Community First.
Practical Support. Friendly Faces.
We’re a local charity helping people in North Northumberland to live well and stay connected.
Our Story...
What we do
We’re a Belford-based charity helping people to stay independent, connected and well.
From community transport and hot meals to friendly activities and practical advice, Bell View is here to support those living in North Northumberland.
Bell View is an independent charity based in North Northumberland offering a range of unique health, well being and social activities both from our Resource Centre, based in Belford and beyond. We provide support services to thousands of people every year, making lives happier, healthier and more fulfilled.
Our work is supported by Bell View Help at Home - a social enterprise business - which provides domiciliary support to people in their own home and Home from Home services within Bell View.
We’re here to help…
A Belford-based charity helping people to stay independent, connected and healthy.
Transport
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Our community transport service provides door-to-door accessible community transport to members living in North Northumberland. There is no charge for membership but we do ask for a suggested donation for each journey. Operating under a section 19 licence, we are not a taxi service so we also ask that you give us as much notice as possible prior to journeys so that we can coordinate our volunteer drivers.
We currently suggest that this is donation is usually 80 pence per mile, with a minimum charge of £3. However, please talk to us if this donation would mean that you would be excluded from using our transport service.
Trips might include visiting the doctors, friends, opticians, hairdressers, podiatry appointments or transport to and from activities at Bell View. Prior booking is essential and availability will be dependent upon having volunteers and vehicles present on any specified date and time.
We also have fully accessible mini buses which support luncheon clubs, shopping trips, social and cultural visits.
We are always looking for more volunteers to assist with community transport. Volunteer drivers may utilise our vehicles or choose to drive their own vehicles.
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Please enquire within to discuss transport needs or volunteering, via telephone on 01668 219220 or email us at reception@bellviewbelford.co.uk
Health & Wellbeing
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Bell View offers comprehensive health and wellbeing support designed to address the diverse needs of individuals in our community. Through our integrated approach, we provide exercise sessions, wellness workshops, and peer support groups that create safe spaces for people to share experiences and build resilience. We offer practical health guidance including nutrition advice, fitness programmes adapted for all abilities, and stress management techniques, while also connecting individuals with specialised healthcare services when needed.
Our holistic support extends to addressing social determinants of health through benefits advice, housing support, and employment guidance, recognising that true wellbeing encompasses financial stability and secure living conditions.
Additionally, we facilitate community connections through social activities, volunteer opportunities, and skill-building workshops that combat isolation and foster personal growth. Whether someone is seeking immediate crisis support, looking to develop healthy lifestyle habits, or wanting to engage more fully with their community, our charity provides a pathway to improved health and wellbeing that recognises each person's unique circumstances and empowers them to achieve their personal goals for a healthier, more fulfilling life.
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If you’d like to see us host additional health and well being services, please do not hesitate to contact us via telephone on 01668 219220 or email us at reception@bellviewbelford.co.uk
Advice & Support
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Our dedicated staff team is here to provide comprehensive support across all aspects of your daily needs. Whether you require practical assistance like photocopying and administrative tasks, guidance on basic benefit queries or support services, or help navigating simple legal questions, our trained team members are ready to assist. We are always ready to welcome people into our volunteering team, but as part of Rural Aspirations, we are also eager to support people into employment. On Tuesday mornings, Gillian is here ready to support you on your journey.
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We also offer specialised IT support through our dedicated Friday drop-in sessions, while our fully trained team are available throughout the week to provide confidential support and a listening ear. When your needs extend beyond our general support services, we'll ensure you're connected with the appropriate specialist services.
Our goal is to be your first point of contact, offering both immediate practical help and trusted guidance, while ensuring you always receive the right level of support for your specific situation.
Fundraising
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We are committed to raising vital funds to support our local community through diverse and sustainable fundraising approaches. Our funding strategy includes submitting carefully researched applications to charitable trusts and grant-making foundations that align with our mission, while our thriving social enterprises generate ongoing revenue streams that directly benefit our services.
We actively cultivate partnerships with local and regional businesses who share our community values, creating mutually beneficial relationships through sponsorship, corporate donations, and employee volunteer programmes.
Individual donations from community members, whether one-off gifts or regular monthly contributions, form a crucial foundation of our financial support. Additionally, we organise engaging fundraising events throughout the year that bring our community together while raising essential funds - from coffee mornings and exciting race evenings to annual fetes, seasonal celebrations, monthly quiz and domino nights, and sponsored challenges.
These varied approaches ensure we maintain financial stability while building stronger community connections, with every pound raised staying within our local area to directly support the individuals and families who need our services most.
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Cafe, Food & Nutrition
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At the heart of our community support lies a comprehensive approach to nutrition and food security that recognises good food as fundamental to health and wellbeing. Our welcoming cafe serves nutritious two-course lunches three times a week, providing not just sustenance but a vital social hub where community members can enjoy wholesome meals in a friendly and comfortable environment.
Through our Warm Hub and Warm Space initiatives, we extend this provision to ensure everyone has access to hot food and a comfortable place to gather. Everyone is welcome, whether they’re retired, working from home or looking after their households.
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Our community cafe provision goes beyond traditional meal services, creating opportunities for social connection and reducing isolation while ensuring no one in our community goes hungry. We maximise our impact through our partnership with Fare Share North East, Aldi, Lidl and the Co-op, redistributing quality surplus food that would otherwise go to waste.
The Belford Community Shop serves as a distribution point for these resources, while our Share Shed provides a discreet way for people to access food support.
Our food bag programme offers tailored nutritional support directly to families and individuals, and we're excited to be working toward establishing a community pantry in the near future. In an area where there are limited access to services, we hope that this will provide an additional means of accessing affordable groceries while maintaining choice and independence.
Through all these interconnected services, we're not just addressing food poverty but fostering community resilience, promoting better health outcomes, and ensuring that good nutrition remains accessible to everyone in our local area.
Outreach
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In addition to the comprehensive services provided at our fabulous accessible centre in Belford, we recognise that not everyone can easily travel to a single location for support. That's why we extend our care throughout North Northumberland through our network of outreach services, bringing vital support directly to communities across the region.
We facilitate ad hoc support sessions in village halls and community centres, ensuring that whether someone needs advice, wellbeing support, or simply someone to talk to, help is available closer to home.
Our regular outreach programme includes exercise sessions tailored for all abilities, nutritious community lunches, and engaging social days that combat isolation and build local connections. These services rotate through various locations across North Northumberland, ensuring that geography never becomes a barrier to accessing the support you need.
By taking our services to where people are, we're able to reach those who might otherwise miss out, while strengthening community bonds and creating networks of support that extend far beyond our Belford base.
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We’re always happy to hear from communities who might like a helping hand extending support in their village or hamlet.
If you know of an area who would benefit from our support, please do not hesitate to contact us via telephone on 01668 219220 or email us at reception@bellviewbelford.co.uk
Wheelchair Hire
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Bell View has a range of lightweight manual wheelchairs - with either small or large wheels - for hire. We also have a small range of walkers. These items are available for everyone to use - and can be borrowed on a short term or longer-term basis.
These items can be picked up from our Reception Area in West Street, Belford. Alternatively, we can deliver to a location of your choice (within reason!) for a small charge. The charge for delivery will be proportionate to the mileage.
We ask you for a deposit on booking, but otherwise the loan is free. However, if you can afford to make a small donation (suggested donation £20) when your wheelchair loan has ended, this helps us to continue to provide this service.
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Please enquire directly to our Reception Team on 01668 219220 or via email to reception@bellviewbelford.co.uk
Room Hire
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Bell View has four fully equipped rooms for hire. Our rooms are fully accessible and versatile – and depending on the room and booking purpose, chairs and tables may be laid out in boardroom, cabaret, classroom, horse-shoe or other layout as required. Wi-Fi, projector, screen, laptop and flipcharts are available.
Tea & Coffee can be provided at a small charge during office working hours (out of hours, we may provide either hot water flasks and appropriate provisions or provide access to kitchen facilities). Water is provided free of charge. Buffets can be provided at a further cost on request.
Car Park and on-street parking available. However please note that car parking may be limited during office hours.
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Rooms available:
The Glendale Room (aka The Green Room): Large airy carpeted attic room. may seat up to 60 (theatre style). Screen in situ.
The Powburn Room (aka The Pink Room): Attractive carpeted ground floor room with full height windows overlooking the garden area. Screen in situ. Seating for up to 40 (theatre style).
The Bamburgh Room (aka The Blue Room): Light airy room with Karndean flooring and views to the garden. Seating for up to 30 (theatre style).
Home from Home Premises: (after 4pm /weekends only). Large room which may be partitioned, with seating up to 80 (theatre style).
Further information about rooms can be obtained via our reception staff by calling 01668 219220 or emailing us at reception
Access to kitchen facilities (outside office hours only) must be negotiated on booking, if required. The Community Hub (Café area) may also be booked outside office hours or at weekends, by prior arrangement, but is not ordinarily available during office hours (Monday to Friday, 08:30 – 16:30).
Regular Activities…
Come and join us for our weekly events held at Bell View. Everybody is welcome and we look forward to seeing you.
Talk to us, if you’d like to see something else - either at Bell View or at another location. We’re always happy to pilot new activities and see new faces, day or night.
We also provide community transport, wellbeing activities including Reiki and Reflexology sessions and educational activities. Phone us on 01668 219220 or email us at reception@bellviewbelford.co.uk for more information!
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