Lifetimes is the elected Council for Voluntary Services, supporting voluntary and community organisations in the London Borough of Wandsworth. They provide training, advice, information, networking and opportunities for all voluntary and community organisations in Wandsworth. They also deliver projects directly for local residents including their community directory Care4me and their newest project, Self Help Wandsworth.

Last year Lifetimes organised:

• Training and network events attended by 606 people
• Other events attended by 327 people
• Distributed their own funds through grants of £23,855 which supported 937 people

Find out more about Lifetimes at life-times.org.uk.
 

Care4me is Wandsworth’s Community Directory, developed and managed by the Lifetimes Charity. They provide a free, online, multilingual directory of local care, self-help services and every day information for both health professionals and the general public. Visit the site at www.care4me.org.uk and see their Facebook page.   

Self Help Wandsworth is a new programme of support for self help groups in the borough, delivered by the Lifetimes Charity.

What is a self help group?
Self help groups are support groups that offer and provide mutual support or mutual aid. People often gain huge benefits from talking to others who have a shared experience, whether it be a diagnosis of a long term condition or having faced a similar life experience such as loss, recovery or survival.

Self help groups may be run in a variety of ways, such as:

• Peer-led self help groups with face to face meetings
• Professionally supported self help groups
• Organisationally hosted self help groups
• Social network and online self help groups

What support and services will the Self Help Wandsworth Programme offer?

• 1:1 Tailored meetings to offer support, advice and guidance
• Training workshops for new and existing groups
• Themed meetings and discussion evenings
• Development and promotional events
• Networking opportunities

Contact the Self Help Wandsworth Programme Advisors via email at selfhelpwandsworth@life-times.org.uk or call on 020 8875 2849. Visit the website at www.life-times.org.uk.

Training and Events in July

Build a Website for Self Help Groups

• Date: Tuesday 7th July
• Time: 10am - 1.30pm
• Venue: Mercy Foundation Centre, Battersea

This training session is intended for existing, new and emerging self help groups in Wandsworth.

With this course you will:

• Build a free simple website for your group using WIX
• Add text, images and links
• Create a custom menu
• Create a bespoke contact page and map to your venue.

No experience necessary. The team will guide you through each step and show you that creating a website is easier than you think!

Booking is essential via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/build-a-website-for-self-help-groups-tickets-16657154999
 

Care4me – Getting Started

• Date: Thursday 16th July
• Time: 11am – 1pm
• Venue: Lifetimes Office, 100 Wandsworth High Street, SW18 4LA

Lifetimes invites existing, new and emerging Self Help groups and voluntary organisations in Wandsworth to this free workshop – supporting you to make the most of your presence on Care4me.

Whatever stage you are at, this workshop will show you how to raise the profile of your group or organisation on the community directory.

Booking is essential via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/care4me-getting-started-tickets-16672538010

For a full list of upcoming training and events for Self Help Groups, visit life-times.org.uk/training.