A COMMUNITY group has been given more than £10,000 to help run lunch clubs, befriending schemes and a gardening service to try and reduce social isolation in Durham.

King’s Church Durham’s Achor community tries to reduce social isolation and build community cohesion in the Sherburn Road area of the city.

It was given the funding by Durham’s area action partnership (AAP)

Ruth Morely, the group’s outreach coordinator, said: “We are really thankful for the AAP funding, which will allow us to develop and grow our existing work with the elderly and isolated in the Sherburn Road area.

“The funding will help us invest in our befriending scheme, lunch club and gardening project to provide a real lifeline for those in our community who are elderly or socially isolated.”

The grant of £10,450 was the 5,000th to be handed out through Durham County Council’s AAP scheme, which was set up in 2009.

Council leader councillor Simon Henig said: “I am incredibly pleased that we have been able to help so many initiatives.”