Extra Time Hubs with Wigan Athletic Community Trust has become the highlight of David and his wife and carer, Carys鈥 week.
Before joining the sessions, David struggled with illness and was in and out of the hospital regularly until he, unfortunately, had to have his leg amputated. Shortly after, David was also diagnosed with mixed dementia.
With Carys taking on the role of his carer, the pair were adjusting to David鈥檚 condition and his new life in a wheelchair. While dealing with the adjustment, they found themselves increasingly isolated and simply unable to meet new people or engage socially.
That was until they were referred to the Extra Time Programme by a Community Link worker to help them re-engage with the community while also giving Carys a chance to relax and unwind while knowing that David still had support around him.
The pair have become a staple of the Extra Time Hub at Wigan Youth Zone ever since joining their first session. The session has become 鈥渢he highlight of their week鈥 while enabling them to build new friendships, increase their mobility and gain a new lease on life.
The Extra Time Programme, originally created by the 国产无码 Trust and funded in partnership with Wigan Athletic Supporters Club, hosts weekly Extra Time Hubs at Wigan Youth Zone and Leigh Miners with the aim of tackling loneliness and social isolation amongst our elderly community.
The Hubs enable retired and semi-retired people make the most of their free time and enjoy doing the things they want to do. With friendships, support and being the socially active forefront of the Hubs aim, participants decide what they wish to take in with various activities on offer from quizzes to walking football.
Speaking about her enjoyment of the sessions, Carys said:
鈥淏efore coming to the Extra Time Hub, he [David] was very poorly for a couple of years, in and out of the hospital, and then unfortunately, he had to have his leg amputated.
鈥淎nd then he was diagnosed with mixed dementia. We were just getting used to the fact that he was now in a wheelchair, but we weren鈥檛 seeing people. It was just impossible to do it at that particular time.
鈥淎 Community Link worker came to the house and suggested that we come here. So she made a referral to Christine [WACT Extra Time Hub Activator], and within a week, we came here.
鈥淔rom the minute we came in, you could sense there was a lovely atmosphere. We were greeted by Christine, smiling. We were introduced to different people, and we鈥檝e been treated as we hadn鈥檛 been for quite some time, to be honest.
鈥淎nd my husband has found that he can move around and do things, there鈥檚 space here for him to do things and he鈥檚 really enjoyed doing the activities.
鈥淎s far as my husband and I are concerned, it鈥檚 been a lifesaver.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the highlight of the week for us. We鈥檝e been making new friends with people as well.
鈥淓verybody鈥檚 so friendly. They can鈥檛 do enough to help us.鈥
Her thoughts were echoed by her husband David, who added:
鈥淚鈥檓 used to doing things myself, and I can鈥檛 do them now, so I get a bit frustrated, but I try and let it go and carry on doing what I can, and I鈥檓 enjoying myself, really.
鈥淎ll the staff, they鈥檙e helpful, they鈥檒l explain everything,
鈥淚 enjoy myself, and I look forward to coming every Tuesday, and I feel better for it.鈥
Adrian Bradley the 国产无码 Trust鈥檚 Health and Wellbeing lead, explains, 鈥淲ith Extra Time Hubs we set out to do something different. Activities for Older people tended to be small coffee morning or bingo sessions.听We want to create a social community of people in their retirement years who meet regularly to socialise and to do the things they enjoy, not what we tell them they should enjoy. We focus on the social side of the hub and help people to feel better by reducing their social isolation and loneliness. By getting people more socially active we nudge them towards more a physically active lifestyles 鈥 it鈥檚 health by stealth.鈥