Do You Know a Great Group for Over 50s? Help Us Put It on the Map!

Do you know of a local coffee morning, lunch club, walking group, craft group, friendship group, exercise class, church activity, Men's Shed, community transport scheme or other activity that helps bring people together?

If so, we would love to hear from you.

HEY Smile Foundation is undertaking a piece of work to create a comprehensive directory and interactive map of services, activities and support available to people aged 50+ across Hull and East Riding.

We know there are hundreds of fantastic groups, activities and organisations making a real difference in local communities every day. However, we also know that many of these groups operate quietly, supported by dedicated volunteers, community champions and local residents, and may not appear on existing directories or databases.

That means people looking for support, friendship, activities or advice may never know they exist.

We need your local knowledge

You do not need to run an organisation to help.

Many of the best community activities are known through word of mouth. You may attend a local group, know someone who runs one, or simply be aware of activities happening in your village, town or neighbourhood.

We would particularly like to hear about:

• Coffee mornings and social groups
• Lunch clubs
• Walking groups
• Exercise and wellbeing activities
• Men's Sheds
• Craft and hobby groups
• Church and faith-based activities
• Community transport schemes
• Friendship and support groups
• Community gardens
• Volunteering opportunities
• Any other activities that support people aged 50+

How can you help?

If you know of a group, activity or organisation that should be included, simply email us with any information you have.

Even if you only know some of the details, we can do the rest.

Useful information includes:

• Name of the activity, group or session
• Opening times or meeting dates (if known)
• Contact details for the organiser (if known)

Please send information to: community@heysmilefoundation.org

The information you provide will help populate the directory and map, whilst also helping us understand strengths, gaps and future opportunities across the sector.

A quick note about the survey length.

We know everyone's time is precious, and the survey is a little longer than we would normally ask. However, we have deliberately included additional questions because we want this work to be more than just a directory. We want to understand the full picture of support available to people aged 50+, including the pressures organisations are facing, where unmet need exists, what barriers people experience, and where future investment may be required. The richer the information we collect, the stronger the evidence base will be to support future funding, service development and partnership working across Hull and East Riding.

Every group matters

Whether it is a large charity supporting hundreds of people or a small coffee morning attended by ten local residents, every activity plays a role in helping people stay connected, active and supported.

We know there are many hidden gems across our towns, villages and neighbourhoods. By sharing information about them, you can help more people discover opportunities, make new connections and access support.

Together, we can build a clearer picture of what is available across Hull and East Riding and help ensure that valuable local activities are visible, recognised and accessible to the people who need them.

Thank you for helping us shine a light on the fantastic support available in our communities.