Professor Chris Whitty praises Nidderdale community services supporting the elderly to live independently

Professor Chris Whitty, who is also the Government’s chief medical adviser and the head of the public health profession, travelled to Darley in Nidderdale where he witnessed firsthand the invaluable work which countryside communities are doing to help tackle challenges such as social isolation.

As part of the visit organised by North Yorkshire Council, he was shown around Darley Village Shop, which has emerged as a hugely important hub for the community and is home to a Post Office and café.

The shop was launched in 2016 in Darley’s sports pavilion by villagers, following a major £60,000 fundraising drive, which included a £10,000 council grant to pay for a new kitchen, after the former village store closed.

Professor Whitty said: “It is really insightful to see how local people have found solutions to support their communities.

“What people are doing here in Nidderdale shows what can be achieved, and it is helping address some of the big challenges we face as a society.

“People have demonstrated how they can come together to help others, especially during the Covid-19 crisis, and it is good to see this good work is continuing to be built on.”

North Yorkshire Council’s director of public health, Louise Wallace, accompanied Professor Whitty on his visit to Darley, which lies to the north-west of Harrogate.

She said: “We are committed to providing all the support we can to all sections of society, but there are some very specific challenges with older people.

“To have the Chief Medical Officer visiting to see these challenges and also all the good work that is being done by our communities was an invaluable opportunity.

“It is so important to have the chance to highlight the efforts that are being made across the whole of North Yorkshire to help support communities.”

Darley Village Shop has evolved into a commercially-viable business, selling local produce and freshly baked bread, but the community remains at the heart of its operations with staff working alongside volunteers to deliver meals to elderly residents in Darley and the surrounding villages.

The shop’s manager, Dawn Abbott, said: “We have become a hub for the community, and customers come here not just for their shopping, but to see other people and socialise.

Professor Whitty also met Tracey Dawson of the Nidderdale Plus Community Hub and heard about the breadth of services which the charity provides. These include a vital community transport service and ‘Coffee, Click and Connect’ digital sessions delivered alongside a team of dedicated volunteers.

Nidderdale Plus also provides minibus trips for socially isolated people in the area’s rural communities, giving them the opportunity to travel outside of the dale and to make new friends.

A team of more than 100 volunteers who counter the effects of social isolation and loneliness enabling people to live independently in rural communities.

Ms Dawson, a business support officer with Nidderdale Plus, said: “We do have an increasing elderly population here in Nidderdale, because of that we are seeing a rise in social isolation and work to tackle this.”