ALDI ASHINGTON

Age UK Northumberland is an independent local charity which provides services for older adults throughout Northumberland. Our central service is free information, advice and advocacy. Other services are designed to meet local needs and currently include: day care and personal care, befriending, exercise and falls prevention classes, lunch clubs and day centres. As an independent charity we rely on fundraising, grants and in-kind support to sustain our services for the older people of Northumberland.

Situated within a large social housing estate (ex council stock) our building is recognised as a community hub and has evolved according to community need. NCEL runs a number of services and projects from its Hub, known locally as The Stobhill Link; particularly targeting the elderly, disabled, disadvantaged and isolated as well as the unemployed working age community in order to alleviate hardship and provide opportunities for brighter futures for our residents. We have confidential and informal conversations with our clients discussing their primary reason for coming into see us and then are able to offer a wrap around service where we can support them further. - General charitable purposes - Education/training - Disability - Economic/community development/employment - Recreation - Children/young people - Elderly/old people - People with disabilities - The general public/mankind - Provides buildings/facilities/open space - Provides services - Provides advocacy/advice/information In response to the Covid-19 Outbreak, we immediately launched an enabling service, this resulted in more than 90 local people offering their time, energy and fuel to deliver shopping, prescriptions etc. to those who were self-isolating or vulnerable and unable to leave their home. This encouraged our local newspaper the Morpeth Herald to contact us and include an article on what we were doing with the support of our community. We currently have connections with a local charity, Calmer Therapy where we are starting a project called The Bread & Butter Thing also with the Council and their strategic food partnership known as Nourish to tackle food poverty.

We run as part of our "food offer" weekly luncheon clubs Friday breakfasts Family friendly Fridays with quizzes and themed meals such as mexican Italian and American nights There is also a community food Bank with regular donations from local shops and supermarkets We have a community garden with raised beds for growing vegetables We have weekly activity sessions which include activities based on the community garden and our "food offer" for Over 50s Babies and their mums & dads After School Groups for 5 - 9 year olds There is a kids club on a Wednesday night for 8 to 14 year olds