A new community directory has been launched to provide information about a range of organisations across the Lancaster district.
Lancaster District Community & Voluntary Solutions (LDCVS) has announced the launch of the Lancaster District Directory, a free online resource available at directory.lancastercvs.org.uk, serving Lancaster, Morecambe, Carnforth and surrounding areas.
Developed in partnership with Bay Health & Care Partners and Lancaster City Council, and funded with a grant from the Population Health Investment Fund, the Directory aims to provide up-to-date and easy-to-understand information about classes, activities and advice offered by community organisations and the public sector in every corner of our local area.
The project arose from feedback that when people need assistance with problems like improving their mental and physical wellbeing, coping with the cost of living, joining social activities, or getting specialist support for other issues, they often discover that it can be difficult to find out when and where to access help.
With nearly 200 services currently listed and growing daily, the Directory features support for people of all ages and at every stage of life. For example, among a much wider range of support available:
• People struggling to heat their homes or afford hot meals this winter will find warm hubs and community cafes,
• Anyone looking for a mental health boost can search for nature and art for wellbeing opportunities,
• Those living with a long-term health challenge or helping to support a friend or family member can locate local sources of specialist advice and social activities.
The Directory is supported by the LDCVS Community Health Officer, who has worked to build strong relationships with service providers and will be keeping the listings up to date.
In addition, GP surgeries across the district are part of the project. With a patient’s agreement, practice members can refer them to the LDCVS-run hub, where staff will get in touch to help the patient locate and access sources of suitable non-clinical support.
Yak Patel, Chief Executive Officer at LDCVS, said “As the umbrella organisation for the voluntary sector across the Lancaster district, we’re always looking for ways to support our local charities and groups as they work to support their communities.
“The Lancaster District Directory is an excellent way to give visibility to the vital services they all provide, link people up with the help they need, and demonstrate the versatility and commitment of the voluntary sector.
“We’d like to take this opportunity to applaud our members for their essential work, recognise the Bay Health & Care Partners grant that has made the Directory possible, and thank the project’s steering group for their support”
Sarah Baines, Lancaster Integrated Care Community Development Lead, said “Social prescribing, the practice of signposting or referring people to non-clinical services to improve health and wellbeing, is a relatively newly coined phrase, despite being something that doctors, nurses and other practitioners have done for a very long time.
“The main problem is knowing what is available locally to ensure that this is done safely and effectively. Everyone has the right to live the healthiest and best life they can, and sometimes clinical interventions are not the most appropriate thing to enable this.
“Having an up-to-date directory to hand that can be browsed either by professionals or members of the community themselves will allow us to make sure people receive the right kind of support in the right place by the right people.”
Councillor Caroline Jackson, leader of Lancaster City Council, said: “One of the great joys of living in the Lancaster district is that there is so much going on to provide ready support for those who might be struggling in some way. Often, however, it is difficult to know precisely which service does what and who to contact.
“This new directory aims to solve the problem and is an invaluable source of information for anybody who needs some help and support, wherever they live in the Lancaster district. It also demonstrates the diversity of the support on offer that residents and their GPs can turn to in their hour of need.”
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