Age UK Bradford District

Age UK Bradford District is a local, independent charity that enables, empowers and supports people to live well as active, engaged and influential members of their communities. They work to ensure that everyone’s contribution is valued and that individuals and their communities provide mutual support which promotes independence, inclusion, choice and control.

Community Hubs

Age UK Bradford District has six Community Hubs, each one offering a range of functions – Information, Help and Support, Advice, Activities and Shopping - while focusing on the needs identified by local older people and working with the skills and resources from Bradford’s diverse neighbourhoods and communities to support older people. The six Hubs are based in premises in Allerton, Idle, Keighley, Queensbury, Shipley and Wrose. Each Hub has now been reopened after Government restrictions enforced their closure in January 2021 and staff and volunteers are looking forward to the rest of the year and beyond. “We have developed over the last year so we can continue our hugely important work providing information, help and support, advice and a wide range of activities for older people in communities across Bradford District, helping them to feel less lonely, stay active and become more connected and financially secure.”

Each Hub features Area Impact Teams and offers a wide range of services more locally and more responsively to local needs than the charity has been able to provide previously. They serve the communities as defined by Bradford Council’s area structure and the five constituencies of Bradford District:

• Bradford East • Bradford South • Bradford West • Keighley & Ilkley • Shipley & Bingley

Everyone is welcome and there are seated areas at each Hub, so if you’re in the area you can always pop in to access the range of offerings. Each area also has a Hub Development Coordinator who is responsible for engaging with communities and building Age UK Bradford District’s offer across the area, developing over time to deliver the following: • Community Groups • Campaigns and influencing • Casework • Advice • Shopping • Information and Signposting • Fundraising • Community partnerships

Your local Hub Development Coordinator

To best serve the community where each Hub is located, staff are in place who are responsible for engaging with the community and enhancing Age UK Bradford District’s impact across the area.

Each person has the skills and experience to understand the local area and its residents, and will work to make sure that the support that older people ask for and want is offered.

Emma Johnson, Hub Development Coordinator for Shipley & Bingley and Bradford East speaks of the achievements so far as the Hubs have developed. “I think the biggest achievement has been the premises becoming our vision of a Hub, fully staffed by employees and volunteers and having an area where people can come in, feel safe and secure and reach out for help and advice or a friendly chat.” On the topic of volunteers, Emma highlights the important role they play at Age UK Bradford District Hubs.

“Volunteers are the backbone of the hubs, they are often the first face a person sees when they walk in. Our volunteers are compassionate and join us with such valuable skills. The Hubs are part of a new way of working at the charity, so for them to grow and have an influence locally, we’ll need more volunteers and we’ll be recruiting more in the coming months.“ Emma would like to say to everyone in the area: “The Hubs are open for a friendly chat, listening ear, information and advice - we are here to help you!”

To find out more about Age UK Bradford District and the work that the charity is doing you can visit www.ageuk.org.uk/bradforddistrict, email info@ageukbd.org.uk or phone 01274 391190. Follow Age UK Bradford District on social media

Facebook www.facebook.com/

AgeUKBradfordDistrict

Twitter @AgeUKBradford