Words by Ed King
On Friday 14 August, Northside Welcome Centre will celebrate 20 years of community support and services.
Located at 176 Streetly Road, Stockland Green, the local community hub runs a varied programme of activities to encourage social inclusion, positive health and wellbeing, and learning new skills.
The weekly calendar hosts sessions including exercise classes, advice surgeries, walking groups, coffee mornings, arts and crafts and computer skills workshops.
Through funding from the Erdington Neighbourhood Network Scheme (ENNS), which supports many community groups and projects across the constituency, Northside Welcome Centre has also recently launched a Cooking Club – where a professional chef will lead workshops on how to prepare food that helps challenge arthritis and inflammation.
The Cooking Club will run alongside a series of weekly session giving advice on how to manage arthritis and promoting good joint health – as well as a regular gentle movement class to encourage suppleness and mobility.
Held on Tuesdays and Thursday, the new programmes are being promoted as part of Northside’s ‘Move well, eat well, live well’ project – with all activities funded by the ENNS.
Launched in 2006 by Sikh Nari Manch UK, Northside Welcome Centre grew from the registered charity’s work supporting women in the local Sikh community.
Sikh Nari Manch UK was founded in 1998 by Bibi Gurdev Kaur OBE, but built the Northside Welcome Centre so it could operate a wider network of support and services for all faiths and genders.
A spokesperson from Northside Welcome Centre told: “Since opening Northside Welcome Centre in 2006, we have been proud to provide a welcoming space for local people, offering activities, friendship, wellbeing support and opportunities to bring our community together.”
They added: “Over the past 20 years, thousands of local residents have benefited from the Centre and we are looking forward to celebrating this journey with our volunteers, Centre users, supporters, partners and funders.”
The 20-year anniversary celebration on 14 August will take a look at the centre’s two decades of support, with special recognition of Northside’s volunteers and supporters.
There will also be live Indian classical music and Tabla, as well as a special lunch for invited guests.
For more on Northside Welcome Centre visit www.northsidewelcomecentre.co.uk