M&S Aldergrove

Women’s Aid Antrim, Ballymena, Carrickfergus, Larne & Newtownabbey (ABCLN) is dedicated to providing refuge, support, information and training to women and children who are suffering abuse within the home. 1 in 4 women will suffer domestic violence in their lifetime, be it physical, sexual, emotional, psychological or financial. We provide a Floating Support service in the community across all 5 areas providing crisis intervention to support women affected by Domestic Violence. Over 200 women access the floating support service at any given time. Community resettlement provides developmental work and training for women to build upon self-esteem, helping women to make informed choices for themselves and building upon support networks. We provide education and prevention work to over 5000 children and young people. Young people are often the hidden victims of domestic violence and are significantly at risk of school dropout, exclusion and risk taking behaviours.

We are a grass roots organisation working within the communities of Crumlin and Antrim and surrounding areas providing emotional health and wellbeing services and education as identified by need from the within the community. We offer free one-to-one support in the form of counselling, coaching and family support. Our Crumlin Hub is a hive of activity and in addition offers a range of activities to the whole community including programmes such as workshops for the young and old, parenting programmes, music and movement, special needs support and foodbank. During the pandemic and the first number of lockdowns we were proactive and looked to the needs within our community and provided a response service that included picking up shopping, posting/collecting mail, collecting urgent supplies, collecting/delivering prescriptions and medication, foodbank, ready-meal provision, telephone Befriending/support service. Now as communities open up again, we have introduced more services to our hub including the Nurture Cafe, (our version of an honesty cafe) as well as a community and food larder. In Jun 2021 we were awarded the Queens Award for Voluntary Services with a special commendation for our work during the pandemic.

Alzheimer's Society is the UK's leading support and research charity for people with dementia, their families and carers. Alzheimer's Society campaigns for a better quality of life for people with dementia and raises peoples' understanding of dementia. Our website, publications, National Dementia Helpline, and around 3,000 local services channel our information and advice. We also fund an innovative programme of medical and social research into the cause, cure and prevention of dementia and the care people receive.