Welcome to February's edition of the AIS Direct newsletter. There are some great articles in this edition whether your looking for financial advice, ideas to get fit or activities to get involved in.
Addressing loneliness seems to be in the news at the moment so we've included some ideas if this relates to you or someone you know. Don't forget, the Community Wellbeing Hubs are a great source of information and advice and staff in the Adult Information Service (AIS) can help you find activities and groups in your area.
Your feedback would be very helpful to us as we embark on our second year producing the AIS Direct newsletter. If you would like to send us your comments and any ideas for future issues, please email ais@northlincs.gov.uk.
If you would like to see any of the previous issues of AIS Direct you can find them on the council website.
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The festive season may seem like a long time ago now but we all know it puts an extra strain on household budgets and leaves many of us short of cash in the new year. If you already had debts building up it is likely Christmas has only made the problem worse. Worrying about money can have a significant impact on your mental and emotional wellbeing but taking some simple steps to tackle the problem head on can put you back in control. Download a free copy of the Mental Health and Debt Guide for useful advice to help you manage your debt.
The North Lincolnshire Financial Inclusion Group has also produced a Pocket Contact Guide on where to find free help and assistance related to money worries and much more.
Don’t forget there is help out there – you just have to ask, and it is completely confidential!
If you need advice on managing debts, contact Citizens Advice North Lincolnshire on 01724 870941 or visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk
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Do you want to get out and about and try something new? Do you want to socialise with people with similar interests? Do you have a query about a council service and not sure where to start? Call the Adult Information Service, we can help.
The Adult Information Service (AIS) offers information and advice to residents of North Lincolnshire on services and activities available in your area, Adult Social Care, Organisations that may be useful to you and other council services.
Contact Us
You can contact the team Monday to Thursday, 9am to 5pm and on Friday, 9am to 4.30pm by telephoning 01724 296607 or email ais@northlincs.gov.uk. Your enquiry will be handled in a professional, friendly and sensitive manner.
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Feeling lonely can be temporary, felt for just a day, or it can be a longer term emotion.
Feeling lonely is a normal human emotion and is simply a sign of wanting contact with people. It's not just older people who feel lonely it can affect younger people too and it can often happen because of a change in circumstances, such as:
• becoming a young new parent
• facing empty nest syndrome
• retirement from work
• long-term illness or disability
• bereavement
• family breakdown – divorce or separation.
If you have been feeling lonely for a while, a first step is to notice and identify this, even if just to yourself. This can help you to think about what you could do to help yourself, or how to ask for help from others.
Your community and neighbourhood
Find out what local activities are being planned and book them up: walks, singing groups, book clubs and bridge. For example, Contact the Elderly and the University of the Third Age have a wide range of local social groups and activities across the UK.
Useful contacts
www.northlincs.gov.uk/ais (information about groups and activities in your area) www.northlincs.gov.uk/wellbeinghub (a variety of groups and social events that you can attend) www.campaigntoendloneliness.org/ (lots of useful information about loneliness and what you can to help yourself improve your situation)
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Conversations about mental health change lives
At the moment, too many people with mental health problems are made to feel isolated, ashamed and worthless by other people’s reactions.
But talking about mental health doesn’t need to be difficult. It can be as simple as making time to have a cup of tea or go for a walk, and listening to someone talk about how they feel. Being open about mental health and ready to listen can make a positive difference to someone’s life.
This is what Time to Talk Day is all about – giving us all the chance to talk and listen about mental health.
Whatever the hour, every conversation, every text, every share means more people are reached and more lives are changed.
Visit the Time to Talk website for further information.
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Preventing heart disease
Keeping your heart healthy, whatever your age, is the most important thing you can do to help prevent and manage heart disease.
A healthy diet can help reduce your risk of developing coronary heart disease and stop you gaining weight, reducing your risk of diabetes and high blood pressure.
Physical activity can help reduce your risk of heart disease. It can also help you control your weight, reduce blood pressure and cholesterol and improve your mental health – helping you to look and feel great.
Research shows that reaching and keeping to a healthy weight cuts your risk of heart disease because it helps prevent and manage conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes that put you at greater risk of coronary heart disease.
Even if you don't have any of these conditions, it's important to keep to a healthy weight so you don't develop them in future.
Visit the British Heart Foundation website for lots of useful information on keeping your heart healthy.
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Support for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities - Our Local Offer
The Local Offer website is a way to make it easier for families to find out about services available to children and young people from birth to 25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
We have been working with families to better understand what information you need and how to give it to you as easily as possible. Our Local Offer aims to provide you with all the information you need about education, health and care services for children and young people with special educational needs and / or disabilities. It also includes information on support groups, activities, events, consultations, training and development, housing, leisure, sport, staying safe plus lots more.
For more information please read our Local Offer leaflet and visit our Local Offer website.
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Do Something Different is a
project that provides a variety of sport, leisure and culture activities for
anyone with a disability aged 16 plus. Sessions take place in various venues
around North Lincolnshire including; Community Wellbeing hubs, Leisure Centres,
20-21 Visual Arts Centre, North Lincolnshire Museum and Normanby Hall Country
Park. An ever expanding timetable of
activities includes: Arts and Crafts, Rebound Therapy, Nordic Walking, Archery,
Swimming sessions and much more.
If you have a disability and
would like more information, or would like to get more active then please
contact the Disability Development Officer on 01724 297238 or 07717 587270 or
visit the website for more information.
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Having an interest, hobby or activity outside the home can be a positive and life-changing experience for Carers. It can improve self confidence and give some vital “me time”.
Caring for a loved one can be a rewarding experience, but it can also leave you feeling isolated, stressed and tired. You may feel your whole life revolves around your caring role and there is very little time for you.
Lifelong Learning aims to promote opportunities that enable you to learn new skills or gain qualifications, improve your health and fitness, help progress your employment prospects, develop your self confidence and independence and enjoy social experiences.
Opportunities have included yoga, dance, academic qualifications, computer tuition, guitar lessons and much more. There is a lot of choice; it’s up to you to take the first step!
Courses are paid for through Lifelong Learning, and alternative care and transport may also be available.
To access Lifelong Learning you need to have a Carers Needs Assessment. Please speak to us at the Carers’ Support Centre on 01652 650585 for more information about this.
We also offer free internet access and free computer tuition.
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Scunthorpe Community Wellbeing Hub has launched two new Saturday morning fitness classes for the over 18s to help you get fit and keep fit.
From 9.30am to 10.30am every Saturday, new Sports Fit sessions will take place at the hub on Alvingham Road.
Sports Fit is a circuit based class focusing on sports specific movement. The classes are a combination of cardio and strength based exercises giving the body a full workout. With a range of different stations to work at, Sports Fit is perfect for beginners and advanced exercisers.
Following Sports Fit, from 10.30am to 11.30am, Body Blast sessions take place.
Body Blast is a cardio session targeting the legs, upper body and core in a fun energetic session. Get fit, keep fit and target those troublesome areas in this high energy class.
Sports Fit and Body Blast cost just £3 per person per session and form part of the council’s Active Ageing programme. For more information, please contact the Sports, Play and Community Development team on 01724 297255 or visit the council website.
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Discover Northern Lincolnshire’s Aviation Heritage talk
The popular
aviation heritage talk series is returning to Hibaldstow Airfield on Friday 17
February at 7pm as part of the Northern Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Project.
Phil Bonner from
Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire will be giving this first talk of the year. He
will bring back to life the history of Lincolnshire airfields in World War One.
Tickets cost £5 and
are on sale now. This includes hot refreshments on arrival. Get your tickets
from Brigg Tourist Information Centre or Waters’ Edge Visitor Centre in
Barton-upon-Humber.
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Mayor's Spring Ball
A Spring Ball in
aid of the Mayor of North Lincolnshire’s appeal fund will take place at The
Baths Hall on Saturday 4 March 2017.
Tickets for the
black tie/lounge suit event cost just £36 each and include a three course meal,
followed by coffee and mints, with entertainment. All proceeds from the event
will go to the Mayor’s chosen charities, Lindsey Lodge Hospice and Macmillan
Cancer Support.
Guests will be
asked to arrive from 6.45pm to the venue on Doncaster Road, Scunthorpe.
Be sure to bring
your dancing shoes as legendary local 60s band, The Moggies, will be providing
the entertainment for the evening and are sure to fill the floor!
For bookings, please contact Anne Torn at the Civic Office at North
Lincolnshire Council on 01724 296346 or email anne.torn@northlincs.gov.uk
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Spring LiveLincs performances come to a town or village near you
A range of
spectacular performances have been arranged as part of the LiveLincs spring
season that will be visiting a town or village near you in North Lincolnshire.
‘A View From The
Edge’ is the first show as part of the new line-up and comes from Owdyado
Theatre.
It will be shown at
Wroot Village Hall on Saturday 11 February at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £6 and are
on sale now. To book your tickets call: 01302 771802.
For further details visit the council website or the Owdyado Theatre website.
LiveLincs is a
rural touring programme of theatre, dance and music funded by Arts Council
England and North Lincolnshire Council.
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