Friendship groups and day centre for older people in Gateshead

Our lunch clubs and men’s group are full of fun, friendship, and activities that bring people together. From bingo and dominoes to crafts and tabletop curling, these sessions help older people stay active, connected, and uplifted proving that laughter and good company are some of the best ingredients for wellbeing.

It’s an exciting time for our team and volunteers as work continues on the refurbishment of Holy Rosary. The transformation is well underway, and we’re thrilled to share an update on how things are progressing behind the scenes. Our New Venue at Holy Rosary Parish House For 35 years, Teams and Bensham Community Care has been a lifeline for older adults in the area, hosting lunch clubs , men's groups , and a variety of social activities designed to combat isolation, promote we

We had such a good laugh at our Friday Lunch Club Christmas party! One of the many highlights was our festive bottle-rolling game, which brought out everyone’s competitive side (in the best way!). The aim was simple. Roll the bottle down the long table and land it in just the right spot to win a festive goody bag. Too much momentum and it went flying past the mark; too little and it didn’t make it far enough. It was brilliant to see everyone concentrating hard, cheering each

We all know about the January blues. The days are short, the weather is cold, and getting out to the shops or cooking a proper meal can feel like a big challenge. That’s where our Hot Meal Delivery Service in Gateshead  comes in bringing not only a nutritious meal to your door, but also a friendly face and a moment of connection when it’s needed most. Our hot meal deliveries in Gateshead. For years, our charity has been delivering freshly cooked, two-course hot meals to olde

What a lovely day we had at our Friday Lunch Club Christmas party last week! The room was full of Christmas spirit as everyone came together to enjoy a special Christmas meal and what a treat it was! The live entertainment kept everyone smiling all afternoon. From festive games to singing along with the music, there was plenty to join in with and enjoy. It was wonderful to see everyone having such a good time. These parties are always a reminder of what makes our Lunch Clubs

What a fantastic Friday Lunch Club Christmas Party we had! The food was delicious, the company was wonderful, and the live entertainment was great! But the real star of the show was Santa! Everyone was smiling and taking photos with him as he bobbed around the room spreading festive cheer. We had a great day and our Santa balloon was right there in the middle of it all. A huge thank you to everyone who came along and made it special. It was such a lovely way to celebrate tog

We’re delighted to share that Wade Scott, a talented Fine Art student from Gateshead College , has chosen Teams and Bensham Community Care's Men's Groups  as the inspiration for his end-of-term project in a heartfelt piece titled “The Lonely Gentlemen, Find Their Voice.” Wade’s work captures the spirit of what our Men’s Groups aim to alleviate: loneliness for older gentlemen in Gateshead. Our groups bring older men together each week to share stories, laughter, and friendshi

Bringing people together over food and fun activities creates lasting memories. This week, our lunch club friends enjoyed a great day decorating gingerbread biscuits with coloured icing, edible decorations, and shimmering edible glitter. This festive activity is great for creativity, social connection, and getting into the Christmas spirit. Creative activities like gingerbread decorating are really beneficial for engaging our fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, all whi

We’ve had such a great time at our Men’s Group Christmas Party yesterday, and following on from our last blog , we've got so many more photos to share from the day! It was a fantastic afternoon full of great food, live music, dancing, and festive cheer, with plenty of smiles all around. The amazing Shirley Mac brought the sparkle with her songs, wigs, and energy, filling the room with joy and dancing🕺. Our members enjoyed a delicious two-course festive lunch, some fun Christ

Our Men’s Group celebrated the festivities in style this week with a fantastic Christmas party filled with music, great food, and plenty of festive activities! We were treated to live entertainment from the fabulous Shirley Mac, who brought the house down with her music, and incredible wigs. Her lively performance had us up dancing and singing along, the perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit! Members enjoyed a two-course festive lunch, specially prepared for the occas

This week our Wednesday Lunch Club members celebrated the festive season in style! The room was filled with laughter, friendship, and plenty of Christmas jumpers as everyone came together for one of three of our annual Christmas party. Guests arrived in comfort thanks to our accessible minibus transport, which ensured everyone could travel safely from home and back again ready to enjoy a wonderful afternoon of celebration. Our members were treated to a delicious two-course C

We had such a brilliant time at our Wednesday Lunch Club Christmas party this week! After a lovely Christmas lunch and some fun festive activities, we were treated to live entertainment from the fantastic Mike Memphis. He really got the room going singing all the classics and bringing plenty of Christmas cheer. There were smiles all round, a bit of dancing, and lots of singing along. The afternoon was a perfect mix of good food, laughter, and great company, just what our lunc

Our 2025 Wednesday Lunch Club Christmas party was full of laughter, festive cheer, and a touch of friendly competition! One of the many highlights of the day was our brilliant bottle-rolling game. The aim? Roll a bottle down our long table and land it perfectly in the right section to win a festive goody bag. Sounds easy? Not quite! It took concentration, coordination, and just the right amount of momentum to make it stop in the winning spot. Too much speed and it would roll

Our lounge has been transformed ready for our festive parties! We're so excited to bring you our much loved Christmas parties over the coming days, and we hope you enjoy seeing the preview. Our wonderful staff and volunteers have worked their magic to make the lounge look extra special, ready for plenty of laughter, music, and delicious food. Our tables are set ready for our Christmas parties this week! Our lovely team has been adding the final touches ready for the parties s

The Teams and Bensham Community Care Christmas raffle was back this year, and bigger than ever! On 2nd December, as our Lunch Club members arrived and settled into their seats with a cuppa, we drew the tickets and handed out all of the brilliant prizes (95 in total!) all kindly donated to us in previous weeks. As always, it was a lovely atmosphere at our day centre were we host two men's groups and three lunch clubs every week, but it's even more special at Christmastime. T

As we wave goodbye to another year, we can’t help but smile at all the wonderful memories made across our lunch clubs and men’s groups. From wonderful activities and hearty meals to new friendships blossoming each week, 2025 has been full of connection, warmth, and community. If you’re looking for friendly company, a good meal, or a welcoming place to spend time in 2026 we’d love you to join us. Celebrating 2025: Food, Friendship, and Fun This year, our lunch clubs and men’s

We’re excited to share the latest progress on the refurbishment of the Holy Rosary Parish House, an important project that will help ensure this much-loved building continues to serve our community for years to come. For 35 years, Teams and Bensham Community Care has been a lifeline for older adults in the area, hosting lunch clubs , men's groups , and a variety of social activities designed to combat isolation, promote wellbeing, and offer a sense of belonging. The charity p

We’re delighted to share that Teams and Bensham Community Care  has received generous support from the Co-op Local Community Fund  towards activities at our lunch clubs and men’s groups. Through the fund, we received an initial £500, followed by an incredible £1,113 raised by Co-op Members who chose our charity as their local cause. This wonderful contribution will help us continue providing warm, welcoming spaces where older people in our community can enjoy good company, n

We’ve had even more Christmas box scenes created at our lunch clubs recently, and, as always, they're beautiful! It’s been wonderful to see how much creativity and care has gone into each one. They have twinkly lights, and plenty of festive sparkle. Everyone has put their own spin on it, and no two boxes are the same. What’s been really lovely is seeing people really enjoying the activity amongst friends. The finished boxes make great gifts or keep-sakes, and they’re definit