Journey Enterprises is a local award-winning charity with four Day Centres in the north east supporting adults with a learning disability to develop life and employment skills, and to stay fit and healthy. All of the Charity’s beneficiaries have conditions from birth such as Down’s Syndrome, Fragile X and cerebral palsy. The Charity was chosen by the House of Lords in 2021 as one of fifteen organisation in the UK delivering best practice in their field.
The Gazette was invited to visit the Charity’s Coundon Day Centre by Hellen Murray-English from Weardale, one of the Charity’s specialist Work Coaches, who works alongside other Learning Disability Support Workers delivering daily sessions on and off site. Hellen joined the Charity’s Staff team recently. Clients can choose from a wide range of activities which, in the past year, have included surfing, shooting, show-boarding and gorging, as well as the more traditional timetabling options, arts and crafts, catering, dance and drama, gardening, woodwork and much more.
Preparing for Christmas, Journey’s Coundon Day Centre was a fun, happy place and buzzing with activity. Clients had hand-made baked goods to sell, great as Christmas gifts. It was a day filled with joy and laughter and a real pleasure to see. Centre Manager, Gemma Sowerby, made us very welcome. She explained about the Coundon Hub, based in the former village community centre with facilities that include a community café, pay what you can shop and a catering van which delivers meals around the area. These enterprise activities enable Clients to practise work skills as well as giving a service back to the local community.
Gemma took the opportunity to thank everyone who had come to visit the Christmas Market.
“It is very much appreciated when people come along and get involved – and our people love it.”
Every year amazing members of the public, community groups and parents/Carers raise funds for the Charity. They do this by gifting items, giving donations directly, running special events, stalls and sales, doing sponsored runs, hikes and jumps. And there are always opportunities for folk of any background to join Journey as volunteers. Journey’s volunteers include people who are training for work, those who have recently settled in the UK, parent Carers and people who have recently retired and want to share their skills. The Charity also hosts company volunteering either singly or as whole teams. All of the volunteers have one thing in common: they want to make a difference…and, if they visit Coundon, to enjoy some amazing home-cooked food.
If you would like to know more or to get involved visit www.journeyenterprises.co.uk or contact 01434 608118 or for more information.
