Health

The Orrell Trust is launching a Memory Café later this month to help support people living dementia or memory loss and their carers’.

The group will enable people who are living in similar circumstances to meet on a regular basis to take part in gentle exercise, games, sing-alongs, arts and crafts and memory box workshops.

As Sefton begins its Year of Friendship, groups like this are a great way to provide social interaction and the chance to make new friends.

The group will begin Friday, January 25 and will run on the last Friday of every month from 10am-12pm at St John and St James Church and Community Centre, Bailey Drive, Bootle.

The Orrell Trust also runs a number of other Over 55’s projects:

• The Wednesday Club (every Wednesday 1.45pm-3.45pm)
  A weekly group to meet new friends, take part in gentle exercise, learn new skills and most importantly have fun!

• Soup in a Basket (the last Thursday of the month 12pm-2pm)
  A monthly luncheon club where you can enjoy homemade soup, sandwiches and cake, socialise with friends and play traditional board games.

• Bootle Buddies befriending service
  This project supports people living in Bootle. Volunteers can visit you at home offering a friendly ear and chat, or support you to get out and about.

All projects are delivered from St John & St James Church and Community Centre, 71 Bailey Drive, Bootle, L20 6EX.

Treasure Sefton, a mental health group associated with Sefton in Mind and Sefton CVS, is calling for mental health services across the borough to submit a poster to be displayed at a poster exhibition at Southport Community Centre.

Treasure Sefton aims to celebrate Sefton through creative activity and mindfulness and the exhibition will showcase the services in Sefton that contribute to the wellbeing of the region.

Services and groups in Sefton are invited to design an A3 poster that promote their service, what it does, and how it helps to improve the lives of those who live and work in Sefton.

This poster should include the service name, the location served, and the best place to find information about the service. It can be created using any means including drawing, painting, collage or digital design.

This is a brilliant opportunity to engage service users and staff either through a collaborative piece of work or a competition.

Please accompany your poster with a short text that formally describes the service and mission, and includes address, contact details, opening hours, and means to access (self-referral, GP referral etc).  You can email this to treasuresefton@seftoncvs.org.uk.

The deadline for entries is noon on Monday, 4 February. Hard copies can be handed in to Treasure Sefton, c/o Sefton CVS, Southport Community Centre, Norwood Road, Southport or emailed to treasuresefton@seftoncvs.org.uk.

With Christmas just around the corner, health experts in Southport and Formby are urging local patients to prepare now to make sure they’re fully organised should they become unwell in the holiday season.

NHS Southport and Formby Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is wanting to make sure as many of us as possible know the little steps to help the NHS help you such as stocking up on over the counter medicines and which service to use should we become unwell.

Dr Rob Caudwell, GP and chair of NHS Southport and Formby CCG, said: “No one wants to spend their Christmas holidays unwell.

“Ahead of the busy holiday period we’re urging you to make sure you’ve got fully stocked medicines cabinets at home: things like pain killers, cold remedies and tablets for tummy troubles. This will make a big difference if you or your family are unwell over the festive period.

“Remember that GPs won’t routinely prescribe over the counter medicines for minor illnesses so it is important to have these at home when you can.”

Medical help and advice will be available over the Christmas and New Year period, and you might find that the GP practice isn’t the best place for your need. Several pharmacies will be open over the holidays and a list of these can be found on the CCG website.

Dr Caudwell continues: “During the winter months and especially over the festive period, it is important we know where to go if we, or someone we know falls ill.

“You’ll find a chemist not far from home, even on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day and all pharmacists can give you expert health advice and over the counter treatments for the most common illnesses and ailments without the need for an appointment.

“Other services will also be available if it is something more serious such as NHS 111 and extra GP appointments of an evening and weekend.”

In Southport and Formby more vulnerable patients can also use the Care at the Chemist scheme which is available in several pharmacies in the area.

Visit www.southportandformbyccg.nhs.uk/your-health-and-services for more information on which services can help you in Southport and Formby including pharmacy opening times over the Christmas holidays.