Argos Ripon (Inside Sainsbury's)

Ripon Community House provides a neutral community hub in the centre of Ripon. We provide subsidised office space to organisations that work in the local community. We also hire rooms to charities and local community groups offering support, services and activities to the community. We have brought together the Salvation Army and Bread of Life foodbanks under one umbrella which covers Ripon & Boroughbridge areas and offers food support - receiving, processing and distributing donations to those in need. We are also running a food pantry. We collect and distribute surplus food then cook up what remains into meals which are available for a donation - any funds being used to buy perishables for the Food Support project.

YMCA Ripon is a local independent charity and housing association. We are a member of YMCA England and Wales, who provide us with information and support. We were created in 1914. We provide Supported Housing to young people aged between 16 and 30 who are homeless, at risk of homelessness or are vulnerable. We work in partnership with our tenants and other local organisations with the aim to support young people from dependence to independence, supporting them for up to 2 years to develop, learn living skills and engage in education, employment or training opportunities. The support we provide is based around the needs, wants and aspirations of the young person. We use individual support plans to work alongside our tenants to build confidence and ensure progress. Ultimately our goal is to move our tenants in to their own property, shared house, flat or council accommodation. Along this journey we supply formal and informal support around a range of issues, especially social networks and relationships, communication and mental health, with the hope of equipping our tenants with the skills necessary to succeed in life and to contribute positively to society.

Our weekly Friendship & Exercise Club supports over 65s in Ripon and the surrounding areas to re-establish and maintain vital social connections and to regain any loss of mobility and fitness as a result of the pandemic restrictions. Many of our members live alone and experience loneliness due to bereavement, ill health, rural isolation or not having a network of support around them. The project was set up as a pilot in August 2021 and is now attended by around 20 people per week. The sessions start with seated exercises led by a qualified instructor. The members then take part in group activity or enjoy catching up over refreshments. We have recently increased the length of the session to start earlier, finish later and include a light lunch of soup and a roll. This has been in response to the rising cost of living and the pressures on older people with a fixed income who are struggling to heat their homes. We also use the sessions to provide signposting information about other local sources of support that may be beneficial. We feel this is important to help people find out what’s happening in their communities since most of our members are not digitally connected. ‘Hand holding’ volunteers accompany clients, especially those who haven’t attended before. Our team of voluntary car drivers also provide transport to anyone who has no means of getting to the sessions. Dorothy's story Dorothy joined the Friendship & Exercise Club in autumn 2021. Sadly a few weeks later her husband died leaving her devastated and lost. Dorothy was determined to return to the group and informed HELP of the sad news and how important it was for her to keep going. When Dorothy returned to the group, another member noticed her grief and reached out to her. They have become good friends, often meet up for coffee and are always sat together. We have seen their friendship blossom over the months and very often they stay a few minutes after as they are so engrossed in conversation. Dorothy, age 83, says: “My grief comes over me all of a sudden, but coming along to the Friendship Club makes me feel better especially as I’ve made such a great friend and I always leave smiling.”