About us

We are a user-led organisation providing community services to people in North East England.

We exist to improve the quality of life of disabled people who have sensory, physical and learning disabilities, or mental health problems; also people who are disadvantaged in being able to access services because they live in a rural location.

We facilitate the Northumberland Disability and Deaf Network and are a partner in the regional Equality Coalition leading on the Disability strand for Northumberland.

To become more self-reliant, we have developed a range of services which includes training, whilst still holding on to our primary aims. By using our services, other organisations are assured of quality attention at the same time as helping us in our work.

Adapt (North East) is a registered charity, a company limited by guarantee and a social enterprise which is managed by a Trustee Board of volunteers with a wide range of areas of expertise.

Volunteers

Volunteers have always been an integral part of our organisation, helping us in a variety of ways to deliver community services (though not on contracted work). If you would like to find out more about volunteering with us, please call to have a chat or e-mail through Contact Us.

Background

We began in 1991 as a community group (then known as Action by Differently Abled People in Tynedale or A.D.A.P.T.) aiming to ‘improve the quality of life of disabled people’ by promoting better access to services. The first priorities identified were difficulties in accessing buildings and a lack of accessible transport; therefore the first projects developed were an access group and a community transport project.

In recognition of the access needs of geographically-isolated people, our aim was expanded to include people disadvantaged by lack of public transport in a rural location. In 2007 we widened our area of operation to the North East and changed our name to Adapt (North East) to reflect our region-wide work in developing community transport.

In April 2008 we secured the Host role for the Northumberland LINk.

In 2010 we were very happy to be presented with the Community Transport Association’s Best Rural Community Transport Award.