We work on an individual basis with you and your circle of support to develop personal plans and help you to do the things that are important to you.
We can offer help with:
We offer our Walk & Talks as a form of one to one support in response to the increased need for support during the COVID-19 crisis. The project helps keep members active and helps to rebuild confidence in being outside in a safe and socially distanced way. We have recorded over 115 Walk and Talks in Winchester and Alresford.
Thank you to The National Lottery, Sport England, Energise Me and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Resilient Communities funding and the Alresford Pigs Association who have all helped us adapt our usual support for members and develop our programme of social engagement including the Walk & Talks.
This is Doug. He is a kind, sociable and independent man who lives independently. Doug has Type 2 diabetes, which is poorly controlled. Doug receives 2 hours of Adult Services social care support each week through a local provider, he does his own shopping and cooking, with some help from support. He has been furloughed since the beginning of lockdown. And lockdown has not been easy. Prior to lockdown Doug did not use the Internet, he was not on social media and he had never heard of Zoom. Since joining the Friendship through Food Zoom cookery course he has learned to use Zoom and he explains that it’s good for ‘…finding out what’s happening and staying connected..’. He had to overcome some technical difficulties in logging onto Zoom through a smartphone, this was overcome by a visit from Winchester Go LD volunteer. Doug says ‘….I enjoy the social aspect of cooking and making yourself busy. Doing the shopping and unpacking the ingredients were the best parts. I also really enjoyed being in a group…’. Mary from FirstBite provided participants with the ingredients and recipes on the morning of each cookery lesson. Learning healthy new recipes, discovering foods and most ingredients used were from surplus food.
This has been a fantastic project with FirstBite, funded by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation
Covid19 and Lockdown
We still can’t meet up at Winchester Discovery Centre for our regular groups so we are keeping everything on line. We now have 6 regular sessions each week – lunch group chats and quizzes on Tuesday and Friday; Wellbeing Afternoon on Monday; Tai Chi on Wednesday; Fit Class on Thursday evening and Circuits on Saturday afternoon.
Our monthly Go Social evenings out have been put on hold but we had a busy summer with Friday small group picnics, a Fun Sporty Day and our online Winter Wonderland disco before Christmas was very popular.
Have a look at our What’s On page for our full calendar and all the zoom codes. We welcome all adults with learning disabilities in the Winchester area to join our online groups. Please email us if you would like to find out more at info@winchestergold.org.uk.
If you would like to know more please email info@winchestergold.org.uk. You can download our PCP referral form here. pcp_referral_form_hampshire
The Safer Places scheme is to help people when they are out. A Safe Place is somewhere you can go to for help if you are upset or frightened. Safe Places in Hampshire is run with Hampshire County Council. Winchester Go LD was involved with setting up Safer Places in Winchester in 2011. There are now over 12 shops and businesses signed up.
You can apply to receive a Safer Places card. When you fill out your card you put the telephone numbers of people who can help you if something happens, like support or family members.
If you feel frightened or need help when you are out you can go into any shop that is showing the Safe Place sticker in their window.
Staff at the Safe Place will help you phone for help and you can wait at the Safe Place until you are OK to leave.
Safer Places is running in Winchester, Bishops Waltham and Alresford as well as in other parts of Hampshire. Safe Places have a sticker in the window or have the logo displayed to let you know they are a Safe Place.
Safe Places are all places that are open to the public such as shops, offices or public buildings.
If you would like a card or to know more about the scheme please contact us at info@winchestergold.org.uk. You can also visit us at the Winchester Discovery Centre or staff at Winchester Community Link.
Our Smoothie Bike supports adults with a learning disability to run a pedal powered Smoothie Bike at summer fairs and events.
The project promotes social and work skills, food hygiene and money handling. It is also a great way to reinforce healthy messages regarding the benefits of fresh fruit, exercise and sustainable energy in a unique and engaging way.
Our regular summer events include the St Cross Summer Fair, Osborne School Fete, the Littleton & Harestock Show and the Go LD Garden & Craft Sale.
The team definitely add the fun factor to almost any event! Please contact us if you would like to be involved in the Smoothie project or to book us for an event you are running.
Winchester Go LD believes that everyone who wants a job, deserves the chance to have one.
Less than 1 in 5 people with a learning disability work (compared with 1 in 2 disabled people generally). But research shows that at least 65% of people with a learning disability want to work.
We can look with you at what skills you already have, how you can improve those skills and learn new ones
Are you an employer looking for staff?
You may be interested to know that research from the Joseph Rowntree Trust shows that people with learning disabilities are generally reliable, more likely to stay with one employer for a long time and tend to take less time off.
Many of our members have been in long term employment.
Please contact us so that we can work with you on 01962 873608 or email info@winchestergold.org.uk.
Winchester Go LD
Winchester Discovery Centre
Jewry Street, Winchester, SO23 8SB
Tel: 01962 600281
Registered Charity Number: 1156536
Winchester Go LD
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