Bridgwater, Weston-Super-Mare, Street. The schedule is published in the Wedmore News each month. Fares vary according to the journey or are free for those with a bus pass. The service is for all local residents and the bus is available for private hire. Door to door service is available.

See Wedmore News for information.

Contact details: Mike Bewick, 01934 713745, 07794 781975

The Silver Line

Function/role: Helpline for older people.

FREE confidential helpline, open 24 hours a day, for information, friendship, and advice for people in later life. This organisation is a charity, founded by Dame Esther Rantzen.

Contact details: Calls are free on a landline on 0800 4 70 80 90 or from a mobile at local rate on 0300 4 70 80 90. For more information go to www.thesilverline.org.uk

Childline

Function/role: A helpline for children and young people.

FREE confidential helpline, open 24 hours a day, for information, advice and support for children and young people. Childline is a service provided by NSPCC.

Contact details: 0800 1111. For more information go to www.childline.org.uk

Age UK

Age UK is a registered charity in the United Kingdom, formed on 25 February 2009, and launched on 1 April 2009, which combines the operations of the previously separate charities Age Concern and Help the Aged to form the UK’s largest charity for older people. (Wikipedia)

Function/role: Age UK provides a range of support and services, including help with transport, foot care, exercise classes and an advice line on 0800 678 1602.

Visit: www.ageuk.org.uk for more information.

Dementia UK

Function/role: Dementia UK fund and support Admiral Nurses, who provide the specialist dementia support that families need. When things get challenging or difficult, our nurses work alongside the entire family, giving them one-to-one support, expert guidance and practical solutions.

The unique dementia expertise and experience an Admiral Nurse brings is a lifeline – it helps families to live more positively with dementia in the present, and to face the challenges of tomorrow with more confidence and less fear.

Contact: 0800 888 6678

Visit: www.dementiauk.org

Alzheimer’s Society

Function/role: This charity provides advice, support and information relating to all types of dementia. There is a broad range of advice, including daily living and legal advice.

Contact: 0300 222 11 22

Visit: www.alzheimers.org.uk

Talking Cafés

Function/role: Meet new people, make friends and chat to a community signposter about activities, support groups and services in your community. Just pop along to find out more at a venue to suit you:-

  • In Wells, at Pickwicks Country Kitchen, Broad Street, Wells, on alternate Thursdays term time 10 am to 12 noon. Contact: 01373 468368, email: mendip.healthconnections@nhs.net
  • In Cheddar Baptist Church, every Monday, 9.30am to 12.30pm. Contact: 01823 331 222

Visit: www.somerset.gov.uk/dropin

Safety

The Police

Emergency calls

In an emergency please telephone 999.

If you are deaf, deafened, hard of hearing or have a speech impairment, a text phone is available on 18000.

You should use these numbers if:

      • A crime is happening right now.
      • Someone is in immediate danger, or there is a risk of serious damage to property.
      • A suspect for a serious crime is nearby.
      • There is a traffic collision involving injury or danger to other road users.

112 is the common European emergency telephone number that can be dialled free of charge from most mobile telephones and, in some countries, fixed telephones in order to reach emergency services.

Non-emergency calls

For all other calls to the police in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland please telephone 101.

Calls cost 15p from mobiles and landlines, regardless of duration. They are free of charge from payphones.

If you are deaf, deafened, hard of hearing or have a speech impairment, a text phone is available on 18001 101.

You should use these non-emergency numbers to:

      • Report a crime not currently in progress – for example a stolen car, burglary, or damaged property.
      • Give information to the police about crime in your area.
      • Speak to the police about a general enquiry.
      • Contact a specific police officer or member of staff.
      • For more information go to www.police.uk/contact/

Neighbourhood Watch

Function/role: To create safer and stronger communities.

Contact details: Roy Millward – 01934 712999. See entry in this directory on page 24.

Visit: www.ourwatch.org.uk

Avon Fire and Rescue

Function/role: Home Fire safety help and support.

You can request a FREE home visit for advice and support, including smoke alarms in some circumstances. Through Home Fire Safety Visits practical advice and education is provided to prevent fires starting in the first place. Anyone can request a free visit where a member of staff will come to the home to provide information about how to reduce the risk of a fire starting.

The help offered will be specific to individual circumstances and will include advice on

      • Escape routes
      • Cooking safety
      • Electrical safety
      • A night time routine
      • What to do if there is a fire

Contact details:  Telephone  0117 926 2061 Text ‘visit’ to 07507 319 694

Visit www.avonfire.gov.uk/our-services

Finding reputable tradesmen and craftsmen

Trusted Traders

Function/role: To enable people to find tradesmen and women who are reliable, skilled and can be trusted. This organisation is approved by Trading Standards.

Visit: www.trustatrader.com

Buy with Confidence

Function/role: To enable people to find tradesmen and women who are reliable, skilled and can be trusted. This organisation is approved by Trading Standards.

Visit: www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk/home/

Theale Oil Group

Function/role:  To enable oil users to buy oil at a discounted rate, by group purchasing. Orders are taken several times a year. There is no joining fee, just the cost of the oil each time. The group is open to anyone who uses oil in the Wedmore Parish.   You can donate your oil savings to Theale Village Hall.

Contact: David Luke – 01934 713176, and davek_luke_2000@yahoo.co.uk

Visit: www.theale.ws