NEWS

Wetherby in Support of the Elderly (WiSE) is appealing for kind-hearted residents with time on their hands to help it launch a brand new memory café. WiSE wants volunteers willing to spare six hours a month to help those living with dementia when its twice-a-month meet-up gets under way in the New Year. The café aims to create a friendly, safe and supportive space for people living with dementia and their carers. WiSE dementia coordinator Emma will oversee the running of the café. She said: “Re-establishing dementia support from WiSE in Wetherby is such an important step for us as…

Wetherby in Support of the Elderly (WiSE) wants to recruit an army of year-round knitters to boost its fundraising efforts. WiSE regularly recruits volunteer knitters and crocheters to make sellable items for seasonal campaigns, but now wants needle minded craftspeople to help them all year round. The award winning charity will even throw in patterns, needles and wool in a bid to get more volunteer knitters involved. Catherine, fundraising and volunteer coordinator at WiSE, said: “Our message is clear- knitting is for life, not just for Christmas! “We’ve had some real success in recent years selling knitted Chocolate Orange covers…

A Wetherby childminder is backing a charity campaign to give smiles to older people this Christmas, as the scheme she supports clocks up its 1,000th piece of post. Claire Airey has supplied dozens of cards for Wetherby In Support of the Elderly’s (WiSE) ‘Send A Smile’ initiative, by turning crafty creations made by children under her care into cards which are then sent to older people across the district. Now she wants others- and their children- to get involved ahead of the charity’s big festive postal push. Claire said: “The children I look after learn so much through craft activities,…

Wetherby in Support of the Elderly (WiSE) is appealing for handmade Christmas cards for its a popular postal scheme designed to reduce isolation and loneliness. WiSE would like volunteers to help them ‘send a smile’ to over 60s over the festive period – and say that someone is thinking of them. WiSE’s postal scheme has become so popular, the charity says it is nearing its 1,000th item of post sent. But with a harsh winter just around the corner, those behind the scheme want to supercharge its reach before Christmas. Melody Mills, Send a Smile Scheme coordinator, said: “Christmas can…

Wetherby in Support of the Elderly (WiSE) is launching a weekly warm café to help people struggling with the cost of living crisis. WiSE is launching its ‘Winter Warmer’ pay-as-you-feel café 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 will serve hot drinks, soup, rolls and cakes alongside games and activities in a warm, safe environment at Wetherby Town Hall. Mark Dobson, Chief Operating Officer at WiSE, said: “We know this winter is going to be extremely hard for people, so we wanted to step in…