Community Action for Roundhay Elderly aims to support the over-60s in the area to live a safe, happy and healthy life in their own home for as long as possible.

But after financial problems led to a temporary closure last year it lost many of its volunteers and numbers are down to 10.

"We need to recruit more," said project manager Lesley Pearson. "The more we have the more we can do for our client group.We always need people to help with simple tasks like changing a light bulb, gardening, giving someone with mobility problems a lift and befrienders."

CARE currently supports around 550 people in the Roundhay and east Moortown areas, but numbers are growing. It is particularly looking for someone to do odd jobs.


"Whereas a younger person would just get on a stool to change a light bulb, an elderly lady may be unsteady on her feet and worried she may fall and hurt herself if she attempts it," said Lesley.

"This is the sort of job her husband might have done when he was alive, and not everybody has family living nearby.

"At the moment I go out to do it, but this can take up a lot of time and as project manager I could be doing something else if we had a volunteer."

Lesley said the charity always tried to match the right volunteers with the right service user - for example, two people who might enjoy a game of Scrabble.

Alternatively someone might like to visit the park for a short walk, but were unable to do so unless they were taken in the car.

"These things give themsomething to look forward to," she said. "We also need volunteers to take people
for hospital appointments."

CARE has recently received a £100 grant from the BT Community Champions Award Scheme to help produce publicity material for its volunteer campaign, thanks to its chairman, Coun Matthew Lobley (Cons, Roundhay), who is a project manager for BT.

* For more information, contact Lesley on (0113) 2680406.