Stoke Social is a club run for older adults which has been running since October 2022 and the group has grown significantly since then, from eight adults at the first session to 25+ every week since. The club is a joint initiative between North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust and Stoke City Football Club and was set up to combat social isolation in older people, as part of the Community Mental Health Transformation Programme.
The club meets every Wednesday morning in Ricardo’s Bar at Stoke City Football Club, with attendees enjoying various activities such as gentle chair based exercises, bingo, quizzes and even indoor curling. The club provides an opportunity for older adults to socialise with each other, make new friends and receive advice from various guests and services that are invited to come along, all entirely free of charge. A representative from Wavemaker was also present, a local digital skills and engagement specialist, who provided free Amazon Alexa devices to the members as a way to demonstrate the capabilities of technology and teach them the benefits of digitally-assisted living and how it could further support them.
Nicola Mayo, Team Lead at Combined Healthcare for the County Older Persons Community Mental Health Transformation, is delighted with the growth of the group and said:
“The group has grown in numbers steadily over the last few months. The same people return each week as they enjoy coming so much but we love to see the new faces too.
“Our members enjoy time working on their physical health, are given health advice and improve social interaction whilst they are with us. Alongside coffee and biscuits, they get the opportunity to take part in quizzes, games and crafting opportunities.
“It is proving to be incredibly successful with some great feedback; one of our members said it was ‘the highlight of my week’. Speaking to members of the club, it is clear that they have felt a huge positive effect on their own mental health and wellbeing as well as being able to meet new people and get out in the community.”
For those wanting to find out more about the group, you can visit the Stoke City Football Club webpage here.