We're always looking to work in new areas.
Take a look through our existing North East services or use our contact form to get in touch.
Darlington Networks
Gateshead Networks
Newcastle Chain Reaction - for people 55+
Newcastle Networks
Manager: Kim Sanders - 07717 894 468 - kimberley.sanders@keyring.org
Get support and connect with local people living in Darlo.
If you need some help to live your life your way Darlington networks may be the right option for you. You will be part of a group of people called Members who live life their way and support each other. The people we support chose the word ‘Member’ because it made them feel like they are part of KeyRing.
When you become a KeyRing Member you will meet your support worker and develop a plan for your support. It will explore what you want to achieve and what needs to change to help this happen. You’ll tell us what you enjoy doing and what you are good at. You will also talk about what you need help with and how you can get that help. Your support will always fit with you.
You might ask us for help with:
Your KeyRing support is flexible. This means that some weeks you might be too busy to see us and that’s fine. Other weeks, something might have happened and you’d like extra help. That’s fine too. The other thing about KeyRing support is that it doesn’t all come from a KeyRing worker. You will meet other KeyRing Members. Together you might plan an activity or support each other with problems or celebrations. After all life is about more than waiting to see a support worker.
Having a friend that you can chat things through with is the kind of gloriously ordinary life we think everyone should have.
As well as the connections and friendships you will have with other KeyRing Members and the team, you will also explore your local area or community. You’ll look at things that you want to do and what there is locally to help you do it. If you want to be healthier you might explore local walking groups or gyms. If you find noise overwhelming you could approach your local supermarket to find out about quiet times and what facilities they have. You’ll get support from KeyRing to build these connections and to get the most out of where you live.
You’ll also get to know some more about your local area and community by coming along to KeyRing hubs.
A KeyRing hub is an opportunity to meet other KeyRing Members and find out about things that are going on in the area. The way that hubs work is based on what you and the other Members ask for.
So one week you might have invited a local police officer talk with you about keeping your home safe and another week you might be planning a trip to Beamish. You might also just go to a hub to have a cup of coffee and be around other people.
At the moment we have a weekly social hub every Wednesday. On Fridays Members get together to learn something new, share skills or get something done.
Most people in KeyRing have their own home already or are asking us to help them move to somewhere they love.
Some of the people who ask KeyRing for support have learning disabilities or physical disabilities. Some have mental health issues or need help because something happened in their life. We are happy to have a chat with anyone to see if KeyRing support is the right option for you or someone you know. You can contact us yourself, or be put in touch by someone you know like a family member, social worker or social prescriber.
Most of our support is paid for by Darlington Council but you can also talk with us about all of the different ways of accessing and funding our support including using a personal budget (direct payment or individual service fund) or through self funding.
If you would like to find out more about us in Darlington then please contact Kim:
07717 894 468 - kimberley.sanders@keyring.org
Your support your way in Gateshead.
Live in Gateshead and need a bit of support to live the life you want? We can help.
We would love to welcome new people to join our networks. Our support is aimed at people with autism and/or a learning disability but you do not need to have a diagnosis.
You can get support with things like:
All of our support is paid for by Gateshead council and local health funders so you will not need to worry about paying for it.
The good thing about KeyRing support is that we connect you with other people that we support. You’ll be invited to local meet ups near you so you can learn new things and have a cuppa and a chat.
All Members are welcome to join our weekly hub. People get lots of support from each other and often do things together like planning trips or meeting up to go shopping. We’re here to help that happen if you need us to.
If you’re interested you can ask someone you know to get in touch with us or you can do it yourself. Kim is our local manager and she will happily chat with you about whether this is the right option for you or someone you know.
Call Kim Sanders on 07717 894 468 or email kimberley.sanders@keyring.org.
Contact: Kim Sanders - 07717 894 468 - kimberley.sanders@keyring.org
Chain Reaction is for people who are 55+ in the East of Newcastle. For Chain Reaction services in other parts of the city have a look at the Chain Reaction website.
Everyone has the right to be respected as a full member of their community and to contribute to that community, but as you get older you may start to need some support to do that. Getting the right support to stay connected can help you avoid feeling lonely or isolated and can even help you stay healthy.
Our Preventative Service is free and for anyone aged over 55 in the East of Newcastle. Through support and groups we can:
You can be referred to our Targeted Service by the Social Work Team. You’ll get 2-6 hours of support per week to help you work on something that’s important to you, in a plan agreed with your worker.
We will link up with things in your local area and work on your goals, and review them with your social worker every 6 weeks.
We could support you with things like:
Some people have to pay for this support depending on how much money they have. We can talk to you about your money and work out if you will need to pay.
If you have a Direct Payment or pay for your own support we can provide one to one support for you. What we work on will be based on what you want to do, but it can include things like:
We’re always happy to chat about which option is right for you, or answer questions about funding.
You can contact Kim Sanders on 07717 894 468 / kimberley.sanders@keyring.org.
We have two KeyRing networks in Newcastle. These are networks offering support with getting to know other KeyRing Members (people we support) and making connections outside KeyRing. The networks are funded by the local authority of Newcastle.
We also offer one to one support to people across Newcastle. We can help you to think about what you want to work on and work with you to make a plan. Support is based on what you want to achieve, but we will always encourage you to develop your skills. We focus on three areas:
We regularly hold drop in hubs at a central venue which everyone we support can come along to. We focus on things that matter to you, and sometimes invite guest speakers on topics we want to learn about. We look at things like digital inclusion, sexual health and planning social events. The hub is a really positive way of bringing people together and offers you the opportunity to share ideas, learn new things and build friendships.
We’re always happy to chat about whether our support is right for you. For more information or please contact Kim Sanders on 07717 894 468 or email kimberley.sanders@keyring.org.
You can speak with us about all of the different ways of accessing and funding our support including using a personal budget (direct payment or individual service fund) or through self funding.
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