Varied activities - Joining-In - Upstream

Varied activities

You may not want to join an existing group or club for a number of reasons.

• The group may meet in the evening, when you would prefer to go out during the day.
• The group may meet in a venue which doesn't suit your access needs.
• There may be too many people and too much noise, making it difficult to hear or concentrate.
• The group may be too ‘professional' - such as a ‘class' which focuses on gaining a qualification, when you want ‘just for fun'.
• You may not find the activity stimulating enough - there may be too much talking and not enough joining in.
• The group may be too far away and too difficult to reach.

Joining a group

Mentors start small groups (often only six or seven people at first) that are friendly, informal, stimulating and close to home. The groups encourage you to share your own experiences and skills and go at a pace suitable for everyone in the group. Usually everyone knows someone - but no-one knows everyone. People soon find that they have lots in common however different their lives have been. Each group has at least one mentor, who will introduce people to each other.

Choosing activities

People suggest activities themselves. Some people will have lots of ideas (such as reminiscence), and some people may never have done anything like that before. The mentor will suggest other things too (felt making, for example), and will introduce new skills or bring in a professional to introduce skills. Gentle exercise, such as Tai Chi, and ideas for cookery and healthy eating might also be introduced. People quickly take the activity off in their own direction and it becomes the focus for making friends. Some people may continue the activity at home, too.  You may feel reserved at first, but many people find themselves getting involved and coming up with their own ideas. There is always a lot of mutual interest and support.

Keeping going independently

After three or four months of mentor support, your mentor will want you to continue your activities independently. You may choose to keep your own group going or you might be ready to join existing activities in the community. Either way, the mentor will help at first and will keep in touch after that to make sure that everything is going all right.