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A £10,000 grant from the Mayor’s Opportunity Fund at Community Foundation North East has helped Hadston House Youth and Community Projects sustain vital services for local residents, including tackling food poverty, reducing social isolation and providing a welcoming space for people of all ages.
Hadston House is an established community hub offering a range of services, including lunch clubs, Meals on Wheels, a community café and youth activities for children and young people aged 8 to 18. Through its work, the organisation provides consistent, community-led support to people facing disadvantage, particularly older residents living alone and young people from low-income families or at risk of exclusion.
The grant has contributed towards the organisation’s running costs, helping Hadston House maintain its services and continue providing a safe, welcoming environment where local people can access practical support and feel connected to their community.
For many residents, Hadston House offers much more than access to food or activities. Its services provide important opportunities for social interaction, routine and companionship, helping people who might otherwise experience loneliness or isolation feel part of their community.
One of the organisation’s key services is Meals on Wheels, which delivers hot meals directly to older residents, including those who may struggle to leave their homes. Hadston House originally aimed to deliver 3,000 hot meals through the service to help reduce food insecurity and isolation among older residents. However, demand and delivery significantly exceeded expectations, with nearly 10,000 meals provided.
Ged Robinson, Grant Programme Advisor at Community Foundation North East, said:
“Hadston House is a great example of the difference that trusted, community-led organisations make to people’s everyday lives. Funding core costs is particularly important because it allows organisations like Hadston House to keep their doors open and continue providing the support people rely on. The number of meals delivered, and the reach of its programmes show just how valuable these services are to the community.”
John Shepherd, Site Lead at Hadston House, added:
“The support from the Mayor’s Opportunity Fund has made a real difference to our ability to keep delivering the services that local people depend on. For many of the people we work with, Hadston House is much more than a community building. It’s somewhere they can come for a meal, meet friends, access support and feel part of something.”
The project demonstrates the importance of sustained investment in community organisations that understand local needs and are well placed to respond to the challenges facing residents.
By supporting essential running costs, the Mayor’s Opportunity Fund has helped Hadston House maintain the services, relationships and trusted support that make it an important part of community life.
Through the Mayor’s Opportunity Fund, Community Foundation North East is helping grassroots organisations like Hadston House continue to deliver practical, locally led support that addresses poverty, reduces isolation and creates opportunities for people to thrive.