The Margaret Road Fellowship is cooking with gas after VODA helped them secure funding to buy a brand new oven. And their first computer. And a day trip to Beamish.

 

For 25 years, the Margaret Road Fellowship in Whitley Bay has operated as a drop in centre for people dealing with mental health issues.

 

They offer low cost, two course meals, run arts and activity workshops, and hold day trips for their users. However, their main purpose is to offer somewhere safe and secure where members can be guaranteed a friendly smile and an understanding ear.

 

Last year, a colleague at North Tyneside Council put them in touch with VODA when they were going through a rent review process for their community building.

Deputy Chief Executive Lisa Gardiner met with the group and let them know just how much more VODA had to offer, assisting them with drawing up a business plan, reviewing and renewing their policies and procedures, and helping them to apply for funding.

 

Lisa said: “I got involved to help them develop a business plan for the future, and to help review and update their policies and procedures. The business plan showed that securing funding for transport and equipment was one of their main concerns, so we made this a priority.

“The group is a fantastic example of a user led organisation which is really meeting the needs of the community, and I’ve been really impressed by the hard work all of the volunteers put in on a weekly basis.”

With Lisa’s help, the group secured £1,900 in funding from Grassroots Grants. This has been spent on a new cooker and computer as well as contributing towards the cost of a day trip to Beamish and helping cover transport costs for vulnerable users to and from Margaret Road.

 

Helen Cole, Chair of the Fellowship, said: “Lisa has been so helpful with everything. We wouldn’t have known where to start otherwise.

“We’ve had so many meetings with so many different people but Lisa is the one who has really delivered.

“We would never hesitate to ask VODA for help or to recommend them to other groups.”