Tag: Older People

  • Warm and welcoming Histon Day Centre gets a glow up

    Histon Day Centre, meeting place for so many of our older community, is getting a glow up to better reflect its ethos of warmth and friendship. Helen Blake, of the HI Friends’ Older People Support team, tells how.

    Fun and games for Len. Photo Helen Blake.

    Throughout the year on a Tuesday or Friday morning, nestled in Kay Hitch Way, you will find Histon Day Centre. A place of food, fun and friendship, the centre offers a welcoming meeting place for members of our older community – with transport available for those who would not otherwise be able to get there independently.

    Now, to better reflect its warm and friendly feel, what was ‘The Day Centre’ will be known as HI Friends Lunch Club and will be offering two new fortnightly sessions, again with transport for those who are in need of it. There is a small charge of £10 per session.

    The HI Friends team really wants to ensure that those who are keen to attend can do so without waiting. Therefore, the two new fortnightly sessions will begin from 13 March and take place on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays in the month. Again we are able to provide transport for those in the village who need it.

    Alleviating loneliness

    Lunch club attendee Olive takes in some pet therapy. Photo Helen Blake.

    Lunch Club is a place of laughter and fun. It offers an important space for people to come together and help alleviate the loneliness that can so often be felt by those living alone and who are unable to get out easily. As well as having a hot meal (and pudding) we provide a range of activities for the members to join in with such as quizzes, singing, bingo and craft activities as well as guest speakers and other entertainment. Naturally, of course, there are also several cups of tea or coffee always squeezed in!

    Chris Swallow who has managed the Day Centre for many years.
    Chris Swallow who managed the Day Centre for many years. Photo: Chris Swallow.

    The sessions are run by a leadership team of three. Employed by HI Friends is myself, Helen Blake, and Sally Smith. Then, assisting us both is Chris Swallow – a long standing volunteer who, almost single-handedly, kept this activity going prior to HI Friends’ involvement in 2022. A group of amazing volunteers help cook, wash up, make tea, arrange and clear away the tables and chat with members.

    You are invited!

    We are so excited that our village is able to offer this new group for our older people and we would like to hear from two particular groups of people:

    Aziza taking time to relax with some music. Photo Helen Blake.
    Kathleen and Ann enjoy time with friends. Photo Helen Blake.

    Firstly – if you are an older person or know an older person who may benefit from attending one (or more) of our lunch club sessions. We are expecting the spaces to be filled very quickly, so please get in touch as soon as possible so we can have a chat about whether the lunch club would suit the person you have in mind.

    And secondly – if you are somebody with some spare time to volunteer in any of the sessions we run. This includes the existing Tuesday and Friday lunch clubs and, particularly, people who could volunteer at the new lunch club every 2nd and 4th Thursday. If you are reading this and thinking ‘that could be me’, please do give me a ring, as I am sure we can find an opportunity that will suit whatever amount of time you are able to offer. 

    If you would like to know more about the HI Friends’ Lunch Club, either attending or volunteering, please do get in touch. Call Helen on 07394 173430 or email her at helen@hifriends.org.uk.

  • HI Friends Rec Monday Club – Open Morning

    HI Friends are holding an open morning for its Rec Monday Club at Histon Recreation Ground on Monday 21st November from 10am.

    This is an opportunity to try out the different sessions and meet the Pos+Ability leaders.

    For more information call Paul on 07772 437789.

  • Histon and Impington Day Centre

    HI Friends run a Day Centre for over 60s every Tuesday and Friday at Kay Hitch Way Community Centre from 9.30am – 1.30pm.

    You will be warmly welcomed and offered a cup of tea or coffee. There is a variety of activities including quizzes, games and of course bingo.  No one has to join in and you can just sit quietly and read the paper if you prefer and of course there is the home cooked lunch and pudding that is made by our wonderful volunteers.

    If you are thinking about coming along, then please do get in touch with either Chris Marshall or Helen Blake helen@hifriends.org.uk 07394 173430. Transport can be arranged.

  • Jubilee Weekend Concert Tea Party

    As part of the Jubilee weekend celebrations, there will be a Concert Tea Party with songs from the musicals on Friday 3rd June from 2.30pm at Histon Recreation Ground.

    Tickets available from the Topiary Tree or contact Neil: info@hifriends.org.uk. Tel. 01223 232514.

    • Parking is at Cambridge Spire Hospital car park and the Recreation Ground car park (car passenger drop offs outside Jubilee Marquee available if needed- please follow marshal advice).
  • A final farewell to Burdett House

    A final farewell to Burdett House

    Burdett House, the Supported Living residence in Station Road Histon for the past 22 years, has finally closed its doors after Covid delayed plans for its sale.

    Residents were forewarned in September 2019 of the possible closure and the final decision to do so was made at the end of January 2020 following an 18-month review into its viability.

    No way ahead

    Burdett House is owned by housing charity the Abbeyfield Society and until recently was home for up to 17 people aged 80 and older.

    Built on land left by the Chivers family, it enabled residents to live independently. With less intensive care support than in care homes, but more than in sheltered housing, it was unique in its local provision in the village.

    After Abbeyfield announced the possible closure, local residents started to campaign for it to remain. A four-month consultation period began, during which the Board engaged openly with the community on their proposals to keep the house open.

    But no suitable proposals could be found to guarantee the long-term financial sustainability of the house and the charity finally concluded that there was no viable way ahead and took the difficult decision to close.

    Tony Raphael was part of the campaign to keep Burdett House open. He sees its closure as leaving a real gap in care provision in this area and very difficult to justify. “Its closure is a tragedy. It is a victim of poor marketing”, he told HI HUB. 

    “Burdett House had it all”, he said. “Brilliant village location, fantastic caring staff, lovely surroundings, a feeling of an extended house rather than a large retirement complex with gyms, pool and saunas etc. It was tailor made for the older individual who just wanted to relax in a pleasant, small community, environment and not have to worry about the daily chores of cooking, washing, vacuuming… and very affordable. There are, unfortunately, many fewer residences of this ‘Very Sheltered Housing’ type now available around the country.”  

    Moving on

    The original intention was for all residents to have moved to new accommodation by the end of June 2020. This was postponed when the pandemic took hold, as many older people were shielding and government policy prevented house viewing and moves.

    When restrictions were lifted, residents were supported to move to suitable alternative accommodation before the house closed last year.

    Tony’s mother, now 98, has moved to a near equivalent residence in Gloucestershire. “She loved being at Burdett House and misses the easy social interaction that she had there”, he said.

    Now that the last resident has gone, staff have also moved on, with the former manager Annelize Vanzyl now working at Abbeyfield Girton and coming over to Histon as needed. Surplus items no longer needed from the premises have been donated to local charity The Besom.

    Estate agents have been appointed to sell the property, which will go on the market soon, and the funds released will be reinvested into the charity.