There are a number of groups and organisations, both local and national, that provide advice and support to different sections of the community.

Below are just some of the organisations set up to assist.

Elderly people

• Age UK – the UK's leading charities concerned with the needs and aspirations of older people
• Alzheimer's Society – the Alzheimer's Society provides advice and support to people with dementia and their carers
• Carers – for carers, voluntary organisations and others, related to the national strategy for Caring about Carers, and providing useful links
• Dementia Research Group – one of the UK's leading centres for clinical research into dementia

Illness and disabled people

• AbilityNet – a charity that offers advice to people with disabilities on all aspects of computer usage for employment, communication, education, or just for fun
• Disability Sport England – creates opportunities for participation in sport for people with all disabilities
• Epilepsy Action (British Epilepsy Association) – the Epilepsy Action helpline provides advice and information on all aspects of living with epilepsy, they aim to reply to helpline queries by email within 48 hours
• The National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS) – an organisation of parents, families and carers which exists to support parents in enabling their child to maximise their skills and abilities
• Headway – promotes understanding of all aspects of brain injury and provides information, support and services to people with a brain injury, their family and carers
• Light hearted – a Chesterfield cardiac support group for people with heart problems and those who care
  

  Light Hearted

  (PDF 346 KB)

• MENCAP – working with people with a learning disability, and their families and carers
• Rethink – helping everyone affected by severe mental illness, including schizophrenia, to recover a better quality of life
• Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) – provides free, confidential and impartial information to deaf and hard of hearing people, their families, friends, and professionals
• Royal Association in Aid of Deaf People (RAD) – strives to meet the individual needs of deaf children and adults and deafblind people through the provision of services and the use of RAD Centres for Deaf People
• Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) – if you need to register as blind, contact your local GP
• Scope – helps people with cerebral palsy to achieve equality in society
• SeeAbility (Royal School for the Blind) – works with adults who are blind or partially sighted, and have a range of additional disabilities, the charity works to encourage people's independence and to enhance their quality of life - they are also involved in research projects and training courses for professionals who work with people who are blind or partially sighted
• Revitalise – provides respite for carers, and holidays for people with severe physical disabilities

Caring

Caring for someone can be very isolating. Carers support groups can help carers:

• cope with caring responsibilities
• meet other carers in similar situations
• alleviate some of the isolation felt by carers

Phone: 01629 533190
Email: contact.centre@derbyshire.gov.uk