We donated £1,500 to a charity in Kelsall to support its services in battling loneliness and isolation in its community

Kelsall Patient Participation Group, which operates as Kelsall Wellbeing Hub, has a reach of up to 10,000 residents and strives to improve mental health and wellbeing in the neighbourhood.

Our contribution has helped the charity to continue to pay specialists so that it can provide activities and classes to those who need them at no cost to the participant.

Mornings at Kelsall Wellbeing Hub are tailored to drop-in sessions with organised activities like chair yoga, knit ‘n natter, bingo, quizzes, and singing for fun, whereas afternoons are dedicated to targeted sessions for people with specific needs. The charity offers tai chi, yoga, somatic movement, and a dementia art class.

Helen Ritchie, Manager at Kelsall Wellbeing Hub, said: “The work we do is so important because we bring people together to make new friends, join in activities and take part in classes to help their wellbeing. This type of social prescribing ultimately reduces the load on the NHS.

“We work very closely with the local medical centre and social prescribers to understand the needs of the local population and then put on sessions which will be of benefit to them.

“Receiving donations like this one helps to supplement our other income streams which are corporate partnerships, events and our own fundraising.”

Alongside the activities it hosts, the charity operates a small café run by volunteers. It currently has 40 retired registered volunteers who have been trained to either work as ‘Hub Hosts’, which require them to run the café and chat to hub users, or as ‘Community Connectors’.

Claire Jarvis, Managing Director at David Wilson Homes North West, said: “The work Kelsall Patient Participation Group carries out to enrich the lives of its community is admirable, as it enhances the mental health and wellbeing of many residents.

“We’re delighted to support the charity with our Community Fund donation of £1,500, and we hope the charity is able to continue its excellent services for many years to come.”

For more information on how to support the charity, visit the website at Kelsall Patient Participation Group.