Bell View

Bell View is a registered charity and the mission is to support and enable older people to live independently in their community of choice. They pride themselves on the enthusiastic and innovative approach to meeting the needs of older people.  The charity has two social enterprise arms – ‘Bell View Care Ltd’ and ‘Bell View Help at Home’ The Bell View base is a purpose built Resource Centre in Belford, North Northumberland but the project catchment area covers approximately 200 sq. miles of scattered rural and costal settlements.  Bell View has been in operation since 1998 and has an extensive track record of providing reliable, quality care and support services. The charity was formed by local residents in 1998, in response to Northumberland County Council’s plans to close the Belford based residential care home.  The decision to close the care home was strongly resisted by the community  as people felt that older people should be able to remain in their local community and not be forced to move away when their care and support needs increased.  The community lobbied and campaigned and although the decision to close the care home was followed through, the charity was gifted the site so that new services for older people could be developed, from a ‘community’ perspective and in response to local need. The first major project was to secure funds and partnership support to transform the former residential  care home (that had started life as a Victorian workhouse) into a purpose built Community Resource Centre and housing project for older people. The Resource Centre opened in 2005 and acts as a hub for delivering a wide range of health and social care services and activities.   In January 2008, the charity purchased an older person’s day-care business and established a new social enterprise ‘Bell View Care’ Ltd and in 2013 established ‘Bell View Help at Home’ Ltd to deliver home care. The Bell View mission is to support and enable older people to live independently in rural North Northumberland.  To enable older people to live independently in the home of their choice To  promote physical and mental well-being To reduce older people’s social and geographical isolation and increase their participation in decision making The area they cover: The Bell View base is in Belford, midway between Alnwick and Berwick upon Tweed but  the project catchment area covers approximately 200 sq miles of scattered rural and costal settlements  making us well placed to deliver a range of care and support services.