Dementia Harborough

Dementia Harborough is a community charity offering social groups, activities and outings to support people affected by dementia and help them stay connected and engaged. It supports people in Market Harborough and surrounding areas.

It offers regular social activities and support sessions designed to bring people together in a relaxed, friendly environment, such as:

• Dementia Café: a safe space to chat, socialise, and enjoy coffee and cake
• Singing for Memories: music sessions to support communication and trigger positive memories
• Trips: organised outings to provide enjoyable days out and a change of scenery

There are monthly meetings and activities where people with dementia and their carers can connect with others in a similar situation.

These activities provide a supportive, social and enjoyable community, helping to reduce isolation while improving wellbeing.

Market Harborough Stroke Support Group (Different Strokes)

A friendly, peer-support group for working-age and younger stroke survivors to meet, chat and support each other.

Open to people with a range of post-stroke experiences and abilities (e.g. stroke or TIA, some mobile, some not). The group emphasises mutual support and shared understanding.

The group meet on the second Saturday of every month between 11:00 am – 1:00 pm at the Market Harborough Methodist Church, Northampton Road, Market Harborough, LE16 9HE

Coordinator: Katherine Fortnum, she can be contacted on 07732 789997 / marketharborough@differentstrokes.co.uk

VASL

VASL is a free service for unpaid adult carers aged 18+ across Leicestershire. It provides advice, information and practical support to help people in their caring role.

Support includes:

1. Advice and guidance
   • A confidential telephone advice line, available Monday to Friday, staffed by experienced professionals.
2. Emotional support
   • A telephone befriending service specifically for carers to help reduce isolation and provide someone to talk to.
3. Local groups and events
   • Access to carers’ groups and local events, creating opportunities to meet other carers and build support networks.
4. Help with formal support
   • Assistance completing the Leicestershire County Council Carer’s Assessment, which can help carers access additional support services.

It covers all districts of Leicestershire, including:

• Blaby, Charnwood, Harborough
• Hinckley & Bosworth, Melton
• North West Leicestershire, Oadby & Wigston

Contact: 01858 433232

Email: admin@vasl.org.uk

The Market Harborough Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club (AFVBC)

The Market Harborough Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club (AFVBC) is a local community group for serving personnel and veterans.

It’s part of a wider UK and global network of veterans’ breakfast clubs whose ethos is “By Veterans, For Veterans”, focusing on peer support and shared experience.

It provides a friendly, informal space for veterans to:

• Meet others with similar experiences
• Build friendships and support networks
• Socialise in a relaxed setting

Open to all Armed Forces personnel, including:

• Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Marines
• Both serving members and veterans

It takes place on the third Saturday of each month, from 9:30am at The Roebuck, Rockingham Road, Market Harborough, LE16 7XY.

The British Deaf Association (BDA)

The British Deaf Association (BDA) is a UK-wide organisation campaigning for Deaf equality, access, and freedom of choice. It promotes and protects British Sign Language (BSL) and deaf culture. There is an East Midlands helpline for information which runs on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays between 10am-12pm. To book an appointment contact robin.ash@bda.org.uk or via SMS on 07814 387251.

The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) 

The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) at University Hospitals of Leicester is a free, confidential support service for patients, families and carers. It helps people with questions, concerns or feedback about hospital care. It provides information and advice to help you understand your treatment, hospital services, and how the NHS system works. Staff will listen to concerns, offer guidance, provide reassurance and act as a friendly first point of contact if something isn’t clear or has gone wrong. It helps to resolve problems by supporting people to raise concerns quickly and informally and works with hospital teams to try to fix issues early, without needing a formal complaint.

Senior Social Club

The senior social club at the Lawns Care Home, Knighton Rise, Oadby, is a regular, welcoming space for older people to meet and socialise to chat and connect with others over tea and coffee It takes place on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month between 2:00pm – 4:00pm. Attendees are asked to book a space in advance by phone on 0116 214 9923.

Forging Futures

Forging Futures is a support service for young people and adults with additional needs, based in Lutterworth, Leicestershire. It provides opportunities for individuals to build confidence and independence and to gain work experience and practical life skills. It uses a person-centred, supportive approach tailored to each individual focussing on helping to achieve personal goals and outcomes via improved communication, everyday living skills and overall wellbeing and quality of life.

Parkinson’s Choir

The Parkinson’s Choir is a friendly, inclusive choir for people affected by Parkinson’s, including family members, carers and friends. It offers a relaxed, supportive environment – and no singing experience is needed. It takes place on Fridays, 1:30pm–3:30pm at The Barnabas Centre, Oadby. Singing can support voice, speech and breathing, improve wellbeing and mood and can help social connections.

The University of the Third Age (U3A) 

The University of the Third Age (U3A) runs around 40 local interest groups in the Great Glen, Oadby and Wigston area. U3A is a community organisation for people (often retired or semi-retired) to learn, socialise and share hobbies.

Coffee & Company

Warm hubs provide free places for people to go to stay warm during winter, especially due to cost-of-living pressures. Hubs provide a warm, safe space to sit and relax, free hot drinks and sometimes food, social activities and opportunities to meet others and reduce loneliness.

Neighbourhood Mental Health Cafe’s

The Oadby and Wigston neighbourhood mental health café is a free, drop-in mental health support service run by Age UK Leicestershire and Rutland. It runs Mondays and Fridays between 9:30am – 12:30pm at the LSFB Community Hub, Wigston. It is a safe and welcoming space for people who are struggling with their mental health. Support is available from trained mental health workers who will listen and provide emotional support, share coping techniques and offer practical help.

Virtual Village Hall

The Virtual Village Hall is a free online community and activity hub run by the Royal Voluntary Service, designed to help people stay active, connected and mentally well. It’s open to anyone - no sign-up required.   There are live sessions every weekday such as exercise classes, arts and wellbeing activities, sessions are led by professional tutors and presenters.  

Leicestershire County Council

Within Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland hate incidents and hate crimes are recorded against five categories, as well as including a category for ‘any other perceived difference’ in order to align with Leicestershire Police’s recording of hate. A hate incident is any targeted act, directed at someone because of who they are or who somebody thinks they are, motivated by the individual’s disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, or transgender identity.

Active Together

Provides sports and fitness activities for individuals with learning disabilities in a mission to make physical activity accessible for all Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

LGBTQ+ Centre

Offer a safe environment where people of all sexual orientations and gender can find mental health support, social and support groups and training for organisations and professionals.

Life Links

Provides wellness and mental health recovery support and resources to LGBTQ+ individuals in Leicester, Blaby, Oadby and Wigston.

Leicester Council of Faiths

Community-based organisation bringing together people from all faiths, religions and backgrounds to promote unity, peace and tolerance in Leicester and the surrounding areas.

The Race Equality Centre (TREC)

Works to promote racial equality and challenge discrimination. They offer advice, advocacy, and training to individuals and organisations.

New Futures Project

Provides support and empowerment to women and young people, particularly those affected by forms of sexual abuse or exploitation.

Equality Action

Support marginalised communities in Loughborough to access the services they might need.

Women 4 Change

Support, educate and empower women across Leicestershire through information, advice and weekly community events.

Keep Safe Place

Leicestershire County Council initiative providing general public safe spaces to calm down, seek help, ask for support or make a phone call.

Adhar Project

Supports individuals with mental health needs by providing culturally sensitive mental health support and advocacy primarily for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic.

‘The Harms of Hate’ by Leicester University

A video aiming to educate viewers and encourage reporting by addressing the harms of hate crime, promoting awareness and understanding.

Trade Sexual Health

LGBTQ+ health and sexual health charity offering free support, advice and services, including. They also offer support to victims of hate crimes within LGBTQ+ community.

Life Links Leicester

Offers mental health recovery support, advice, and guidance to people across Leicester and Leicestershire.

Mosaic 1898

Supporting disabled children and adults through care and support services that protect, empower and advocate for disabled people.

Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council

Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council work with partners and schools as well as providing online support to tackle and raise awareness of hate crime.

Harborough District Council

This is a hate Incident reporting centre. A member of the community safety team can take your report directly on 01858 828282 or via the linked website.

Victim First

Provides emotional support, practical assistance, and advocacy for victims of hate crime, ensuring victims feel heard and empowered. Victim First work in partnership with Leicester City Council and Leicestershire Police.

Leicester City Council

Leicester City Councils Community Safety team carry out anti-social behaviour case reviews which take place if a victim of anti-social behaviour or a hate incident feels they have not had a satisfactory response to their complaints.