The team at OPAL and the Welcome In have been keeping busy behind the scenes preparing to re-open their doors and welcome everyone back to their newly developed cafe and community space.

Most recently they hosted online pizza making and mandala drawing sessions for local children in the Easter Holidays in collaboration with St. Paul’s at Ireland Wood and the local cluster network of schools, these sessions went down very well indeed and as a result there are future plans to run lots more activities from the centre in the summer!

After a challenging year of running as a Covid Hub, doing meal deliveries and distanced support for OPAL members they are now bouncing back to life, swinging the doors are open wide with lots of friendly faces enjoying the space and attending activities again!

Stay up-to-date by following us on socials:

rooms to hire

They have brilliant, versatile rooms to share with the community to suit a wide range of needs:

Conferences
Parties
Celebrations
Funeral teas
Sports & exercise classes
Functions
Business meetings
Therapeutic treatments
Club meetings
Events

Room rates are from just £7 to £15 per hour.

Plus, if you require on-site catering, I am certain the lovely people from the Community Cafe would be pleased to help.

supporting the community

In 2015 Older People’s Action in the Locality (OPAL) acquired the Bedford Arms, the refurbishments have been on-going and they now have some amazing spaces ready to welcome friends new and old back to enjoy them as soon as it’s possible at the renamed Welcome In Community Centre.

Throughout the pandemic the support that they have provided for the local community seems endless. It’s amazing to see that their volunteer army has grown considerably to over 150 locals to meet the needs of the community with people from all walks of life offering help. If you feel that you could help in any way, please contact OPAL.

The Welcome In Community Cafe has been working harder than ever before, producing over 130 home-style cooked meals for the community each week. Delivered by volunteers, the meals are despatched hot and ready to eat.

OPAL have a Friday 2pm Zoom group where attendees enjoy doing an activity each week including quizzes and talks, get in touch if you’d like to join. To compliment this and to help members stay in touch with the community, family and friends, cellular iPads are available to borrow. As they are cellular, they will work without a home WiFi connection. Steven Hogg, Digital Support Worker at OPAL will be happy to help to get you set-up and show you how to get started on Zoom and beyond.

If you prefer less digital pastimes OPAL have a wide range of books and jigsaws available to loan, these can be delivered to you.

The phone buddy scheme has been around long before Covid, but as more and more people are self-isolating or simply worried about leaving their homes there is a greater need for companionship via a telephone call. Please contact OPAL if you would like a phone buddy, they could call once a week or once a fortnight it is up to you (but please remember that this is not necessarily for everyone – don’t feel guilty if you don’t feel able to do this). OPAL are always on the lookout for members of the community to join the phone buddy scheme, if you are good at talking on the phone please get in touch. Remember friendships work both ways, who knows what connections you might make.

Absolutely marvellous, great wonderful, excellent

Just wanted to pass on that Jim would like to thank everyone at OPAL, he said the meals have been an absolute lifeline for him and he’s always very happy with them, he said he would like to sing everyone’s praises and that he thinks what we do is superb!

Thanks for sending me the Opal newsletter, it makes very impressive reading! You all do so much in the community especially in these challenging times. Well done.

I enjoy the good, wholesome well-cooked food. Very friendly and helpful staff.

Doris told us ‘how safe she feels being a member of OPAL and that she always knows that she won’t be left high and dry. Thank you for everything we do.’

‘Absolutely marvellous, great wonderful excellent, especially the chicken. Not disliked anything, delivered hot and a great service from Driver 1 who delivers each week.’

Have had a chat with ‘Joy’ and she is so thankful for the iPad we have lent her. It’s really lifted he mood as she was feeling really depressed and fed up. She is now emailing friends and playing solitaire. Also, she has found exercise classes on You Tube and is enjoying doing these.

‘Joyce’ is extremely grateful to OPAL and her volunteer shopping buddy for doing her shopping today. She would have been lost otherwise and really appreciates it.

Thank you for the update, and thank you to all at Opal for the wonderful service you provide it’s so very much appreciated by so many, it’s been a blessing to my husband and myself to receive the weekly phone call enquiring about our welfare, we are so fortunate to have such a wonderful organisation in our area.

Contact OPAL to find out more

Email: [email protected]
Tel: 0113 261 9103
Address:
OPAL, Welcome In Community Centre, 55 Bedford Drive, Leeds, LS16 6DJ
Further information about OPAL services and activities can be found on our website:
www.opal-project.org.uk

OPAL is the operating name for Older People’s Action in the Locality.

For up to date information follow us on socials.

OPAL are a Covid volunteer centre for BOTH Weetwood Ward and Adel and Wharfedale Ward

Delivering emergency food parcels and shopping vouchers.
Picking up prescriptions.
A phone buddy scheme connecting volunteers to people who are self-isolating.
Providing transport to unmissable appointments and Covid vaccinations.
Providing emotional support and sign-posting people to services that can help them.
Matching volunteer shoppers to people who are self-isolating.
Delivering jigsaws and books to people who are self-isolating.
Delivering freshly cooked hot meals (Monday – Friday). We are charging £3.50 per main meal.
Matching people who are self-isolating to IT phone buddies – to help them use smart phones, iPads, tablets etc. for social interaction.
Loaning iPads and Alexas.
Money Buddies are offering a great free service to help people manage debt, apply for benefits and maximise their income. Operating from the centre doing face to face visits or support by phone.
Zoom Friday coffee afternoon.
Doorstep/garden buddies.
Strolling buddies.
Providing vaccination centre marshals.