Bakewell Open Doors Group

As part of the Social Connectedness (SC) initiative, the SC Development Worker (DW) reached out to groups previously funded through the Warm Spaces programme to assess their current status and offer continued support.

The aim was to help sustain and enhance opportunities for social connection throughout the year. Bakewell Open Doors (BOD), based at Bakewell Methodist Church, was one such group. Originally established with Warm Spaces funding, BOD had continued to run a free, weekly drop-in social group open to all ages. Activities typically included jigsaws, crafts, bingo, chats, and afternoon tea.

However, the organisers expressed a need for fresh activity ideas, particularly those that could engage attendees who preferred more active or alternative options. The group faced several challenges:

• Need for more activity ideas
• Engaging male attendees who found it difficult to participate in current social activities
• Supporting individuals with physical accessibility needs and low-level mental health difficulties
• Ensuring the environment remained warm, welcoming, and inclusive for all, including those referred by Social Prescribers.

One attendee shared that “they could no longer afford to attend a specialist mental health group due to its significantly increased cost”, highlighting the importance of maintaining free/affordable, accessible community spaces.

Intervention and Outcomes

To address the group’s needs, the DW arranged for a Physical Activity and Sports Development Officer to visit a session and introduce Boccia and Indoor Kurling – inclusive, low-impact games suitable for people with limited mobility and visual impairments. They demonstrated setup, gameplay, storage, and recommended long-lasting, accessible equipment and companies that they had used to purchase their own equipment from at competitive prices. The “try before you buy” session was a great success.

Participants enjoyed the activities, and the group decided to pursue purchasing the equipment. The SC DW provided a SC Discretionary Fund application form, resulting in a successful bid for an Indoor Kurling set. The group were able to purchase themselves a Boccia set with bells to support visually impaired members. The group has some capacity to be able to accommodate a few more participants and may be more appealing to more people to attend with their new activities on offer. The SC DW also researched clay workshop providers and craft ideas and provided the group with some affordable resources to explore.

The SC DW found that being able to support the group with information and a small Discretionary Fund – one that was easy to apply for, even for someone with little experience, and had a quick turnaround – greatly helped the process and contributed to building strong relationships.

Quotes from participants

A participant who attends the group responded when asked if she plays the indoor Kurling,

“Do I play Kurling? Oh yes, I love it. It’s so nice to see people enjoying themselves”.

Another who had been attending the group for about a year said, “They are a very sociable group. Before I came here, I had got used to not being so active and independent”.

A participant said that he wasn’t much interested in jigsaws and finds it difficult to just sit and chat. He had a medical condition that stopped him using one side of his body so he felt limited in what he could do. He said that the Kurling and Boccia are great as he can play it sitting down or standing up, using his good side and he feels like he is doing something again and looks forward to coming to the group each week.