Day Services

Northdale works hard to create a respectful environment in which vulnerable adults can achieve their full potential, cultivate friendships and develop new skills. We believe that everybody is different and has different interests, and that’s why we try to offer our members the broadest possible range of vocational opportunities. 

The Nursery 

Each year the Nursery gets off to a busy start with the production of summer bedding plants. The nursery team then focuses on producing hardy perennials, garden shrubs and herbs, before switching to wreath production in the run up to Christmas. The nursery is a busy, work-focused department that suits individuals of all abilities.  

The Nursery team operates five days a week and can support up to six clients a day.  

Garden Contracting 

Northdale’s garden Contracting team works in the local community, recycling cardboard for businesses around the town, cutting lawns, trimming hedges, tidying overgrown gardens and putting up fences. Although some of the tasks can be physically demanding, members who can take part enjoy the extra challenge. The activity best suits fully ambulant individuals.  

The Garden Contracting team operates five days a week and can support up to six clients a day. 

The Tearoom 

Members can work in our new tearoom preparing cakes, sandwiches, soups and hot meals for our visitors and clients. It is suitable for individuals of all abilities. The group offers members the chance to practice a wide range of catering and customer-care skills and learn useful skills to support greater domestic independence.  A placement in the café group is ideal for a client who eventually wishes to volunteer or seek employment in the catering trade.     

The Tearoom Group operates 5 days a week and can support up to six clients a day. 

Growing Together Group 

The Growing Together Group offers members the opportunity to take part in a broad spectrum of activities including arts and crafts, gardening and much more. The group is ideally suited to potential clients who would benefit from a gentle, person-centered approach. The group also supports clients on the autistic spectrum. Specifically, the activities have been organised as a series of individual workstations / spaces and now benefit from a purpose-built sensory room.   

The Growing Together Group operates four days a week and can support between six to nine clients a day.       

The Studio  

Northdale’s arts and crafts department produces a wide range of crafts and gifts, which are sold via Northdale’s popular gift shop. The Studio is always developing new products and ideas, working in a range of media including paint, fabric, ink, recycled materials, cards and paper. It also maintains and restocks the charity’s gift shop. This group is suitable for individuals of all ability. 

The Studio operates five days a week and supports up to six clients a day. 

Team ‘Fix it`   

Members of Team `Fix It’ work around the site undertaking a range of maintenance and property repair jobs. Team members can also work in our purpose-built workshop, creating a range of wooden products such as bird boxes and machine-cut wooden shapes produced on our CNC router. The activity is suitable for all. 

Team `Fix It ‘operates five days a week and can support up to five clients a day.  

Dramability     

Our drama group, Dramability, works with our members to present an array of diverse performances throughout the year. Members work on their performance skills while developing and staging everything, from short dance presentations to fully costumed shows and performances. Members gain tremendously in self-confidence by taking part in the drama group and quickly grow to love being in the spotlight.  

Dramability operates five days a week and can support between seven to eight clients a day.  

The Forge  

The Forge operates for two days a week, Thursday and Friday offering vulnerable adults the opportunity to work under supervision with both metal and wood. Often undertaking one-off projects like the recent construction of Sheppard's Hut which required the group to work with a mixture of materials and disciplines.  

The Forge operates two days a week and can support up to four clients a day.  

Although each of our workgroups offer slightly different vocational activities, at their heart all our groups seek to offer every client the following: 

a sense of purpose 

a structured day  

new skills and the maintenance of existing skills 

feeling useful 

a sense of identity 

social interaction 

increased social networks 

improved wellbeing  

a means of self-expression 

improved confidence 

improved self-esteem 

Signposting and advocacy