A Wetherby charity is heralding another huge year in which it interacted with thousands of older people- but warns funding cuts put its vital work at risk.
Wetherby in Support of the Elderly (WiSE) had more than 17,000 interactions with older people in 2024.

The charity increased the numbers of people accessing some of its key services- including its popular activities timetable, WiSE Owl Café, grass cutting service, transport scheme and Memory Café.
But the figures coincide with a threatened reduction in WiSE’s council funding, which charity bosses say threaten its ability to help some of the most vulnerable people in the district.
Mark Dobson, Chief Operating Officer at WiSE, said: “We know there is a huge and growing demand for our services and these figures confirm that. My concern is that, with our work so heavily reliant on local authority funding, we simply won’t be able to maintain the same levels of support as we did in 2024 at a time when isolated older people need our support more than ever.
“For the second time in three years, we face a dramatic cut to our funding which would have a disastrous effect on the work our tiny team of paid staff and army of volunteers deliver for local people.”
The charity’s Memory Café for those living with dementia and their carers received almost 650 visits in 2024- up 250 on the year before, after adding an extra event each month.
WiSE also saw 9,800 people visit the popular WiSE Owl Café- up 300 compared to the previous year, with more than 2,000 attending the charity’s packed activities programme- from exercise to crafts. Hundreds more attended special events- like a cruise on the river Tees and a trip to Yorkshire Wildlife Park.
WiSE’s volunteer driver transport scheme provided 720 journeys- including local trips for shopping, WiSE activities and GP appointments- whilst nearly 800 pieces of post were sent to older people as part of its popular ‘Send a Smile’ scheme.
Nearly 500 grass cuts were carried out for older people no longer able to maintain their lawns, plus 1,500 people of all ages accessed the charity’s Welcome Café, a warm spaces café for people struggling with the cost of living crisis.
A team of more than 120 volunteers provided a massive 6,700 hours of their own time to support the charity’s activities.
Wetherby in Support of the Elderly (WiSE) is a registered charity organisation part funded by Leeds City Council (LCC). Its aim is to improve quality of life for the over 60s by providing community based activities, information, help and support.
For more information, or to donate, visit www.w-ise.org.uk
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