Day centres and lunch clubs in Ware, Hertford, Hoddesdon and Broxbourne

    Two very different things get called "day centre." Here is which is which, and what each one actually needs from you.

    An AirCarers Companion guide for families

    Two different things share the same name

    "Day centre" covers two quite different services, and mixing them up wastes time. One needs a formal assessment and is built around higher support needs. The other you can turn up to on a Tuesday. Knowing which is which before you start calling saves a lot of confusion.

    Council day services: assessed, structured, free to attend once approved

    Hertfordshire County Council runs day services across the area, and all of them work the same way: Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm, wheelchair accessible, and every one requires an assessment before anyone can start attending.123

    • Ware Road day service (Hertford), Ware Road, Hertford SG13 7TG, for adults with physical and learning disabilities, mental health needs, dementia, or general older-age support needs. 01920 461671.2
    • Broxbourne day service (Cheshunt), King Arthur Court, Manor Way, Turners Hill, Cheshunt EN8 8EH, specifically for older people. 01920 461671.3
    • East Herts day service, sites in Cheshunt, Hoddesdon and Ware, for adults with learning disabilities. 01992 904410.1

    None of these are drop-in. The council's own guidance is direct: you'll need an assessment before you can start going.1 That assessment is the same adult social care needs assessment that unlocks other council support, and it exists to check the day service actually fits what someone needs, not to create a barrier for its own sake. If your parent has higher support needs, or dementia, or you are not sure what level of help is right, this is the honest starting point, and it is worth asking for a needs assessment through Hertfordshire County Council's adult care access team rather than guessing.

    Lunch clubs and social groups: lower barrier, often free, no assessment

    The other kind needs nothing more than turning up, and several genuinely local options exist across the same four towns.

    Age UK Hertfordshire's Young at Heart clubs run across the Broxbourne and East Hertfordshire districts (which cover Ware, Hertford, Hoddesdon and Broxbourne) as well as Dacorum, North Herts and Stevenage, with tea and coffee, activities and a two course lunch. Confirmed directly on Age UK Hertfordshire's own page at £13 a day, or £19.50 if transport is needed.4 Exact venues and days vary by area, so it is worth calling Age UK Hertfordshire directly, or checking their published timetable, to find the nearest one.

    Several smaller, genuinely local groups exist too, verified via East Herts District Council's own community activity listing:5

    • Local Social, Ware, community coffee mornings Monday to Friday, free, built specifically to help people in Ware make social connections.
    • Companionship Cafes, New Apton Centre, Hertford, Friday 10:30am to 12:00pm, for older adults looking for friendship and creativity.
    • Knitting and Crochet Group, Nigel Copping Community Building, Hertford, Friday 10:00am to 12:00pm, free, with a lunch option and warm drinks.
    • Fella's Fitness and Ladies Keep Fit, Pioneer Hall, Hertford, Wednesday and Friday, £6 a session.

    None of these need a referral or an assessment. A phone call to check the current day and a first visit is normally all it takes.

    The gap in the middle

    The genuine gap is not the lack of options, it is the older person who will not go to either one alone. A council day service assessment can feel intimidating to arrange. A lunch club can feel like walking into a room of strangers. Both are real reasons someone who would benefit ends up going nowhere.

    Where AirCarers Companion fits

    We describe what we do as help before care. For someone waiting on an assessment, a companion visit in the meantime is not a substitute, it is simply company until the more structured support is in place.

    We work across Ware, Hertford, Hoddesdon, Broxbourne and the surrounding SG11 to SG14 and EN10 to EN11 postcodes. Every companion is enhanced DBS checked, ID verified, insured and trained. Visits start at one hour, from £25 an hour, set by each companion. Companions do not provide personal care, medication or anything clinical, and if what you describe needs more than that, we will say so.

    Other guides families ask about

    If you would like to talk it through

    If you are trying to work out which kind of day service or club actually fits a parent, and whether they would need company to get there in the first place, we are glad to have a calm, no obligation conversation about it.

    AirCarers Companion · aircarerscompanion.co.uk · 07455 750006

    Information correct as at 5 September 2026. Days, costs and referral routes for local groups can change, so please check current details directly with each organisation before visiting.

    References

    1. Hertfordshire County Council, East Herts day service (Cheshunt, Hoddesdon and Ware). https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/adult-social-services/day-services-and-activities/east-herts-day-service-cheshunt-hoddesdon-and-ware.aspx
    2. Hertfordshire County Council, Ware Road day service (Hertford). https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/adult-social-services/day-services-and-activities/ware-road-day-service-hertford.aspx
    3. Hertfordshire County Council, Broxbourne day service (Cheshunt). https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/adult-social-services/day-services-and-activities/broxbourne-day-service-cheshunt.aspx
    4. Age UK Hertfordshire, Young at Heart clubs. https://www.ageuk.org.uk/hertfordshire/our-services/10-to-3-clubs-21a2e4af-24d8-ec11-bea2-00155d806b13/
    5. East Herts District Council, Activities in your local area (Healthy Hub East Herts). https://www.eastherts.gov.uk/community-and-health/healthy-hub-east-herts/activities-your-local-area