Friends Action North East

18/06/2026

On Learning Disability Week, we’re bringing you a lovely little vlog from Kapow visiting Tanfield Railway recently.

We’re huge supporters and advocates for people with learning disabilities to feel seen and empowered, have a voice and be involved in decisions, not just on themed weeks but every day. Kapow is very much member-led, with the wonderful Sacha leading the group and providing support to members. We absolutely love seeing Kapow members enjoying new and fun experiences together, and Tanfield Railway was definitely one to remember.

At FANE, we have a variety of social groups that people with learning disabilities can get involved in, as well as a long-standing mentoring programme. Head to our website to find out more: www.friendsaction.co.uk/what-we-do.

09/06/2026

Voting closes tonight! ⬇️

www.mylocalawards.co.uk/business/friends-action-north-east/

We are absolutely delighted to have been nominated for Disability Service Provider of the Year in the My Local Awards!

It’s a pleasure and a privilege to provide opportunities for our beneficiaries to develop their skills and learn about safe and happy friendships. We also love seeing them become more active and confident members of their local communities throughout their time with us. 💜 We regularly bear witness to the positive and wide-ranging impacts of our long-standing mentoring programme and wellbeing socials, so being nominated for this award is really special to us!

If you can spare just two minutes to vote for Friends Action North East, visit www.mylocalawards.co.uk/business/friends-action-north-east/.

Thank you so much for your support!

07/06/2026

It’s just TWO days until voting for the My Local Awards closes!

If you haven’t heard yet, we’ve been nominated for Disability Provider of the Year! We had a quick catch up with Sally, our Charity Manager, about FANE’s long-standing work and being nominated for the award. Have you voted for us yet?

If you haven’t had a chance to cast your vote for FANE, click here: https://mylocalawards.co.uk/business/friends-action-north-east/.

It takes less than two minutes, and would mean the world to our charity and everyone that we support! 💜

Please do share far and wide if you can!

07/06/2026

On the last day of Volunteers’ Week, Sally, our Charity Manager, has compiled a lovely album of pictures and testimonials from this year. Swipe to have a look! ➡️

Such lovely memories have been made once again! We’re so thankful to each and every one of our volunteers. ☺️

If you’re interested in finding out more about volunteering with us, visit www.friendsaction.co.uk/volunteering.

04/06/2026

Do you have any spare time and want to give back to your local community? 👭 Volunteering roles with Friends Action North East are available!

We support adults with additional needs to gain transferable skills, knowledge and information that will enable them to build and maintain sustainable friendships in their local communities. 👋 Volunteers often provide travel support to our beneficiaries, helping them to gain more confidence and independence. They also provide support during a variety of sessions, including:

Games Group
Art Group
Walking Group
Newcastle & Gateshead Pub Socials
Saturday Social
Meet & Mooch

Volunteers are such a key part of how Friends Action North East runs day-to-day — could you be a part of our community? Volunteering with FANE is also a great way to gain new experiences and transferrable skills, whether you’re studying or working.

If you think volunteering with us is a good fit for you, click here (https://linktr.ee/friendsactionnortheast) to find more information, as well as our volunteering application form.

*Our volunteering roles are for people over 18.

If you have any questions, please do drop us a message! 📲

03/06/2026

‘What does a Friends Action North East volunteer do’ we hear you ask? We have the video just for you, in time for .

Meet the brilliant Grace and Ruth! Grace has been one of our student placement volunteers this year, providing travel support and helping across many our FANE wellbeing socials.

Ruth is one of our beneficiaries, and since joining us at the beginning of the year, has really got stuck into lots of activities with us, from comedy shows to getting creative in our art group. Grace has been providing travel support to Ruth, therefore helping her to gain confidence in travelling to sessions.

Watch on to see what Grace does in one morning of FANE volunteering! 🚌🎨 A volunteering ‘session in the life’, if you will!

We host a number of student placement volunteers each year from North East universities, and we’re also open to general volunteers. Head to www.friendsaction.co.uk/volunteering to find out more about volunteering with us!

01/06/2026

It’s Volunteers’ Week this week and we want to thank our brilliant volunteers, who have given a grand total of 785 hours of their time to Friends Action North East this year. For a grassroots charity, these collective hours are incredible and very much appreciated! 💜

Our volunteers consistently show up for us and our beneficiaries, providing travel support, helping our socials run smoothly, and really becoming part of our FANE community. To Julie, Madeleine, Noah, Jersey, Abbie, Erfan, Mariam, Grace, Nick, Lucy, Tracey and Marc, thank you SO much — you’ve put in a stellar effort for our charity and we couldn’t be more thankful.

Stay tuned for more Volunteers’ Week coverage from us, including a walkthrough of what the regular tasks of a FANE volunteer look like, and some of our favourite pictures from this year!

26/05/2026

We are absolutely delighted to have been nominated for Disability Service Provider of the Year in the My Local Awards!

It’s a pleasure and a privilege to provide opportunities for our beneficiaries to develop their skills and learn about safe and happy friendships. We also love seeing them become more active and confident members of their local communities throughout their time with us. 💜 We regularly bear witness to the positive and wide-ranging impacts of our long-standing mentoring programme and wellbeing socials, so being nominated for this award is really special to us!

If you can spare just two minutes to vote for Friends Action North East, visit www.mylocalawards.co.uk/business/friends-action-north-east/.

Thank you so much for your support!

22/05/2026

Here are some recent snaps from our art group! Look at those brilliant creations. 🎨

To find out more about what we offer, including one-to-one mentoring and inclusive social groups, head to our website: www.friendsaction.co.uk.

16/05/2026

We are so pleased to have continuation funding from the Ballinger Charitable Trust. Sally, FANE’s charity manager, reflects on how our work helps to build more inclusive communities, where everyone feels valued and supported:

"Friendship is not one-size-fits-all — and at FANE, we honour that. Every connection we see grow is a reminder that, with the right holistic support, understanding, and patience, barriers can become bridges."

For a grassroots charity like ours, support from funders is vital for us to keep going and growing. 💜