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Lunch Clubs and Friendship Lunches

Lunch clubs and the Lunch Club Referral Service

A lunch club is a friendly welcoming place where you can socialise with others and take part in enjoyable activities, these include bingo, chairobics, arts and crafts and seasonal trips. There will be a hot meal and refreshments for a small charge. 

Lunch clubs are often independent and run by volunteers. They meet food hygiene standards and receive safeguarding training to help ensure members feel safe and well cared for.

You can also volunteer at a lunch club - they're a comfortable, safe environment. If you're interested in getting involved as a volunteer, we'd love to hear from you!

If you or someone you know is interested in joining a lunch club, the Lunch Club Referral Service can help:

 Email: lunchclubs@sheffield.gov.uk

 Call: 0114 273 4631 and leave a message.

We can find the nearest or most convenient club on a day which suits you. Typically, they provide a hot meal with activities, refreshments, and the chance to chat to people of a similar age.

Clubs have volunteers trained in food hygiene and safeguarding, so you will be in safe hands.

All lunch club members are independent and do not need any personal support or personal care. The lunch clubs offer a warm welcome and space to meet up or catch up with old friends and connect with new ones. If you require personal support or care, a lunch club might not be the right fit for you, though we would be happy to help you explore more suitable options.

What will happen after you contact us:

  • We will contact you to check the information given and have a chat.
  • We then identify the most appropriate club and contact the club organiser to check on the current availability. We share details of the person who would like to attend with the organiser.
  • If there are no places available, and no places on a waiting list, we ask the organiser to let us know and we contact the person referred. We would then look for the next nearest club or suggest another social activity (e.g. a coffee morning).
  •  If there is a place available, we will ask the organiser to contact the person to chat about the lunch club and the space available.

If you need help to get to a lunch club, transport arrangements can sometimes be made for you. This is for members who are most isolated and would not be able to make it to the clubs using other means.

Every week, people in Sheffield give their time to support others - and lunch clubs are a great way to get involved. Whether you're a keen cook, enjoy chatting with people, or simply want to lend a helping hand, there’s a role for you in a local lunch club.

Volunteering at a lunch club not only supports older people in your community - it’s also a chance to boost your own wellbeing, develop new skills, gain valuable experience, and enjoy a fun, fulfilling way to give back.

Volunteer feedback:

·       A new volunteer joining a club said we have been "a life saver”

·       A lady volunteer of 80 and recently widowed thanked us all for "giving her, her life back.”

If you would like to get involved, please get in contact with us.

 Email: lunchclubs@sheffield.gov.uk

 Call: 0114 273 4631 and leave a message.

If a lunch club isn’t for you, there are Friendship Lunches around the city, where you can eat lunch and meet new people and make friends. You can find a full list of Friendship lunches on this directory.

Friendship Lunches.

 View all lunch clubs on the directory.

 

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In this section

  1. Introduction
  2. Help in the home
  3. Equipment, adaptations and Technology Enabled Care
  4. Getting out and about
  5. Lunch Clubs and Friendship Lunches
  6. Health and Social Care costs
  7. Managing your Direct Payment
  8. Mental capacity
  9. Staying Safe and Safeguarding Adults