Category Archives: News

January closures of face to face services

Very reluctantly OPAL has decided to temporarily suspend our meetings of Clubs, Carers’ Groups, Branching Out and GoOnLine sessions due to take place in January 2022.

This is not the beginning OPAL had hoped for in 2022 but this decision is due to concerns that we will be unable to run services safely while the present rates of the Omicron Covid variant are so high and covid cases are continuing to rise sharply including amongst people over the age of 60.  

We will look again at the situation at the end of January and we will reverse this decision as soon as we feel it is safe to do so.

In the meantime we will strive to provide a telephone befriending service, will send out copies of OPAL Reach newsletter and deliver activity packs, which are the services that were so much appreciated throughout 2020-1.

Keeping people as safe as possible is our first priority.

OPAL Matters Issue 13 December 2021

Our Christmas 2021 Issue of OPAL Matters was distributed in December 2021 with stories of our Christmas activities and news of when our Chair Jane Colville and Malpas Club Organiser Brenda Platt went to Chester Town Hall and joined other representatives of local charities and organisations to meet with Prince
Edward, Earl of Wessex and also with Lady Redmond, Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire.
OPAL’s invitation was in part linked to our Queen’s Award which we had been awarded in 2020 but was also in recognition of the way in which we had managed through the pandemic.

Read about it here.

We wish all our readers a merry Christmas and a very happy New Year.

Notice of OPAL AGM 2021

The next OPAL Annual General Meeting will take place on 10th November 2021 at 5pm via Zoom.

For more information please contact Moe Hutson at morag.hutson@opalservices.org.uk

Please confirm or decline your attendance to Moe Hutson at morag.hutson@opalservices.org.uk.

OPAL Soup Lunch Fundraiser 15th October

OPAL is organising a Soup Lunch fundraiser at KELSALL COMMUNITY CENTRE, Chester Rd, Kelsall, Tarporley CW6 0SB

FRIDAY 15^th OCTOBER, 12.30pm – 2.30pm

Come along and enjoy a light lunch of soup followed by cake and a hot drink, while at the same time supporting OPAL

Cost: £5 per person + Raffle

For tickets please contact Jo on 01928 787899 or email Jo at joquilter72@outlook.com or Juliet at julietcompston@googlemail.com

OPAL Soup Lunch

OPAL held it’s first face to face fundraising event on 15th October. Thank you to all who volunteered and to Jo and Juliet and the fundraising team for putting the event together. It was good to see people again and enjoy the day while at the same time raising valuable funds for OPAL.

OPAL Matters Issue 12

You can read the latest updates on the reopening of OPAL Services in our September issue of OPAL Matters.

Click here to read OPAL Matters Issue 12.

Funding application success

OPAL is delighted to announce that it has been awarded £3000 by Cheshire Community Foundation to support the most vulnerable older adults in our rural communities as covid restrictions lift. With this money OPAL will be able to support a number of people who need a more extended and gradual transition to social situations within the community.

The funding will allow us to temporarily extend some of the specific support measures employed through lockdown including the delivery of regular activity packs and goody bags to individuals who are especially reticent and reluctant to have any contact or socialise with others following the pandemic. It will allow intensive support to a number of those older people and carers who have suffered greatly as a direct result of lockdown and who will be offered the chance to slowly but surely come to terms with their fears and establish the means to transition with confidence to life once again in the wider community.

OPAL Matters – June 2021

OPAL has published issue 11 of the OPAL Matters newsletter with news and updates on the reopening of some services.

Read Issue 11 here.

Marshes Community Benefit Fund Award

OPAL Services is delighted to have been awarded £7,000 by the Marshes Community Benefit Fund towards its ongoing OPAL In Touch project which is developing digital inclusion services for older people and their carers.

By providing people who currently have limited or no access to the digital world, the project will give older people and their carers an opportunity to sample a variety of communication platforms and equipment selected, based on their individual needs and capabilities.

The project supports access to online banking, shopping, and to health and well-being related services and importantly will also give people a chance to increase their day-to-day social interaction with family and friends via Facetime, Skype, Zoom etc. This funding will support participants in the MCBF area of Frodsham and Helsby to receive 1-2-1 mentoring support, tailored to their specific needs.

OPAL’s thanks go to the MCBF for their invaluable support.

OPAL Matters – March 2021

To read the latest news from OPAL, download Issue 10 of our OPAL Matters newsletter.