Gofal scheme hits the road to help older people

Gofal – a project which is jointly-funded by Denbighshire County Council and the British Red Cross – has received a £35,000 funding boost to buy a new mobile office vehicle.

The Gofal scheme provides older people with opportunities for social interaction, information about issues which are relevant to the older community, and signposts them to agencies which can offer support.

The Gofal scheme, which aims to combat isolation amongst potentially vulnerable older people in the community, is now able to reach even more older people throughout Denbighshire. To date, the new Gofal vehicle has visited sites in Ruthin, Denbigh, Llandrillo and Corwen, and will be expanding its route from October to include several sites in the north of the county.

Councillor Bobby Feeley, Older People’s Champion for Denbighshire, said: “The purchase of this new vehicle has made it possible to engage with areas of the community we haven’t previously been able to reach. Older people can become vulnerable and isolated, whether they live in rural parts of the county or the larger towns, so it’s important to continue to reach out to them to make sure they are given the opportunity to lead full lives.”

During October, the Gofal vehicle will be visiting the following sites:

1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 October Healthy Living Centre, Corwen & Community Centre, Clawdd Newydd
2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 October Llandrillo y Wern car park
6, 13, 20 & 27 October Tesco, Ruthin
7, 14, 21 & 28 October Lidl, Denbigh