Well Connected invitation

A NEW website which brings together the best support groups that Perth and Kinross has to offer was launched yesterday.

Well Connected Perth and Kinross is an online index of useful support and activities, services, groups, walks, cafés and organisations in communities across the area.

The interactive site relies on community contributions, with groups throughout the region encouraged to post details of their meetings and events online.

A spokesman for the site said: “The more people that use Well Connected, the bigger and better the resource will become. It will capture a rich and growing picture of what our local communities have to offer.”

The website was launched at theAK Bell Library by the council’s lifelong learning convener Bob Band and representatives from the council, NHS Tayside and the charity PKAVS as part of Wellbeing Month.

Mr Band said: “Well Connected will be a very important and valuable resource for local people for many years to come.

“It will let people easily f ind what community support exists near to where they live and in other nearby communities, whether it is a lunch club, tennis club, church group or a mother and toddler group.

“The system is quick and easy to use. It will get bigger as time goes on, as more and more people add to the index.

“I would encourage people to log on and have a look and to add details of their own groups and clubs to the system.

“Well Connected relies on local people getting involved.”

The launch was also attended by Jane Ankori from the Health and Social Care Alliance.

She said the website providing easy access to support services was key to improving the lives of people with longterm conditions.

She explained: “The primary objective of this programme is to make information about local sources of support more easily available. Approximately 40% of Scotland’s population lives with one or more long-term condition.

“Research — along with people who are disabled, living with long-term conditions and their carers — indicates that health and wellbeing is improved by having access to local sources of support.

“Our work with individuals with longterm conditions, their carers and health and social care professionals has indicated that information about local sources of support is hard to f ind, maintain and share — meaning that people often don’t benefit from what is available.”

Well Connected Perth and Kinross can be found at www.pkc.gov.uk/wellconnnected. To become involved email Well-Connected@pkavs.org.uk.

Picture: Phil Hannah. From left: Jane Ankori, programme director for ALISS (A Local Information System for Scotland) at the Health and Social Care Alliance; Bob Ironside of VisionPK; Councillor Bob Band; and, front, local resident Chris Stewart.