Day care service for older adults in Northampton appeals for urgent help in finding a new venue

A day care service for older adults in Northampton is urgently seeking help to find a new home.

Affinity Day Care C.I.C. is looking for a second venue in Northamptonshire due to “soaring demand”.

The service, based at St. Luke's Community Centre in Duston, was established on in December 2020 and offers care, friendship, and fun for older adults across Northampton.

The service operates Monday to Friday and provides transport, a two-course hot lunch, activities, outings and specialist care for older adults. Now in their fourth year, the demand means that older adults, affectionately referred to as ‘Affinity friends’, currently travel in from as far as Silverstone, Brackley, Weedon, and the Heyfords.

The service is searching for a venue that is wheelchair accessible, has a kitchen and storage area for equipment, ideally with at least two rooms so that a Dementia service can be offered. Parking for minibuses and family pick-up and drop-offs is also important.

Opening a second centre has been a priority for the service for the last six months but finding an appropriate venue is proving difficult so Affinity’s director, Fern Overton, is appealing for help.

She said: “We’ve been looking for a venue and can’t find anything that will work for the needs of our clients. I’m hoping that someone out there can point us in the right direction. I’d love help from everyone.

“If I could meet someone from the town, parish and North and West councils, maybe we could fill one of their empty properties. I can't keep up with how many people need our service. We need to be everywhere!”

The service currently supports 110 older adults across 180 spaces per week. Different from traditional lunch clubs, the service runs from 10:30am – 3:30pm, Monday – Friday and is staffed by qualified health and social care professionals. With a specialist Dementia unit,it is one of the few services for older adults in the county.

Originally opened in response to the closures of day care services for older adults across Northamptonshire, the team have seen significant demand.

Ms Overton added: “We have so much going on this year in our current centre; from our monthly Affinity ‘cruises’ where we have themed activities for a week celebrating the country that we’re ‘visiting’, to our 9-day Olympics with an opening ceremony and torch relay through Duston, we’d love to be able to take the magic of Affinity to another area in Northants.

“We have been looking at Daventry but honestly, we know we could go anywhere in Northants and fill the spaces.”

When asked about the need for a second Affinity service in Northamptonshire, one Affinity friend said: “The support I get from everyone here is marvellous. I’d love for other people my age to be able to experience this. There has to be a place out there, we just need to find it.”

If you have any information about available venues, call 01604 372744, email [email protected] or visit the website www.affinitydaycare.co.uk.