Do you want to find groups and support in the community that might help you improve your health and wellbeing? You can find lots of local support from charities to social groups in the Health Connections Mendip Directory.
Dogs for Health is an exciting new charity that aims to help reduce loneliness and isolation by visiting people in their own homes, hospitals and Care or Residential homes with well trained therapy dogs and their owners.
This is a free service to those who would benefit from time spent stroking and cuddling one of our therapy dogs.
Visits are tailored to meet the need of the client, ideal for people who used to own a dog but no longer can.
Covering Frome and surrounding villages.
Chair and standing exercise class at Pullen Court.
The class aims to improve balance, mobility, strength and flexibility. This will help you to remain independent and able in your own home. We will be doing some standing exercises in improve balance as well as seated exercises using bands for strength and finishing with some stretching.
Tuesdays at 13.30. Pullen Court Community Room. £3.00 Contact Jo Smith from SASP
The Royal British Legion is helping the Armed Forces community in the Frome area. Providing a range of Branch Community Support to veterans and any serving personnel as well as their families, Including:
Telephone buddies, Home and Hospital visiting, Bereavement support, Legion Awareness Events and local information. If you’re not sure where to turn, please get in touch.
The Royal Voluntary Service run this club for over 60s at the Oakhill Village Hall, Zion Hill, Oakhill, BA3 5AN every Wednesday afternoon from 14:00 -16:00. This is a volunteer-run social club providing a wide range of activities from dancing, crafts and gentle exercises to specialist interests as well as the opportunity to catch up with friends. Please call the number below or fill in the online contact form before going.
Come along for a hot freshly cooked meal each week in term time starting 2nd September!
Monday 5.00pm —Key Centre
Wednesday 5.00pm—Frome Football Club
Thursday 5.00pm—Trinity Church Hall
Free to anyone on benefits or low income Suggested £2 donation for others Families and Children welcome Vegetarian option available Contact us for any other specific dietary requirements or for more information
Silvercise is a fun, social and gentle fitness class combining toning, stretching, conditioning and dance. No jumping or floorwork involved. The classes are aimed at over 60’s but all adults are welcome. Exercises adapted to suit all abilities including those with any physical difficulties.
Mondays 9.30am – 10.30am: Crispin Hall, 83 High Street, Street, BA16 0EZ
Mondays 1.45 – 2.45pm: Barton St David Village Hall, 6 Broadclose Way, Barton St David, TA11 6BS
Thursdays 1.30 – 2.30pm: Keinton Mandeville Village Hall, Chistles Lane, TA11 6EX
Cost: £4.00 per class
Walton Short Mat Bowles Club meet every Monday 7.30pm – 9.30pm. The 1st 2 weeks are free as a trial & if you would like to attend regularly the cost is £2.00 per week, plus club fees of £10.00 per year.
Venue: Walton Village Hall, Meadow Lane, Walton, Somerset, BA16 9LA
For more information Contact Margaret on the number below.
Hot meals delivered by volunteer drivers. Delivering hot fresh lunches in the following areas: Cheddar, Glastonbury, Shepton Mallet, Street, Wells and surrounding villages.
Cost: £6.00 for 2 courses – Menu available online. Orders taken over the telephone or via email (order before 3.00pm for next day delivery). Frozen meals can also be ordered.
Stay Strong, Stay Steady sessions are special classes which help to reduce falls and improve balance, strength and confidence.
Individuals can refer themselves by calling Age UK on the number below. A short health questionnaire will need to be completed and, depending on the outcome, further information from your GP may be required to ensure that it is safe to participate. Alternatively, referrals are accepted from Healthcare Professionals. Further information can be found by clicking the link below, including a referral form.
Cost: £4.00
Classes in Mendip:
Frome – Christchurch Parish Hall, Park Rd, BA11 1EU, Wednesdays 3.15pm – 4.15pm.
Wells – Town Hall, Market Place, BA5 2RB, Fridays 1.30pm – 2.30pm.
Berkley Catering Ltd offer a hot lunchtime meal delivery service in the Frome Area, providing you daily with a choice of two main meals and two desserts brought to you piping hot on china tableware. Delivery will be between 12 and 1.30pm Monday -Friday Mains meals £4.00 and a dessert £2.00
A complete monthly list of choices will be sent to you, simply ring to pre order or tell us your next order when we deliver.
Social Group. Glastonbury Town Hall, Magdelene Street, BA6 9EL weekly meet up Tuesdays 2 – 4pm with varied activities. Small donation for refreshments.
Friday Club – for all those adults seeking a relaxed social time and company with friends. Please do not hesitate to come along and try for free! The Friday Club is a welcoming and safe space where you can enjoy Tea/Coffee and Cake. Varied programme with the occasional outing. We meet on the second Friday of the month from 2.00-4.00pm. Trinity Methodist Church (Westfield) Wells Road, Radstock.
Each town in Mendip now has its own Dementia Action Alliance. The aim of an Alliance is to bring together individuals, groups and organisations who are committed to improving health and social care outcomes for people living with dementia, and those who care for them. This means working in partnership with people who have dementia so that they feel included and empowered. Dementia Action Alliances organise basic dementia friends training for local communities, helping to remove the barriers that stop people with dementia and their supporters from participating in community life. Alliances can also promote activities that have the potential to reduce the risk of people developing dementia, including regular exercise, changes to diet, drinking in moderation and engaging in social activities and hobbies.
Sessions to develop more Dementia Friends in Shepton Mallet have recently been held and there are no future dates set at the moment.
For more information on becoming a Dementia Friend please contact Peter Hillman
Mobile: 07970 665036
You can also find details of your local Alliance via their website (see below).
‘Route 60+’ is a presentation aimed at senior drivers, with the aim of addressing not only how vehicles have changed over the years, but also how our own driving skills and habits may have changed and how we can go about updating those skills. Driving provides independence and is a skill that should be nurtured for as long as possible. If a driver stops driving for a period of time it is, inevitably, much more difficult to try and start again at a later date and this workshop is designed to help you keep your licence for as long as safely possible. The presentation itself lasts approximately 60 minutes and is designed primarily to help drivers continue their driving career for as long as possible.
Those attending will receive a free bag including a hi-vis jacket and a copy of the highway code and details of accreditted driving instructors will be available should any attendees require further support with their individual driving issues. If you run a club or group that would benefit from a Route 60+ talk then please contact the Road Safety team via the contact methods below.
The Road Assured scheme is for any driver who has a health issue that may make driving more difficult or who is returning to driving; perhaps after an operation or a health episode.
The scheme enables you to take a short, assessed drive with one of our Approved Driving Instructors. You will be given advice about your driving style and a written report will be produced at the end of your assessment. If you were referred by your GP, a copy will be sent to them first and they will forward a copy on to you. This report will help you and your doctor decide which steps to take, if any, to reduce the chances of problems occurring when you are behind the wheel. There is a £50 fee for the Road Assured assessment.
How do I access the Road Assured scheme?
You can be referred by your GP or other health professional if there is a concern about your fitness to drive, or to return to driving.
You can ask your GP or other health professional to refer you if you have a health problem which is making driving more difficult. For example you may feel less safe driving following an operation or if you have experienced an event that has affected you emotionally.
You can refer yourself for a Road Assured assessment.
You can refer a family member or friend, with their knowledge that you are doing so, if you are concerned about their driving safety.
Anne will be hosting monthly meet-ups at the Cheese & Grain in Frome on the second Monday of the month, from 10 am until 12 noon.
Please come and join her for a coffee and a chat.
Our first meet-up will be on 10th September to coincide with World Childless Week.
A small informal group that meets on the last Friday of the month (not Dec) at Frome library 1.30pm-3.pm. We are not a group that writes/reads our own poetry rather we choose poems to bring to the group that either fit the theme of the month, are ones we like, are ones we puzzle over, ones to share etc.
For more details please contact Frome Library
If you need help using your laptop, Pc, tablet or phone then Online Centres Network at Frome Library can help. We can help with emailing, printing, scanning, browsing, saving, online shopping, forms, social media and more. Sessions are on a Monday and Thursday 9.30-12pm Frome Library. Pop into the library to book your place.
Retirement Gateways are places where people can meet others who have retired, find out about volunteering opportunities or just meet others and make new friends. Every three months across Mendip. Call for details.
Thursdays Royal British Legion, Street, 1.30pm – 3.30pm activities include bingo, day trips, cream teas. Membership £5 tea and biscuits 50p.
Friday afternoons 2 – 4pm at the Withys Community Hall, Street BA16 9PL. £1 per week with tea and biscuits for 20p. Skittles also Tuesday pm.
Available to ex Clarks employees activities include demonstrations, outings and local speakers. Contact Derek Ashford.
This Tai Chi class is run by Age UK.
It’s held on Wednesday mornings 10am-11am during term time at Nunney Village Hall.
Cost is £4 per session. Please contact Age UK if you would like to know more.
Meets every 4th Tuesday of the month 2pm – 4pm for over 55’s with various activities and presentations, meals and talks.
There is a huge network of organisations supporting the Armed Forces community, so finding the right one for your needs can be tricky. We make it quick and easy by being your first point of contact for whatever support you need. Many of our team are veterans themselves so they understand the issues that people face after leaving the Armed Forces. They work with people on a one-to-one basis, connecting them with the right support as soon as possible.
We aim to prevent the abuse of older people by raising awareness; encouraging education; promoting research and collecting and disseminating information.
Age UK Somerset provides information and advice on a wide range of issues. We’ll provide you with the facts and you can make choices and decisions knowing you have reliable information. We can help you with: Welfare benefits and money matters. Housing rights. Health and social care. Leisure and social activities. Family and personal matters. Your rights to local services. And most other things that affect your quality of life.
Active and In Touch run the Active Tuesday Social Club. This is a social group for older or isolated people to come together and socialise through activities, special events or a chat over a cup of tea. The club costs £2 and is a drop in service.
The social group meets weekly on Tuesdays, 11.00am – 1.00pm. The group meets at: Phoenix House, Dommetts Lane, Frome and The Assembly Rooms and The Corner House, Frome. Call for information of where they are going to meet on the Tuesday that you want to attend.
Somerset Active Living for People Over 50 has brought together information about activities that you can get involved with in your local community. So whatever your interests, you will find the information you need to get you started.
These gentle exercise classes are held at – Wells Town Hall, Market Place, Wells, BA5 2RB Tuesdays 10.00am -11.00am
Cost: £4.50
Supported by Age UK.
The Crsipin Community Centre, Leigh Road, Street, BA16 0HA run a varied programme of activities – please call or pop in for more information. Weekly social activities:
Monday to Friday 10.00am – 12.00pm – Coffee morning
Tuesdays 10am – 2pm: Social day £10 to include transport, lunch and activities.
Wednesday & Friday – 12.00pm – 2.00pm – Lunch Club (call to book)
Formerly known as Contact the Elderly, Re-engage Charity’s monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties are a lifeline of friendship for lonely people over 75. Each older person is collected from their home by a volunteer driver and taken to a volunteer host’s home for the afternoon. In Mendip the service currently runs in Frome, Glastonbury,Shepton Mallet, Wells and Rode.
If you know or work with the older person you are referring, and have their permission, you can make a full referral via our online form, and we will then be in touch with the older person directly. See link below if you would like to refer someone or to go to a tea party. Please contact to find out more or if you are interested in volunteering.
Micro providers provide help at home in the Somerset and Mendip area. For the directory see website link below and please read front sheet carefully for description of what microproviders can do.
This is social group for older people with a range of interesting activities which includes visiting speakers, Flexercise, line dancing, computer training sessions, outings, cards and crafts. Lunch is provided at a charge and needs to be booked if you are wanting to attend the group. Transport is also available via the Mendip Slinky Service. We meet at The Assembly Rooms, Christchurch Street West, Frome. Mondays and Thursdays – weekly. 11.00am – 3.30pm.
Singing along to music helps concentration, aids relaxation, can influence moods and emotions and it brings a sense of togetherness when singing as a group. Sessions are aimed at the over 60s, but everyone and all voices are welcome. These groups are not targeted at people with dementia but they are open to all including people with dementia. We meet at:
Salvation Army, Goswell Street, Street BA16 0JG second Friday of each month 11.30am-12.30pm
Frome Keyford Heights (New Dev.) Randolph Road, BA11 1GF first Monday of each month 2-3pm
Shepton Mallet Pullen Court Community Room, BA14 5RD every other Friday 2.30pm-3.30pm (call 01761 470006 for dates).
Wells ELIM Connect Centre, Portway, Wells, BA5 2BE 1.30-2.30pm third Friday of the month
Health Connectors are based in all the GP practices in Mendip. We can help you in a number of ways. We can work with you on a one to one basis – we listen to what is important to you and work with you on issues that you feel are areas that you would like support with. We can link you with services and organisations, help you manage long term conditions, help you meet new people, join groups or set goals that might improve your health and wellbeing. We can also help you set up new groups if it is needed in your area. We see people in GP practices or in your home if you are housebound. As well as linking you to groups/services we also run groups such as Talking Cafes, Pain Management Programmes and On Track Goal Setting Groups.
For support on many issues affecting the elderly such as housing, benefits advice, hospital discharge, isolation, and care homes.
Aims to help prevent social isolation and give carers a break. We can help you do just that through interesting talks, activities, outings as well as being able to guide you to appropriate services to make your life easier. We have groups for older people at the Lawrence Centre, 37 Chamberlain Street, Wells, BA5 2PQ. Our groups meet every weekday and the last Saturday of each month from 10.00am to 2.30pm, refreshments and lunch are available at a cost of £20 per day. If you would like more information, please contact Maggie Charlesworth.
You can borrow talking books free of charge, if you are registered with a visual impairment, are unable to hold or use printed material due to a physical disability or if you are dyslexic.
Mature Movers exercise class offers gentle seated exercise adaptable for all abilities.
Classes are at :
Frome Medical Practice, Enos Way, Frome, BA11 2FH . Fridays term-time 10.00am-11.00am £4.50 and Mondays 12pm-1pm. £4.50
Shepton Mallet Leisure Centre, Charlton Road, Thursdays 10.30am – 11.30am £4.50
Nunney Village Hall, Nunney, Frome BA11 4LX, Wednesdays 10:00am-11:00am £4.50
Coleford The Hub, Old School Church Street, Coleford, BA3 5NQ, Wednesdays 11.00am-12.00pm £4.50
Supported by Age UK.
If you are over 60 why not try The Monmouth Lunch Club on Mondays from 10.00pm – 14.00pm?
Activities, tea/coffee and a two course hot lunch.
Cost: £ 6.75/ week.
Venue: Monmouth Close, Glastonbury, BA6 9LN.
The British Legion’s Handy Van service helps ex-Service people who are over 75 and their spouses with small household repairs and minor adaptations. If we can help, we will. You will need your Service Number.
The Royal Voluntary Service have volunteers across Somerset who offer help and support so older people can stay independent at home. Volunteers will visit you at home and work with you to create a support package that suits you. This may include some company and a chat with regular visits from a Royal Voluntary Service volunteer, telephone befriending or delivering Books on Wheels and other items like DVDs to your home. The Royal Voluntary Service also run lunch clubs and social clubs for people to attend. Calls can be made Monday – Friday between 8:00 am – 6:00 pm.
The Silver Line is a confidential, free, national helpline for older people. Open every day and night of the year. They can offer information, friendship and advice. They can signpost callers to the many, varied groups and services that exist in Mendip.
Somerset Direct – Adult Social Care supports adults of working age and older people who have disabilities, mental health problems, a sensory loss or general frailty.
SSAFA provides lifelong support to anyone who is currently serving or has ever served in the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army or the Royal Air Force.
Our trained volunteers can provide practical, emotional and financial support if and when you need it. Our network of local branches means that help and advice is close at hand. When you contact us for support we will put you in touch with one of our experienced advisers in the Mendip area. It is often the little things which make the most difference but we are also experienced at dealing with complex problems.
We may be able to help people in need, living in the South West, with funding for respite holidays, days away, taxis etc. Registered charity 1069330
IT Help at Home provides IT training for people in Somerset who find it difficult to access formal IT classes, at no cost to the learner. Our learners are people who are unable to leave their home through physical disability, such as illness, being elderly, having problems with their hearing or eyesight. We also support home carers and those that are isolated in rural areas and not easily able to travel to public courses.
We provide 12 sessions of free computer tuition on a one-to-one basis in a learner’s home. Typically, each session lasts 1-2 hours and is spread over a 12 week period, although this is flexible. Tutoring is provided by volunteers and is tailored to suit each learner’s existing computing knowledge and the aspects they wish to explore. Learners range from complete novices to more advanced users. If the learner does not own a computer they can be lent a laptop for the duration of the course, but they will need access to the internet.
Talking Cafés are informal get togethers held in public cafes. It is an opportunity to make new friends or talk to a Community Connector and find out about what is available in the community. Just drop in.
Frome Cafes every Monday morning at the Cheese and Grain 10.00am-12.00pm; also on Thursdays 1.00pm-2.30pm at No 5 Coffee Shop The George Hotel.
Wells Cafe alternate Thursdays at Pickwicks, High Street, Wells 10.00am-12.00pm
Glastonbury Cafe every Tuesday at the Winking Turtle Cafe, 12 Market Place 10.00am – 12.00pm
Street Cafe every Wednesday, at Fondo Lounge, 107 High St, 10.00am to 11.30am
Shepton Mallet Cafe every Tuesday and Thursday at Peppers Cafe, High Street 10.00am – 12.00pm
Please call to check details if you are coming for the first time as some are term time only.
This website lists the Talking Newspapers which are available in your area. Listed are national, county-wide, Glastonbury and Frome Talking newspapers.
Wells U3A have a range of activities and events for members. Coffee mornings every Wednesday from 10-11.30 at Bishop’s Table restaurant at Bishop’s Palace, Wells and every Friday upstairs at White Hart Hotel from 10-11.30 (this one is £2) Secretary Mike Lee
Shepton Mallet U3a A coffee morning is held every Thursday morning (with the exception of the first Thursday in the month, when we have a speaker meeting) at 10:30am in the conservatory of the restaurant at Dobbies Garden World in Shepton Mallet. Secretary Maggie Fowle
Street and Glastonbury U3a fortnightly Sunday Lunch Club and many more activities. Secretary June Hillman
Village Agents are local people employed on a part-time basis to become trusted members of their communities and a valuable resource. Village Agents make home visits when necessary and provide high-quality information. They enable direct access to a wide range of services and use a secure electronic referral system. They may informally carry out a series of practical checks related to safety in the home (e.g. smoke alarms, falls prevention), benefit entitlement and energy efficiency. Visits are followed up when necessary by experts who will provide specialist information, advice and services, e.g. the fire service and social care.