Chair of Health and Wellbeing Board, Councillor Dickinson, visited the Aln Valley Railway project this week to see first- hand how the community project is helping adults with learning disabilities to shine.

Councillor Dickinson visits Aln Valley Railway community project
17 October 2013

Chair of Health and Wellbeing Board, Councillor Dickinson, visited the Aln Valley Railway project this week to see first- hand how the community project is helping adults with learning disabilities to shine.

Railway themed snacks were dished up at the Aln Valley Railway Café as part of a partnership project with Northumberland County Council learning disability day services. Bright flowers and plants also adorn the flower beds surrounding the café, thanks to the hard work of the Aln Valley Railway volunteers and adults with learning and physical disabilities based at Pottergate Pantry and Pottergate Potting Shed day services run by Northumberland County Council.

The two projects have teamed up to work at The Aln Valley Railway tourist attraction in Alnwick which is being restored by the Aln Valley Railway Group to offer a railway link to Alnmouth to join the East Coast mainline. The original steam engines are being restored at the attraction which was open this summer for visitors to enjoy.

The site received a visit from Councillor Scott Dickinson, Chair of Northumberland’s Health and Wellbeing Board, who was keen to see how this scheme is combining enhancement of the county's tourist attractions with greater inclusion for adults with learning disabilities.

Councillor Scott Dickinson said: “I visited Pottergate earlier in the year and met the people who work at the day service there. Both the Café and gardening projects at the Aln Valley Railway are a great way of giving the clients experience in customer service and working as part of a team on a local project. The project is also helping the Aln Valley Railway to offer a good range of services for visitors.

“This project demonstrates what can be achieved when we work together. It is a good example one of our five key priorities which is ‘supporting people with long term conditions to be more independent’ and is ultimately helping to improve the health of the adults who take part by helping them to have full choice and control over their lives’.”

The Health and Wellbeing Board has been established to improve the health and wellbeing of Northumberland residents and to reduce health inequalities by encouraging better partnership working between organisations involved in buying and providing health services, adult social care and children’s services.

The visits by Councillor Dickinson are part of a rolling programme and will continue throughout the year.