2010 Our founder Andy left a teaching career and moved into the world of social care with Shared Lives. James, 40 years old, comes to live in Ware, and be a part of the Shared Lives arrangement with Andy and family. Up till then, in December 2010, James had spent the last 21 years in specialist residential care at the National Society for Epilepsy in Chalfont.
2011-2015 Andy works on helping James become less dependent and connecting him to his new community. It is apparent now that James can do so many things for himself that previously he waited for others to do for him because that is how it had always been. James becomes established in his community, working in a market, going to his favourite cafe and making his own friends. His health improves, he has more energy and is more confident.
2016 Local Social is formed as James and Andy team up with Karin to help others have real lives in their communities.
2017 Local Social finds a base to work from and begins to set up community led support to help isolated and lonely people have the sort of life they would choose. We begin to work out of Tudor Square in Ware Herts with grateful thanks to the Broxbourne and East Herts CVS, on Saturday morning.
We attracted some interest from local people and organisations and were so thankful to Mark Harvey, Principal Social Worker for Hertfordshire for coming to our opening morning. Numbers were always low and the venue was tucked away in a corner of Ware that even local people were unaware about. We needed to move and be more accessible and the solution was staring us in the face.
2018 James had been volunteering at Ware Country Market in the Southern Maltings for some time, on a Friday morning, serving the tea and coffee. This is something that he loves to do and is very good at. He was getting very few people but it was such a perfect place for Local Social. We negotiated with the Country Market that Local Social would provide FREE tea, coffee and cakes to people coming into the cafe. This might attract more people to buy from the Market too and enjoy all the homemade goodies.
Well this has certainly worked and now the cafe attracts an average of 25-30 people each week. Friendship, companionship, sharing stories is now beginning to blossom in the cafe. A wide range of local people coming together each Friday for a cuppa and a chat.
Working with the Country Market we introduce homemade soup and a roll. This is enjoyed and some have takeaways. The kitchen really needs updating so James and Karin and all the other users can make best use and develop the potential of the cafe.
We need to explore another venue and begin to work with the Emmanuel Church at the Jolly Bargeman pub, putting on a coffee morning once a month with huge thanks to Melvyn, the publican.
2019
Local people continue to enjoy the cafe and the company it offers. East Herts College make it place to visit on a Friday morning as do Park Road Day Centre. There are meetings taking place, introductions being made to us and there is a real community buzz almost every Friday morning.
The Broxbourne and East Herts social work team come for a visit and see us, as part of their ‘walk about’. The Isabel Compassionate Neighbour scheme visit too and as a result James, Karin and Andy complete their two day training.
Massive thanks to Southern Maltings and a grant from East Herts Council, the kitchen is refurbished, redecorated and local artwork goes up. Numbers continue to rise, soup is back on a being enjoyed. The Southern Maltings is fast becoming a social hub.
The Jolly Bargeman mornings continue but with small numbers and so we initiate a morning meet with local organisations, local people, CVSBEH, Larkspur School, Active East Herts and East Herts Council at the Jolly Bargeman to explore a community led approach to support people. The meeting was very positive and it was decided that Local Social apply for a grant to to set up workshops to bring people together.
2020
The grant from Herts Community Foundation was successful. COVID-19 began and so everything was put on hold and we all experienced ‘lockdowns’ and the effect that had on us all. We began to adapt the way we worked, just like everyone else and made the decision to try and keep our Local Social folk connected the best we could. Zoom cafes, a network of telephone calls, door step visits and we set up a Mighty Works Hub chat, tell stories and post photos. We tried to support those without digital connection by working with the Good Foundation. Herts Community Foundation were great in allowing us to adapt our original grant criteria.welcome-to-local-social.
2021
As COVID-19 restrictions began to lift we slowly and carefully began to get back to our Local Socials.
The Jolly Bargeman pub did not re open but we used the outside space as long as we could before it was sold and fenced off. We talked to a new pub, the Crooked Billet in a similar area and began to run a coffee morning in their garden and then inside. We went back to the Arts centre in Ware town and started to use their garden before going back inside.
2022
We talked to Network Homes who had Grange Hall on the other side of Ware and asked if we could set up there and it is now a flourishing new venue on a Monday morning. The Crooked Billet, with the brilliant support of Bev, the publican, is on Wednesday morning and the Southern Maltings, Art Centre, runs on Friday.
We are working with Network Homes and many other local organisations on a project to create social space to replace the Jolly Bargeman. It’s an exciting project that, if it comes off, could mean a community led space for local people and organisations to connect in the neighbourhood.
2023
We have appointed a new Director. Delighted to welcome Julia Myall. .
Julia has a wealth of knowledge of health and social care, an approved Shared Lives Carer and has been working with us for about 8 months. Les brings a business background, insights and experience of mental health and a great sense of humour.
We have also added a 5th weekly venue at the Saffron Building Society, on Ware High Street. Really good to be working with the Saffron team and welcoming people on a Thursday morning between 10.30am-12.00.
Local Social is hugely grateful for the support of Ware Town Council and Herts Community Foundation for financial support to extend our offers and time at our venues.
2024
Another new Director appointment. Tracey Grayhurst joins the team with great energy, local knowledge and brilliant organisational skills.
We are very sad to say that Les Martin passed away after a short illness and will be greatly missed by us all. Les had a great rapport with folk, a keen eye for improvements and was a so valuable member of the team.
Three lunches at the Grange were a new venture that turned out to be really successful with over 30 folk enjoying a free meal. The chat over the meals was, firstly how lovely the food was, and secondly what they would like to go on at the Grange. Notably, Bingo, Arts and Crafts, Music, and Film afternoons
Our numbers continue to grow to around 80 people each week and we are looking at larger venues as some are at capacity.
Success in winning first place at the Leaside Church Christmas Tree Festival for the third year running!
2025
We have launched a new project, ‘A Connected Community in Ware’, to further bring people, neighbourhoods and organisations together in Ware. The two year project is underway and we are very grateful to The Ware Charities and Ware Town Council for funding the first component of Asset Mapping to find all the skills of local folk and what is working well.
New Director appointment. We are so pleased that Paul Harwood has joined the team. Paul has a wealth of local knowledge and has so many connections in Ware.
We are very proud to be selected, along with other Ware and Hertford organisations, as a Sovereign Network Group Community Partner.
We have really settled into Leaside Church on a Friday morning, often with nearly 40 people attending.
Our venues have had a slight change and now Monday lunchtime, 12.00pm-1.30pm at Saffron Building Society and Thursday morning at Leaside 10.30am-12.00pm.
