enquiries@ferryhillladdercentre.org.uk

Durham Christian Partnership – Debt Advice

More people are struggling with their finances and getting into debt. Our debt advice team operating under Community Money Advice offer a free service to help people to get on top of their financial issues. They are regulated by the FCA and offer a confidential service, taking all the stress from those they are helping, checking their debts, contacting creditors, preparing a resolution for agreement and then completing the process for them.

NEFirst Credit Union was formed by the merger of a number of smaller North East based Credit Unions who have been providing savings and loan accounts for their members for more than twenty years. To find out more about using credit union at the Ladder Centre give us a call on 01740 651639 

The 1st Tuesday of every moth between 1pm and 2.45pm.

BALM offer a chance to talk and receive help to cope with the loss of a loved one. Just drop in, you will be made welcome, Tea and Coffee included.

Food Bank Referral Scheme

At The Ferryhill Ladder Centre, we’re committed to supporting vulnerable adults, children, and families in need through our Food Voucher Scheme. If you or someone you know is struggling financially and requires emergency food assistance, we’re here to help.

Call us on 01740 651639 and ask about food bank.

Benefits Advice

At The Ferryhill Ladder Centre, we make it simple to stay informed and up-to-date with your benefits and entitlements. Whether you’re working, unemployed, sick, or disabled, our team is here to provide free advice and guidance to ensure you receive the support you’re entitled to.

Outreach Services:

  • Chilton Town Council: Tuesdays all day
  • Ferryhill Town Hall: Fortnightly on Fridays from 10am (call for the next date).
  • Bishop Middleham: Appointments available on request.

What We Can Help With:

  • Universal Credit
  • Housing Benefit
  • Child Benefit
  • ESA, JSA, Tax Credits, and Pension Plans
  • Budgeting, Money Advice, and Benefit Calculations

Online Tools and Resources:
Access tools like Policy in Practice and Turn2us to check your entitlements, calculate benefits, or understand how changes in circumstances may impact you.

Book an Appointment
Contact us to schedule an appointment and let our trained staff support you with personalised advice and referrals to specialist agencies if needed.

For more information,call us at 01740 651639 or visit the Ladder Centre

Play and youth work
  • Our play and youth sessions are open access sessions for all children and young people aged between 5-19 years old. We aim to be accessible to all young people no matter what their needs and we will do our best to accommodate everyone in any way we can.
  • The Play sessions consist of a fun environment for the children (aged 5-11) to attend and have lots of fun, we often have themed sessions but we also can go with the flow as our sessions are very young person lead. These sessions include: sports and physical activities, arts and crafts, project work, games and activities and Lego activities to name a few.
  • Youth sessions – These sessions are open access sessions that thrive on the young people and their ideas. We deliver lots of different types of youth work including: Open access, project work, issue based youth work, outreach/detached as well as sports and physical activities and outward-bound activities when funding is available. During the majority of sessions we are based in the LADDER Centre and we run open access youth provision. During these sessions we talk to the young people about what’s going on in their lives and a lot of the issue based youth work is based around these conversations. This also includes finding out what they are interested in and basing our delivery around their interests and hobbies to enable us to deliver the best Youth work that we can.
  • Overall these sessions aim to be filled with fun and enjoyment as well as giving the children and young people the correct information and advice to enable them to make the best choices in life and deter them from taking part in risk taking behaviour and antisocial behaviour.

Group Work

We have successful groups that have been running for many years thanks to previous funders. Our Men’s and Ladies group offer a friendly environment to socialise and take part in a range of activities usually based around health and well-being.

These two groups are currently not funded but continue to run thanks to the members and the staff that keep them welcoming and accessible. 

Men’s Social Group

Men’s Social Activity Group. Meets at The Ladder Centre every Monday 10am until 1pm. A group for Men at risk of isolation to come along and make new friends, build their confidence, receive support and take part in regular social and health related activities

Women’s Ways to Wellness

The group was developed to support women with their physical and mental health and to encourage group members to make better choices and improve their overall health and wellbeing. 

The group has covered a variety of different topics relating to daily life and provides group also receive a free healthy lunch as part to their session.

  • Health walks
  • Seated Exercise
  • Healthy eating
  • Ready steady cook

The group meet every Wednesday at 10am and are always looking for new members to join

Training and Learning

From time to time we are able to offer training to help people in gain skills to assist in their search for work or with their volunteering or simply to upskill in an area they enjoy,

We have a comfortable I.T, suite to allow people to practice their skills or complete on-line training and assistance is available on request.

Training is dependant on funding that is available and in most cases will be free to the unemployed of the area.

To find out more visit and follow our Facebook page to keep up to date with any new offers.

FAQ

The Ferryhill Ladder Centre is a community hub providing support, activities, and services to empower individuals and connect the local community.

We offer a range of services, including educational workshops, job support, youth activities, well-being programs, and community events.

Our services are open to everyone in the local community, regardless of age or background.

You can get involved by volunteering, attending our activities and events, or donating to support our initiatives.

No, volunteering at the Ladder Centre doesn’t require any qualifications or experience—just a willingness to help and your time.

We offer flexible volunteering roles, from event support to helping with programs, working part-time or full-time hours to suit your schedule.

No, volunteering is completely free; all it costs is your time and dedication.

We are located in the heart of Ferryhill—check our website or social media for directions and contact details.