Burnley's Charter House on supporting people during lockdown and serving 30,000 meals to those in need

Prior to lockdown, The Charter House Resource Centre & Sensory Room in Burnley would welcome hundreds of people through its doors every day. A day-care centre established to benefit people who have special needs or a disability as well as the elderly, the premises also boasted a popular cafe open to the wider community.
Charter House Burnley kitchensCharter House Burnley kitchens
Charter House Burnley kitchens

A more positive bustling local hub you would struggle to find.

Charter House is a CIC (Community Interest Company) created in 2010 by husband and wife team, Jason and Carolyn Smith. The pair wanted to put their previous experience - Jason was in the NHS working in a disability supported living environment and Carolyn worked in a day care setting for Lancashire County Council - to good use for the benefit of their town and so got to work.

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When lockdown forced them to close the doors at Charter House, Jason and Carolyn knew they couldn't stop supporting their service users whose needs - if anything - would become more acute during the pandemic. And so, just as they did in 2010, they got to work once more.

Charter HouseCharter House
Charter House

“At the beginning of Covid, we decided locking down and us furloughing wasn’t going to work for any of our service users,” says Jason, with the centre's kitchen swiftly commandeered to produce meals to deliver to people in need. “Delivering food was desperately needed at that time; [there were] people who couldn’t get out [with] family who couldn’t get out to see them.

"But it also allowed us to go into that person’s life and see if they had any issues or problems; some of our volunteer drivers were the only people who saw our service users for weeks on end. It was a real welfare check," adds Jason. “At our prime during lockdown, we were delivering 1,500 meals a week. In total, we’ve delivered 29,000 meals to the community.

"Just to know we’re supporting people that are really vulnerable means a lot."

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The personal angle of checking up on their service users reflects the communal nature of Charter House, which - having moved into a new, larger premises just 18 months before lockdown kicked in - had become a meeting place for social gatherings, groups, clubs, and events.

Charter House's multi-sensory roomCharter House's multi-sensory room
Charter House's multi-sensory room

It has also assumed the mantle as a crucial facility for many: around 40 people regularly used the centre's multi-sensory service, which is equipped to suit the needs of those with physical and learning disabilities, sensory impairments, and dementia, providing a safe space for relaxation and de-escalation for people with autism and behavioural difficulties.

Charter House's outreach work went down a storm and, with word getting out about their efforts, they were soon receiving calls from as far and wide as Canada, with people imploring them to check in on loved ones and elderly parents whom they couldn't see in Burnley.

One concerned woman reached out to make sure her 101-year-old neighbour had enough food and the centre is still supporting her to this day, with the two women now firm friends. Another elderly couple, who received free cooked meals alongside a weekly shop delivered to their door, said the food deliveries ‘saved’ their lives as they were both at high risk.

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To facilitate their efforts, Charter House required a substantial cash injection during lockdown, which came in the shape of a £47k grant from the Social Enterprise Support Fund via Key Fund, one of the UK’s leading social investors. Having stepped up in a time of need in an area where demand is acute, the team will continue to offer free meals up until at least Christmas.

"Half the money went into staff members and an apprentice to run the project and the other half was to just keep the lights on for a six-month period," explains Jason. “We don’t know what stage [of the pandemic] we’re at; it can all change any time. The next step is getting people back into services and socialising again.”