On Wednesday 26 February 2020, the last Wednesday in February, the Arm in Arm Walking Group and Memory Cafe held at Middleton Elderly Aid will be 2 years old, how time flies.
I remember when I moved back to Middleton in 2018, I made myself known to Samantha, the Operations Manager of Middleton Elderly Aid, and asked to become a member.
Sam asked my about my hobbies and do I undertake any volunteer work. I quickly got round to telling her I host a walking group at BITMO’s GATE in Belle Isle. Samantha asked if we could organise a walking group for the over 60s and their carers from the centre.
After renewing my First Aid licence and telling Samantha I was DBS Police checked, we started the Walking Group in February 2018. The group now starts and finish the walk from Middleton Elderly Aid every Wednesday from 11am.
The walk takes us into Middleton Park and we have two alternative routes, for a change each week. We regularly have 6 to 10 members on the walk.
Before the walk you can have a full English Breakfast for £3.00 or a bacon sandwich for £1.00 including a hot drink at the Centre. Half way round the walk we stop off at a cafe for drinks and a rest.
We arrive back at the centre after about two hours, for a sit down and a drink. Since the group started we now have two new group leaders, Christine and Walter who takes part in keeping everybody together as a group, and also take over when I’m on holiday.
Quite often there is entertainment at the Centre on Wednesday afternoon when we get back, such as a singer and food. When we have entertainment, you have to book in advance if you want to come along to the entertainment.
Back in 2018 I told Samantha about a Memory Cafe I started at the Parnaby Tavern, in Hunslet. We then started a Memory Cafe for Middleton Elderly Aid which is also two years old in February.
We often have volunteers coming from different organisations to help us all with our memory issues, and they help us build up our scrap books with photos of the past and stories.
So the cafe is the last Wednesday in the month, 1:30-3pm. Why not come and join us. The Dementia Cafe is Dementia Friendly accredited, after I went on the course, the centre also has this accreditation.
The centre has books and toys from the 1960s to help boost our memory. We finish the afternoon with tea and cake.
Hope you can come along and join in the fun and have some Birthday Cake.
