See also the local RSPCA branch in Warrington.
The Merseyside Fire and Rescue service can provide a free home fire safety check or advise you on an existing smoke alarm already within your property – please call Fire Service Direct on 0800 731 5958 (do not call the Community Fire Station or Emergency Services numbers).
St Helens Home Improvement Agency can provide practical help in finding home maintenance by identifying what is wrong with your home and advise how best to put it right from the beginning of the process to the end e.g. provide a list of approved contractors, schedule of work, cost estimation and checking the work after it is finished.
Arena Care and Repair helps older people, those living with a disability and families on low incomes to carry out minor repair work to their homes (minor repair work is classed as taking less than two hours to complete and excludes decoration, gardening, fencing, slabbing etc). People using the service only pay for the cost of materials and not for the cost of labour, and a Hardship Fund is available to pay for the cost of materials in limited cases. Please contact 01744 671 679 for more information.
Age UK provide a service through their volunteers called ‘Helping Hands’ – this service is to help older people with small domestic tasks such as changing a light bulb, moving furniture, clearing clutter or defrosting a freezer.
FirstStop Advice is a free and independent service for older people, their families and Carers and can give information and advice around benefits; including paying for care, benefits and allowances, Council and NHS funding, insurance, financial planning and financial products.
Independent Age is a service for older people, their families and Carers. They provide an advice service (Helpline 0800 319 6789, email [email protected]) that includes information and support around welfare/financial support .
The Health Improvement Team run a 15 week course called APEX (Accidental Prevention Exercise) if you have had a fall or have a fear of falling. APEX is a 15 week programme of exercise and education to improve your strength, balance, coordination and confidence. You will need approval from your GP before being accepted onto the programme, and the programme consists of community classes, home-based exercises and guest speakers relating to falls prevention. When you complete the course you can then be put forward for on-going community follow-on classes.
St Helens Council run a 24 hour monitoring and response service called Careline, aimed at providing peace of mind for people who feel at risk in their own home – you can call the Contact Centre on 01744 676 600 for further information about the scheme.
On a national level:
You may also be entitled to financial support from the Council to meet your social care needs if you have an age related illness. In order to determine this, you will need to contact St Helens Contact Centre (01744 676767) to arrange a social care assessment or occupational therapy assessment.
The National Benevolent Fund for the Aged are able to provide emergency alarms and pain relief machines for older people on low incomes – visit their website or call (020 7828 0200) for further information.
National Citizens Service is a voluntary programme for 16 year olds that focuses on their personal and social development; this includes challenging activities, away from home residential experiences and a self-designed social action project. The aims of NCS are to promote a more:
St Helens YMCA has been selected to run the NCS scheme for 16 year olds in St Helens – they can be contacted on 01744 455 030 for further information about how to join the scheme.
Please click here to view further programme information and frequently asked questions about National Citizens Service.
Starting Point is a free information, advice and guidance service for the people of St Helens on jobs, education and training. They offer support provided by Personal Advisers and through the National Careers Service, ‘Work Clubs’, short courses, job listings and plenty of useful information and advice. Starting Point also offer a number of opportunities specifically for people aged 16 to 19.
You can also speak to a Connexions Adviser (0800 100 900) or visit them at their centre at The Beacon on College Street to find more help and assistance in finding a job.
Alternatively, you could also try searching for job vacancies via local and national employment agencies, newspapers, Council and NHS websites – Starting Point have a useful list of suggestions.
Information and vacancies for apprenticeships can be found here.
Volunteering
Volunteering your time is a great way to give back to the local community, meet new people and importantly learn new skills and responsibilities that can help boost your CV and increase your chances of gaining paid employment.
To find out about volunteering opportunities in St Helens you can visit the Volunteer Centre (based at Tontine House on Church Street) or have a look at the national database of volunteering opportunities on Do-It.
Entrepreneurs – start your own business
St Helens Chamber hold regular meetings for young people (under 19) who are keen to test out their entrepreneurial skills, meet with others and share/build ideas for businesses or gain help if they are in the early stages of running a business. They also have a ‘Young Entrepreneurs’ Bank’ to help those who would not otherwise have access to finance to develop/research their business idea.
If you are interested in becoming involved in the Young Entrepreneur’s Chamber, please contact Mike Morgan (01744 742 045 or email [email protected]) for more information.
There are some useful webpages about coping with stress and tips to help you manage via Mind, theSite and Supportline.
You can also talk to someone in confidence about school, work, exams or stress at Childline (0800 11 11) or talk to someone face-to-face via Platform 51’s counselling service.
CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) is about supporting men, particularly those aged 15-35. It’s about giving you a break, a way of getting things off your chest and sorting your head out. If you’re going through a tough time and live on Merseyside then they could help you get back to enjoying your life. They provide a helpline (0800 58 58 58) and a website full of information, blogs and stories on issues relating to depression and suicide.
Starting Point is a free information, advice and guidance service for the people of St Helens on jobs, education and training. They provide one-to-one information and guidance (including through the National Careers Service); In-house and outreach team of Guidance Advisers can provide advice with applying for jobs, writing a CV and mastering interview techniques. There is also a fully stocked careers library with a wealth of information to hand.
