Woodside_park Synagogue

The Woodside Park Support Network

The Woodside Park Support Network is a voluntary organisation affiliated to the synagogue. It aims to provide an informal care and support service run in a professional, organised manner by members for members.

This mainly entails supporting members of the community with problems either of a practical or emotional nature and befriending those who are lonely and feel isolated from the community usually owing to old age or illness.

Members contact the support network via a telephone helpline and calls are picked up daily except for Shabbat and Yomtov. Requests for help are then forwarded to the network's chairperson who makes contact before referring them to the appropriate volunteer or source of help. As the group is not professionally trained, it may offer to refer members to other agencies if the help is beyond the scope of the synagogue care scheme. All calls are treated in strict confidence.

Most frequent activities are to:

  • do shopping, either on a regular or a temporary basis.
  • visit the elderly who are housebound and unable or reluctant to join in communal affairs.
  • do hospital visiting and ensure that measures of support are in place (often through Jewish Care) after discharge.
  • manage a rota of drivers to the Day Centre on Mondays.
  • send birthday cards to members celebrating their 80th birthday and on subsequent 'big birthdays'.
  • telephone all members who are 80 plus before the Chagim.
  • give lifts to hospitals, doctors' surgeries or to the grounds at Bushey.
  • supply Pesach parcels to the needy (through the U.S.)
  • help the Board with Schelach Manot boxes, if needed.
  • give practical help in the home before Pesach

The support group also provide social activities for the elderly e.g. a Chanukah tea, spring lunch at a kosher restaurant, summer cream tea. At the moment it subsidises the Parent and Toddler Group and has provided a specialist leader and new equipment in order to revitalise this aspect of community life. The network comprises a small but dedicated group of volunteers both male and female. When visiting, it tries to provide a visitor of the same sex to avoid complications although we aim to have all volunteers CRB checked. Other community support groups which are affiliated to the Network offer help in obtaining a Get, give unemployment advice, provide a babysitting list and send condolence cards followed by bereavement support, if needed. The Support Network comes under the auspices of the United Synagogue and takes full advantage of their training and networking sessions.

To contact the support network please call the shul office on 020 8445 4236