NEWS

Wetherby in Support of the Elderly’s (WiSE) mascot Ollie Beak and three of his pals are bidding to win the biggest prize in the mascot racing world at the end of the month. Ollie and his friends will take on dozens of other mascots of all shapes and sizes, at the Sue Ryder Mascot Gold Cup. The event at Wetherby Racecourse is expected to raise thousands of pounds for good causes. Activities Coordinator Debbie, said: “It’s the world’s biggest mascot race and it’s happening right here in Wetherby- so it made perfect sense to enter our very own Ollie in…

Wetherby in Support of the Elderly’s youngest volunteer will plunge thousands of feet for the cause she supports. Isabelle Cocker, aged 24, from Wetherby will complete a tandem skydive next month to raise funds for WiSE. The student teacher has volunteered at the charity’s popular WiSE Owl Café for more than six months, following the experience of her own late-grandparents’ pandemic isolation. Isabelle said: “I started volunteering as I wanted to do something positive with my spare time. I really connected with the idea of supporting WiSE as I had recently lost my grandparents who meant so much to me….

Wetherby in Support of the Elderly (WiSE) is appealing for handmade Easter cards for its a popular postal scheme designed to reduce isolation and loneliness. WiSE needs volunteers to help them ‘send a smile’ to over 60s as they emerge from a challenging winter. The Easter themed post will help WiSE close in on its 1,500th item of correspondence sent since the loneliness-battling scheme launched last year. Melody Mills, Send a Smile Scheme coordinator, said: “Our recent appeal for Christmas cards was hugely successful, with more than 300 cards being sent to older people in our area. “We now want…

Wetherby’s first-of-its kind winter warmth café has become so popular, the charity behind it plans to extend it to August. Wetherby in Support of the Elderly (WiSE) initially launched the pay-as-you-feel facility at Wetherby Town Hall in response to rising food and energy costs threatening the health and wellbeing of people across the district. The town’s first-of-its-kind initiative has been serving hot drinks, soup, rolls and cakes alongside games and activities in a warm, safe environment ever since- with up to 40 people attending each session. Now it’s extending the café for another six months so that people of all…

An lady from Wetherby who had to give up social swimming sessions from surgery has hailed the impact Wetherby in Support of the Elderly’s (WiSE) activity programme has had on her life. Joan Parkin started going to WiSE activities for the first time after the pandemic when a complex operation on her back meant she was unable to take part in regular group swimming lessons which had formed a crucial part of her social calendar. Now Joan is fully immersed in the charity’s varied programme of activities and events, which she says have helped her to forge new friendships. Joan…