Services
Memory Lane Café (The Memory and Inclusion Project)
The Memory Lane Café is part of a bigger project funded by The Big Lottery. The Memory and Inclusion project provides support for older people with and without memory problems and their carers to live independently in the community.
The Memory Lane Café was launched on the 24th February 2011 and provides an opportunity for those with memory problems and low-level dementia to come together for support and advise. It is also a place where the attendees can forget their troubles and enjoy the entertainment that is often provided. The café is held on the fourth Thursday of the month at Otley Rugby Club from 1.30 – 3.30
Tai Chi Classes
Tai Chi Chuan is suitable for people of any age or level of fitness and is known to be beneficial to physical and mental health and well being. It is proven to improve co-ordination and balance as well as help with joint mobility and flexibility.
What happens in a Tai Chi Class?
A Tai Chi class normally begins with a series of exercises of different types:
- Exercises to warm upand energise the body, which may sometimes include gentle stretching.
- Exercises to relaxand calm the mind and bodyand help you to let go of any burdens you have been carrying around with you and begin the Tai Chi in a state of peaceful self-awareness.
- Qigong (Chi Kung)exercises, both movements and stationary postures, sometimes associated with breath control and visualisations of energy flow around the body.
- Movements and postures to improve balance and co-ordination and help you to develop the Tai Chi sense.
- Sometimes a movement from the form (Tai Chi sequence) is repeated many times in the “warm ups” to allow you to become more familiar with it.
- There may also be breathing exercises and “silk reeling” exercises which enable you to begin to develop a sense of whole-body connection and internal power.
There are currently tai-chi classes available for older people in Otley and Pool in Wharfedale. The instructor is Colin Hamilton who is qualified to teach a full syllabus of Chinese Internal Martial Arts. Colin is also a qualified Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer. BSc Hons Physiology, Post Grad Cert Ed.
The Otley classes have been running since April 2008 and are regularly attended by more than 25 members per session. The sessions are held at Otley Methodist Church every Thursday at 2.00 p.m.. The cost of the session is £3.00.
The Pool in Wharfedale class started in January 2011 and is held in the lounge at Wharfedale Court. Classes are every Monday morning starting at 10.00 a.m. The cost of the class is £3.00.
To book a place please contacts the office.
Home Visiting Service
Our Social Inclusion Worker, Catherine Greenwood, is available to visit you at home and provide an assessment of your needs. Catherine will provide advice and information on any area of life that you may need assistance with. No problem is too large or too small. Past enquiries have covered areas such as finance, housing, pets, carers, utilities, family and much more. For confidential advice and information, a home visit can be arranged at your convenience.
For more information contact the office.
Dance
For the Young at Heart
Enjoy learning a variety of dance styles in a safe environment where people of all abilities are welcome. To date the participants have had the opportunity to try Indian Folk Dance, Bollywood, Flamenco, Salsa and Brazilian Samba. The classes are at Otley Methodist Church Mondays 11:15am-12: 15pm
This is great exercise, great company and only £3 per session.
The Monday Group
The Monday Group as it is traditionally known is a Social Inclusion Group for isolated older people who are unable to get out of their own homes without door-to-door transport.
The group meets every Monday afternoon for trips, outings, crafts and other activities.
As a rule the afternoon generally includes refreshments either at the Weston Lane Youth Centre or in a local café.
This is a friendly group where many of the members have been attending for a number of years and it is not uncommon for close friendships to form with the individual members.
Bingo
It’s eyes down look in every Monday afternoon for those with a love of bingo. Over 25 members currently attend the bingo at the Labour Rooms on a Monday afternoon. The session starts around 1.30 and finishes around 3.15. This is cash bingo followed by a raffle.
Most of the attendees make their own way there but transport can be arranged on request.
Lunch Clubs
OAOP currently run two lunch clubs one in Otley and one in Pool in Wharfedale. In both instances a hot nutritionally well balanced two-course meal with tea or coffee is served. The meal is served by a group of volunteers who enjoy working with older people and provide a welcoming environment to the regular attendees and newcomers. Transport is available for anyone who is unable to get to the clubs without assistance.
In Otley the Lunch Club is at the Over 60’s Welfare Club on Westgate and lunch is served every Tuesday at 12.30
In Pool in Wharfedale the Lunch Cl;ub is held at Pool Methodist Church and lunch is served every Wednesday at 12.30
Chair based Exercise (Extend)
Chair-based exercise classes are fully seated, and participants move through a series of gentle exercises that help to improve range of movement, increase flexibility and gradually improve strength in muscles.
These sessions are run in the community so you can exercise with the motivation of a group but from the comfort of a chair. The exercises are done at a pace to suit everyone and can be adapted for specials needs. The sessions are run by qualified teachers. After the hour-long session there is time for a bit of relaxation with a cup of tea and coffee, and a chat.
There are currently two chair based exercises classes in Otley both held on a Wednesday.
The first one is on a Wednesday morning at Bennett Court on the Weston Estate and starts at 10.30. The cost of the session is £3.00
The other class is on a Wednesday afternoon at Otley Methodist Church and starts at 2.00 p.m. The cost of the session is £3.00.
Transport for these sessions is available on request.
Photographs and quotes needed
Men’s Health and Activity Group
The men’s group was developed, as it was clear that women historically made up the highest proportion of the existing groups and activities. With this in mind we wanted to find out what the men would like to do and so set off to find out. Over the years the men have been to local museums, sailing, nature reserves, talks and speakers as well as bowling and trips out.
The Men’s Group has an activities programme that is published several times a year. The idea is to provide a range of activities and outings to suit all tastes. However, over the past year it has become evident that many of the men favour some form of bowling or a meal out at a local pub. In the summer there is an opportunity to play Crown Green Bowling and in the winter we play Indoor Bowls at the Bridge Church and Ten Pin Bowling at Shipley.
The beauty of this group is that all abilities are welcome as we have kind caring supportive volunteers who help able-bodied people as well as people with physical disabilities.
Whilst the group is predominantly a men’s group we do have a small number of women who attend as they enjoy the bowling.
If you would like to attend please contact the office for a programme and to book a place.
Gardening
For a good quality reliable gardening service that you can trust try the OAOP “Greenfingers” project. Craig the gardener can do regular visits throughout the year to help you maintain a neat and tidy garden.
Visits usually last for an hour and each visit is £12.50. For larger gardens and bigger jobs Craig can call round and give you an estimate.
Whilst Craig, the Otley Action gardener, is busy with his garden most of the year he is available for one-off jobs in the autumn and winter and into the early spring. If you would like a quote for gardening work that you need doing, such as hard landscaping and clearance work, please contact the office and we can arrange for Craig to visit you and provide a personal quote.
“This service is also available to non members and that quotes available on request”
Trips and outings
Throughout the year a full programme of trips and outings are on offer for our members to enjoy. These include half-day trips on one of our specially adapted minibuses with tail lift as well as coach trips for those who want to travel further a field. We aim to provide something for everyone and this includes meals out, shopping trips, drives in the country, market towns, stately homes, museums and much more. Our minibus trips provide door-to-door transport as well as volunteer escorts to ensure that passengers are looked after from the moment they are picked up to the moment they get home. Information about trips can be found in our newsletter, which is issued and posted to all members twice a year.