We support individuals to live safe, independent, healthy and active lifestyles, maintaining individuals and family carers at a lower level of need.

We have in-building drop in facilities and community services which include a core menu of day opportunities to enable family carers to take flexible respite a break from their caring roles.

Day opportunities and services include:

• Motivation mental agility classes
• Accredited Falls Prevention Chair Based and Otago Exercise Classes
• Creative dance for both sitting and standing participants
• New Age Kurling Exercise
• Computer Fun Bit Size Learning sessions
• Memory Book Workshops
• Cookery Workshops
• Hand Bell Ringing Workshops
• Drop in facilities for breakfast, or a two course freshly cooked lunch
• Internal activities include: talks, demonstrations, and celebration events, crafts, games and peer support
• We organise external trips and outings to places of interest.
• In-building and community hairdressing and foot care services to include the treatment of diabetics
• Community bathing and showering services
• Community help at home for domestic work or shopping
• Tuck, Gift and Book Sales
• Comprehensive Information, Advice and Signposting

We host provider sessions for : Welfare Benefit Clinics, Law Clinics, Hi-Kent Hearing Clinics bringing services closer.

The staff enable individuals to be socially inclusive enjoying their activities of daily living.

The Hopewell Centre is a preventiive enablement drop-in resource centre offering a core menu of day opportunities for individuals aged 50+. These include in-building and localised in the community.

Local service (Gravesham, Maidstone, Medway, Swale, Thanet, Tonbridge & Malling, Tunbridge Wells, Ashford, Canterbury, Dartford, Dover, Sevenoaks, Shepway).

Effective 1st October 2011 the cost to drop in and access the centre for activities and a two course freshly cooked meal is
£8.00. Transport is not provided.

Services such as home help, footcare, hairdressing, bathing etc have separate charges.

Telephone the Centre on 01634 811938 and ask to speak to the Prevention Services Manager, or the Administration Officer who will answer any of your questions and ask you when you would like to call in and find out for yourselves what we can do for you.

They should expect to be greeted with  a warm welcome from the staff.

They should expect to be given a tour of the building and facilities or if community help, to be visited at home on a date and time convenience to you.  During a home visit for services, the client will discuss their aspirations, needs and interests and agree what services, day opportunities they would like to access.

We encourage families and clients to just simply drop-in and see for themselves.  Alternatively, they can telephone and ask as many questions as they would like and be invited to attend on a date and time convenient to them.  There is no referral system, individuals, their family or healthcare professionals can ring to find out details.

The drop-in centre is a warm and friendly place which is client focused.  We hold Trustee Surgeries before Board Meetings (approximately every six weeks) where the clients get to speak dir.ectly to the Trustees if they so wish about any concerns or ideas they have.  We have an open door policy and undertake anonymous audits annual to ensure we get feedback from our clients to give us an opportunity to make any service improvements they think necessary.  We also have a suggestion box and the staff employed enjoy listening to and working with our clients.  In fact I do not know one from the other as everyone seems to have so much fun.

Age Concern Chatham is an independent stand alone charity registered with the Charity Commission and Companies House.  Not everyone realises that Age Concerns are autonomous and serve an area of benefit.  Ours is Medway.  We do not work in silo but with a great many other providers working in the welfare of adults aged 50+.  We do not stereo-type but treat everyone as an individual with dignity and respect. 

Financial advice (benefits), Legal advice, Activities, Foot/Nail services, Hearing services, Support for carers / Relief Care / Respite Care, Lunch clubs, Drop-in centres, Work & volunteering, Domestic help, Support for carers, Day centres

01/11/2011