Step Out Service of the month

Step Out is a free service designed to support people to achieve their personal goals such as using public transport, going shopping or finding a new activity group.  Our team is made up of staff and volunteers who work with people to gently build confidence and maintain independence.

Meet the team...

Hey, I’m Terri,

I have been with AGE UK Wakefield District for three years now, I now oversee the Step-out service and have had the pleasure of this for around two years.

Step-Out is a service I hold close to my heart, as prior to me joining AGE UK Wakefield District, seeing this service in action within the community inspired me to want to do the good I was seeing being delivered by Kim the Step-Out worker.

In the last 2 years, I have seen people with debilitating anxiety who lost access to their local community through many reasons, illness, relationship breakdowns, bereavement, long standing mental health issues and the aftermath of the pandemic and in just a few weeks of the Step Out service support, be thriving with new friends, and a new gained confidence.

The team is made up of two absolutely amazing workers, and a team of fantastic volunteers.

 I think I speak for all of AGE UK Wakefield District when I say, we could not do any of what we do without the people we support and our Volunteers, whether you access our service or provide precious hours, we appreciate, your trust and your kindness.

If you would like more information on how Step-out can help you, or if you are interested in our Volunteer opportunities, please contact our office today 01977 552114

Hi I’m Nicola,

a support work for Step Out. I have been doing this job for over a year now and I get so much joy and satisfaction from my role helping people regain their confidence connecting back into social existence again, having the assurance to go out shopping or even just a walk.

Over a number of weeks we gradually reduce insecurities with full support, encouragement and prudence to eventually you having enough confidence to achieve your goals independently. This achievement can give a great sense of self-worth and you can begin to live a fuller life.

Many people have now conquered their fears of the outside world with our support and are living a more enjoyable and fulfilled life. So, if you are feeling isolated, lonely or anxious but would love to increase your independence and meet new people please give us a call and we can hopefully support you to achieve this.

Hi, I am Kim

and I have worked for Age UK Wakefield District for approximately 10 years.

I work full time on the Step Out Service. Step Out is a free service offering one-to-one support for people over 60 years of age who are isolated, lonely, anxious or worried.

Our aim is to assist and support older people to improve or increase independent access to social activities and groups making later life a more enjoyable experience.

I love working for Step Out. It is an honour and a pleasure to be a part of someone’s journey - from them being nervous to go out and join a group or activity to regularly attending a group independently. It is so rewarding to see how this can make a huge difference in their lives – giving them something to look forward to, making improvements to their mental & physical health and reducing feelings of loneliness.

Service User Feedback

• "Step out service has been so good for me, it has helped me over my loneliness and sad feelings, I now feel so different and feel good again"
• "I found the step out service invaluable and very beneficial in that it took over where my Therapy left off and made a big difference to my recovery and gaining back my confidence."
• "Really appreciated having the service a second time following a set back after a hospital stay."
• "I am currently receiving support from Step Out and within a few sessions I feel stronger and my confidence is building. The Step Out support worker and the Step Out volunteer have provided the ‘push’ and the encouragement that I needed."

An example of our work in Step Out

*disclaimer, this story is not a real life case study, but are based on scenarios of the Step-Out service*

John 71 year old man, from the Pontefract area accessed our service after the loss of his wife. John lived a shared life with his wife, and all of their interest and hobbies over the years became interwind. For the last three years of Johns wife’s life, their outings became less and less due to his wife’s
conditions. Loosing his wife left a huge hole in Johns life, and after 12 months, he was living a life that consisted of him waking up every morning, making breakfast while keeping the TV on for background noise, This mornings hosts were Johns only source of company, he found himself talking to them, all day John was just watching the clock waiting for bedtime.

John used to love meeting up with friends, going to the club, and keeping himself busy, spending a lot of time at the allotments growing his own vegetables.

Johns daughter referred him to Age UK Wakefield District to speak about how we could help her dad, speaking to John, he explained he was lonely.

We added him to our Step-out list for someone to visit him at home. Kim visited John and provided John with a holistic assessment asking him how he managed his day to day living, his health and just as importantly discussed what John values, enjoys and what kind of social interactions John has had in the past and what it looks like today.

Kim and john looked together at local groups, but John was did not feel as though the groups in the area were really suited to the things he liked. Kim researched local allotments, even though there were none available, she did find a gardening / grow your own vegetables group. For the first few weeks John attended Kim set off from Johns home, with John to help him feel more comfortable, over the course of five weeks John felt happy to go on his own, and had bought some new gardening boots.

John is happy with his weekly meet up with his friends, they have day trips planned this year,  and from this he has put his name down for a local allotment so he can enjoy growing his own vegetables every day, just as he used to

Step Out is a free service designed to support people to achieve their personal goals such as using public transport, going shopping or finding a new activity group.  Our team is made up of staff and volunteers who work with people to gently build confidence and maintain independence.