For almost four decades, Age UK North Yorkshire and Darlington has helped older people live well, stay connected and remain at the heart of their communities. Trustee Jevan Lago-Watson explains why its future matters to all of us, and how you can help secure it.
It's easy to talk about older people in terms of pressure on services or a line in a budget.
At Age UK North Yorkshire and Darlington, we have spent almost 40 years seeing something very different.
We believe growing older should mean more friendship, not less.
More laughter, more conversation and more reasons to get out of the house.
The people who built our towns and villages deserve to stay at the heart of them.
Ask the people who come to us what we mean to them, and few will mention a service.
They talk about friendship, routine and belonging.
Barbara Carr, 86, puts it simply: she comes for the community.
"I don't know what I'd do if it shut."
Each year we support around 16,500 older people.
Every month we deliver more than 900 meals to people at home, run around 250 day care sessions, welcome some 500 people to our clubs and serve more than 1,000 at our café at Bradbury House in Darlington.
Roughly one in five people in Darlington is now over 65.
What we build for older people today, we build for our parents and, one day, for ourselves.
None of it happens without our 20 staff and 60 volunteers.
Our work costs around £33 per person a year, about 63p a week.
Yet rising food, energy, wage and National Insurance costs have left us around £14,000 short every month, despite cutting everything we responsibly can.
In recent weeks, you showed exactly what kind of community this is.
Individuals and fellow charities, including the Darlington Lions, gave generously.
Supporters jumped out of planes, swam lengths and tackled assault courses, and one is walking 40 kilometres for our 40 years.
Your generosity closed this month's gap.
Thank you.
But a one-off gift buys us a month.
What keeps our doors open is regular support.
£14,000 a month sounds daunting.
Put another way, it is 2,800 people giving £5 a month.
Although we carry the Age UK name, we are a small, independent local charity.
Every penny given to us stays here.
So please, join us.
Set up a £5 monthly gift at localgiving.org/charity/ageuknyd.
Arrange our meals service for someone you love.
Rally your workplace or bring your business on board as a partner.
And share this piece.
Next year we turn 40.
We intend to celebrate with our doors open and our community beside us.
We are not going down without a fight.
To give or find out how you can help, visit localgiving.org/charity/ageuknyd, call 0300 302 0100 or visit Bradbury House, Beaumont Street West, Darlington DL1 5SX.