Age Well North Devon

18/06/2026

✨ Introducing Age Well North Devon ✨

We are delighted to announce that Age Concern North Devon is now Age Well North Devon.

This new name reflects something we have long believed: ageing is not something to be concerned about—it is something to be celebrated.

Growing older brings wisdom, experience, resilience, connection, and countless opportunities to continue learning, contributing, and thriving. We believe it is a privilege to age, and our new name better reflects the positive, empowering approach that sits at the heart of everything we do.

The decision to change our name was guided by three important reasons:

💚 Celebrating Positive Ageing
We believe there are many benefits to growing older, and we do not want to promote the idea that ageing is a cause for concern. Not everyone has the privilege of ageing, and our new name reflects a more positive, empowering outlook on later life.

💚 Reducing Confusion
We are frequently confused with Age UK by both funders and members of the community. Establishing a clearer identity helps people better understand who we are and the vital work we do as an independent local charity serving North Devon.

💚 Being More Inclusive
We want everyone to feel welcome—whether they access our services, volunteer with us, or support our work. Our outdated brand identity was alienating some people; our new name reflects a modern, inclusive organisation that is focused on helping people live well as they age. We’re passionate about creating opportunities for everyone to age well, stay connected, and live life to the fullest.

Importantly, while our name has changed, our commitment remains exactly the same. We will continue to provide the trusted services, support, activities, and community connections that local people have relied on for many years.

Age Well North Devon represents our vision for the future: a community where ageing is valued, wellbeing is supported, and everyone has the opportunity to live later life with confidence, purpose, and dignity.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us on this journey. We are excited for this next chapter and look forward to continuing our work together as Age Well North Devon.

17/06/2026

🔦✨ We're shining a spotlight on our booking desk service by chatting with our incredible volunteer Katrina to find out a bit more! Here's what she had to say...

❤ If you would love to join our team of inspirational volunteers, we currently have an available slot for a transport booking volunteer on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. To find out more, contact our Volunteer manager Jill on 01271 01271 445134 or email [email protected].

17/06/2026

🌟 Do you live in or near these areas and could brighten someone’s day? 🌟

We are currently looking for friendly, compassionate volunteers to provide companionship and conversation to three wonderful ladies in North Devon who would greatly benefit from regular visits and a friendly face.

🍃 Fremington Area
A lovely lady with a lifelong love of the outdoors and nature. She enjoys chatting about life’s adventures, sharing experiences, and hearing about the stories and journeys of others.

🌼 Filleigh Area
A warm lady with an incredible sense of humour, who loves nature, gardening, and animals. Having owned beloved dogs in the past, she has many wonderful memories and stories to share and enjoys good conversation.

🏡 Bishops Nympton Area
A lovely lady who lives with her family, who are out working during the day. She adores her family, loves countryside living, and has some amazing stories from her past. She is keen to spend time chatting, listening to others' experiences, and building a meaningful connection with a befriender.

💙 Just an hour or two of your time each week could make a real difference to someone's wellbeing, helping to reduce loneliness and create lasting friendships.

✨ If you enjoy meeting new people, listening to life stories, and making a positive impact in your community, we'd love to hear from you.

📩 Interested in becoming a volunteer befriender? Get in touch today to find out more about this rewarding opportunity. Call us Jill on 01271 445134 or email [email protected].

16/06/2026

We're here to offer community transport to ensure people can attend their medical appointments across North Devon. Often without community transport these appointment go missed and much needed medical attention is lost. This can have a devasting impact on physical and mental health as well and ensuring ongoing support for our clients is delayed. We are currently looking at expanding our transport booking team with additional volunteers, so if you are available on a Thursday between 9:30am - 3:30pm
(Morning shifts 09:30 - 12:30 / Afternoon Shifts 12:30 - 15:30) Please do get in touch.
If you need support commuting throughout Devon for a medical or social appointment, please contact our community transport manager on 01271 445130.
👉 If you’d like to get involved as a volunteer driver or find out more, visit ageconcernnorthdevon.org.uk/volunteers/ or call Volunteer Manager Jill Ackland on 01271 445134 or email [email protected].
🚗 Age Concern North Devon – operates in North Devon - transport for medical, practical and social journeys for people aged 60+ Volunteer contact: Volunteer Manager Jill Ackland on 01271 445134 or email [email protected].
Transport Booking Line: 01271 445130
🚕 Braunton Volunteers – operates in Braunton area – transport for medical appointments. Contact: 01271 815222
🚙 Holsworthy Rural Community Transport – operates in Holsworthy area – transport for medical appointments. Contact: 01409 259001
🚗 Ilfracombe Town Council Community Cars – operates in Ilfracombe – transport for medical appointments. Contact: 01271 855300
🚕 South Molton and District Volunteer Bureau – operates in South Molton and area – transport for medical appointments. Contact: 01769 573167
🚙 Torridge Volunteer Cars – operates in Torridge and areas of North Devon – transport for medical, practical and social journeys. Contact: 01237 237200
Devon Access to Services

12/06/2026

🚗 VOLUNTEER DRIVERS NEEDED
📍 Braunton & South Molton Areas

Could you spare a few hours a week to help local people stay connected to their community?

We (Age Concern North Devon) are looking for volunteer drivers to use their own cars to help older and vulnerable people get to medical appointments, shopping trips and social activities.

✅ Flexible volunteering
✅ Choose the journeys that suit you
✅ Mileage and expenses paid
✅ Make a real difference in your local community

Many people rely on this service to maintain their independence and access essential appointments. A simple journey can have a huge impact on someone's life.

Interested in finding out more?

📞 01271 445134
📧 [email protected]

Or visit:
https://ageconcernnorthdevon.org.uk/volunteers/

10/06/2026

Due to the upcoming gas works in Bickington and Fremington, we’ve been looking at how best to support local residents, particularly those who may find themselves cut off or struggling to get out and about.

We (separate from Age UK), are already supporting many people aged 60+ across our community, including those in the affected areas and going forward we would like to step in and help coordinate support. This means we’re now looking for local volunteers who might be able to lend a hand during what could be quite a difficult time for some. This could include things like:

Driving people to medical appointments
Helping with food shopping
Delivering medication
We’re also in real need of befrienders — both locally in the affected areas and over the phone — to help check in on people who may be feeling isolated or worried.

If you feel you could spare a bit of time to help, even just occasionally, it really would make a difference. We know from previous challenges that our community is brilliant at pulling together when it matters most.

If you’d like to get involved, please contact Jill, our Volunteer Manager at Age Concern, on 01271 445134. She’ll be able to talk you through what’s involved and what support is available to you.

Volunteering through Age Concern also means you won’t be on your own — you’ll be supported. There will be a simple volunteer form, references and DBS check to make sure everyone is safe and suitable for the role. Your volunteer expenses will be paid too.

Over the past few days, as Councillors, we’ve been putting a significant amount of focus on how we can best support vulnerable residents during the upcoming road closures in Bickington and Fremington.

We know this is going to be a challenging period for many, and supporting those who may struggle to access services or get out and about is a priority. I will continue to update you further as work progresses.

I am still awaiting responses to a number of queries I’ve raised with the relevant authorities, and I want to ensure I can give you clear and accurate information. I will be issuing a fuller statement on Friday evening, following our meeting, where I hope to have answers to many of the questions raised.

In the meantime, I would kindly ask that you only contact me with urgent or genuine concerns, as I am currently receiving a very high volume of messages and it is becoming increasingly difficult to respond to them all. Please do take a look at my other posts on this subject, as many common questions have already been addressed there.

You should also hopefully receive a letter from us by the end of the week, outlining key information. A huge thank you to our volunteers who are helping distribute these across Bickington, Fremington, Yelland and Instow, your support is really appreciated.

Alongside this, we’ve been working with Age Concern Barnstaple & North Devon (a local charity supporting residents aged 60+), who have kindly offered to help coordinate support for those who need it most during this time.

They are currently looking for volunteers to assist with things such as:

Transport to medical appointments
Help with food shopping
Delivering medication
Providing companionship or check-in calls

If you are able to help, even occasionally, it really would make a difference. Our community is always at its best when we come together like this.

If you’d like to get involved, please contact Jill, Volunteer Manager at Age Concern, on 01271 445134.

Thank you for your patience, understanding, and continued support.

05/06/2026

Our South Molton Lunch Club at Coaching Inn, South Molton is one of the best lunch dates you can add to your calendar.
Great company, superb food, laughter and the chance to catch up with new friends. If you're spending too much time alone, and not enjoying the best things in life, why not join us.
🍴 South Molton Lunch Club - The Coaching Inn, Every 3rd Thursday of the month, 12.30-2pm (Booking Essential - call Meryl our Community Activities Service Manager on 01271 445133or email: [email protected].

04/06/2026

🌟 Age Well & Stay Well with Age Concern Barnstaple & North Devon 🌟

Are you (or someone you know) aged 60+ and looking for support, friendship, advice, or ways to stay active and independent? That's where we;re here to help.

Our services include:
🤝 Help Desk & Benefits Support
💜 Befriending Service
👥 Carer Support
🎨 Community Activities (Lunch Clubs, Pop-In Mornings, Afternoon Club inc bingo, Library Club, Community Singing, Elder Day & Seated Exercise)
🛵 Shopmobility
🚐 Community Transport
🛒 Shopping Support

Whether you need practical advice, a friendly chat, help getting out and about, or opportunities to connect with others in your community, we're here for you. If you would like more support why not call us: 01271 324488, email us on [email protected] or head to ageconcernnorthdevon.org.uk

03/06/2026

🛻 We are pleased to share that the first reporting quarter for the National Lottery showed that the Community Transport Partners in Northern Devon completed 4,065 journeys with 166 volunteer drivers; 14 of the drivers were new in the reporting quarter. 2,903 of the journeys were for essential medical appointments, and the rest of the journeys were for social wellbeing and practical support including visiting partners in residential care, food shopping and attending community activities.

👏 A huge well done to everyone involved.

Our community partners include:

🩷 Age Concern North Devon – operates in North Devon - transport for medical, practical and social journeys for people aged 60+ Volunteer contact: Volunteer Manager Jill Ackland on 01271 445134 or email [email protected].
Transport Booking Line: 01271 445130
💚 Braunton Volunteers – operates in Braunton area – transport for medical appointments. Contact: 01271 815222
🧡 Holsworthy Rural Community Transport – operates in Holsworthy area – transport for medical appointments. Contact: 01409 259001
🍏 Ilfracombe Town Council Community Cars – operates in Ilfracombe – transport for medical appointments. Contact: 01271 855300
💙 South Molton and District Volunteer Bureau – operates in South Molton and area – transport for medical appointments. Contact: 01769 573167
🩵 Torridge Volunteer Cars – operates in Torridge and areas of North Devon – transport for medical, practical and social journeys. Contact: 01237 237200
💛 Combe Martin are not part of the Lottery partnership but are a service provider for Combe Martin.
⚡ If you could be a driver to support people to access much needed appoinments, please visit: ageconcernnorthdevon.org.uk/volunteers/ or call Volunteer Manager Jill Ackland on 01271 445134 or email [email protected].