The Service provides a home sitting service for the numerous people who are practically housebound because of the 24-hour care they are providing for dependent relatives and friends. These include both frail elderly people and people incapacitated through chronic illness. The service provides approximately 2,000 hours of sitting in the year.

Crazy Hats supports all aspects of breast cancer care in Northamptonshire with a small percentage of funds being given to Leicester Royal Infirmary. With an initial donation of £5.00 from an 86 year old lady who had breast cancer at the same time as Glennis, the current total now stands at over £2 million – an amazing amount!

DACT offer a Community Minibus Scheme of 7 fully accessible minibuses serving 185 affiliated community groups (children’s, youth, elderly, disabled, visually impaired, mentally ill, etc. 4,625 members). 80% of our services are for the elderly & disabled. DACT Dial-a-Ride – Shopping Service Tuesdays & Fridays for elderly Daventry residents to the local Market. DACT Days Out – Excursions to places of interest for the Club’s members who are often elderly and lonely, providing social interaction.

Village Travel Clubs Essential door to door travel for rurally isolated passengers who have no public transport. MiDAS Minibus Driver Training – Volunteers nationally approved certificate valid for 4 years. Volunteer Car Scheme – taking qualifying passengers to medically related appointments. Shopmobility scheme – hiring powered scooters & wheelchairs & manual wheelchairs to those with temporary or permanent disabilities. DACT Pitstop – Service, Maintenance & repairs for mobility equipment, and re-cycling/refurbishment of pre-owned equipment for resale at keen prices. DACT Mobility Shop New & refurbished (ex- DACT Pitstop) mobility equipment of all kinds supplied which includes Scooters, Wheelchairs, Zimmers, Stairlifts. This service helps fund other DACT services that run at a deficit. All our services are delivered by 170 Volunteers which epitomises our strapline of “For the Community, by the Community”.

Northampton Mencap offer a variety of social and leisure opportunities for young people and adults, this includes running four social clubs each week with the help of a dedicated team of volunteers.

Peterborough RDA Group meet every Wednesday morning in term time and run 5 half hour lessons for children who come from 3 local special schools, Phoenix, Heltwate and COPASS. The children live with a variety of disabling conditions ranging from learning difficulties of varying levels to autism, cerebral palsy, blindness, deafness and more. Riding offers a multitude of benefits and we work on balance, co-ordination, core stability and strength. It has long been understood that the benefits of riding are significant on and off the pony.

Recent research has proven that after just a few weeks, there is significant physical improvement, greater confidence and more enjoyment. Many children have a greater willingness and ability to communicate, and for some, it is a time when they can relax and simply sit still on the pony. For many children, it is the highlight of their week! Sitting on the walking pony stimulates the same muscles and action as that of a person walking, so for children who are very weak, and maybe wheelchair bound, it provides huge benefits and is a major form of physiotherapy. The teachers and carers often report back to us of improved ability to sit in a chair, and even take a few steps. Above all, we have lots of fun – sometimes the changing face of a child from apprehension to one wreathed in smiles at the end of a lesson is the very best achievement.

Acorn’s mission is to alleviate the physical and emotional distress of adult cancer patients and their carers in areas local to St Ives, Huntingdon and Ramsey. We achieve this through a combination of monthly support meetings in each town, and social outings. Meetings offer opportunity for mutual support through shared experiences over refreshments/ lunch, to have a relaxation therapy, and talk to others who understand.

The combination of the welcome, friendship and understanding members receive, the opportunity to be themselves, to have the enjoyment of simply “being out” and to laugh with others, serves as antidote to stress. Meetings are complemented by a range of social outings with lunch, including: boat trips, a Christmas lunch, a Spring lunch, and a monthly film club. These and the social activity at meetings reduce isolation and loneliness, enhances quality of life and engenders a sense of “family”. Everything we offer is at no-cost to members.