Age Connects West Midlands
Charity 518610
www.ageconcernbirmingham.org.uk
Overview
Summary
Age Connects West Midlands appears to function as a locally rooted, multi-purpose support organisation rather than a narrowly defined older people’s service. Its role combines direct care and wellbeing support with community spaces, volunteering, advice and practical assistance. Although older people are its central constituency, its stated focus on “others in need” and stronger communities suggests an operating model that treats ageing as connected to neighbourhood relationships, accessible places and mutual support.
Operational geography
Coverage: Regional
Operational areas:
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Sutton Vesey
Confidence: high
Direct evidence identifies the organisation's main contact centre and its Communitea Boldmere community café, with regular advice, carers, dementia, social and activity sessions. Council material places the site in Sutton Vesey.
- Age Connects West Midlands — Boldmere Community Café
Communitea Boldmere is operated as a community hub offering activities including advice cafés, social-worker drop-ins, digital support, dementia cafés, veterans' groups and support groups. - Age Connects West Midlands — Carers service
The organisation identifies the site as its main contact centre. - Birmingham City Council — planning record for 76–78 Boldmere Road
The council record identifies the site as being in Sutton Vesey ward.
King’s Norton South
Confidence: high
Direct evidence shows that Age Connects operates a second Communitea café and a substantial weekly programme from Hawkesley Community Centre. Official council material associates Hawkesley Community Centre with Kings Norton South.
- Age Connects West Midlands — Hawkesley Community Centre
Age Connects states that its second Communitea café is located at Hawkesley Community Centre in Kings Norton and provides community support, activities and wellbeing opportunities. - Age Connects West Midlands — programme of activities
The current timetable lists repeated weekly activities, advice drop-ins and Birmingham Carers Hub sessions at Hawkesley Community Centre. - Birmingham City Council — Kings Norton South Ward Action Plan 2022–2026
The council's ward action plan identifies Hawkesley Community Centre as a community organisation and space within Kings Norton South.
Shard End
Confidence: high
This is a directly managed operational site, rather than merely a host venue: Age Connects says it proudly manages Moorfield Hall, runs day care there on weekdays, and delivers additional support and activities from the centre.
- Age Connects West Midlands — Moorfield Hall Community Centre
Age Connects West Midlands states that it proudly manages Moorfield Hall Community Centre in Shard End. - Age Connects West Midlands — Moorfield Hall Community Centre
The page states that the charity's Day Care Service runs there Monday to Friday and that its Connections Team runs further activities and support sessions from the centre. - Age Connects West Midlands — programme of activities
The current timetable lists recurring advice, carers, dementia, exercise, lunch and social activities at Moorfield Hall in Shard End.
Erdington
Confidence: high
The live timetable records two continuing local groups, at Connected Life Church and Erdington Library, indicating direct delivery in Erdington beyond the charity's principal hubs.
- Age Connects West Midlands — programme of activities
The timetable lists a weekly Wednesday Welcome Group at Connected Life Church in Erdington, and a weekly Friendship Group at Erdington Library.
Moseley
Confidence: high
The current timetable identifies recurring dementia-carer and social sessions in Moseley, demonstrating direct local delivery through a host venue.
- Age Connects West Midlands — programme of activities
The timetable lists a Dementia Carers Support Group and a fortnightly Chat and Connect group at Lench's Close in Moseley.
Handsworth
Confidence: high
The current timetable records a weekly friendship group in Handsworth, providing direct evidence of regular delivery in Handsworth.
- Age Connects West Midlands — programme of activities
The timetable lists a weekly Friendship Group at Beacon Evangelical Church in Handsworth.
Nechells
Confidence: high
The current timetable records a weekly Chat and Connect service in Nechells, demonstrating regular delivery there.
- Age Connects West Midlands — programme of activities
The timetable lists a weekly Chat and Connect session at St Joseph's Catholic Church in Nechells.
Remaining uncertainties
- The organisation's live timetable evidences delivery in many further Birmingham locations, including Acocks Green, Bartley Green, Harborne, Kings Heath, Perry Beeches, Sheldon, South Yardley and other Sutton Coldfield locations. These have not all been included because the available evidence does not provide a complete service-site inventory with ward-level confirmation.
- The evidence clearly distinguishes three principal Birmingham community hubs: Boldmere, Hawkesley and Moorfield Hall. It is less clear which of the other venues are contracted or partnership delivery points, hired rooms, or simply venues hosting an individual group.
- The organisation's operational footprint is reasonably interpreted as citywide within Birmingham: its current timetable advertises 74 weekly activities across the city, and its carers service describes Birmingham-wide community mini-hubs and dementia activities across the city. However, no single current source supplies a complete geographic service map or ward-by-ward coverage statement.
- Regional coverage is directly supported by current Sandwell carers and bereavement sessions and a Sandwell Carers Hub partnership. The available evidence does not establish the full extent of activity elsewhere in the West Midlands.
Additional evidence needed
- A current organisation-issued map or spreadsheet of all Birmingham service locations, showing which sessions are directly delivered, commissioned, co-delivered or hosted by partners.
- A current annual or impact report that quantifies service users, activities and staff or volunteer deployment by Birmingham locality.
- Confirmation from Age Connects West Midlands of the tenure and operating responsibility for Hawkesley Community Centre, alongside its stated management responsibility for Moorfield Hall.
- A current list of Birmingham Carers Hub mini-hub partners and locations, to establish how far the partnership extends the charity's operational reach.
Areas of work
- General Charitable Purposes
- The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty
Who they help
- Elderly/old People
- People With Disabilities
How they help
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Provides Human Resources
- Provides Other Finance
- Provides Services
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A community-infrastructure model, not only a care model
The available evidence suggests the organisation uses community spaces, shops, cafés, centres and volunteering alongside support services. This may indicate that it strengthens the everyday social infrastructure around older people, rather than treating need solely through individual interventions.
Why it matters
This helps explain why the organisation may matter beyond its direct beneficiaries: accessible local places and participation opportunities can reduce isolation and create routes into support.
Show evidence
“Community: Shops, cafés and community centres.”
Source:Organisation“Care, support and wellbeing programmes.”
Source:Organisation“Volunteer, fundraise or donate.”
Source:Organisation
Older people are the anchor, but not the full boundary
Older people appear to be the organisation’s principal focus, while its charitable object and public positioning retain a broader remit for others in need. This may allow it to respond to needs that affect older people indirectly, including carers, families and wider neighbourhood networks.
Why it matters
This distinction is important for understanding potential partnerships: the organisation may be both a specialist in later-life support and a broader community-facing connector.
Show evidence
“To promote the relief of older people predominantly, but also others in need.”
Source:Charity Commission“A local charity, committed to the people and communities across West Midlands - focused on excelling in meeting the needs of older people and others in need.”
Source:Organisation“The services provided include carers support services.”
Source:Charity Commission
Practical navigation may be a distinctive contribution
The combination of grants and advice, debt counselling, information, tradesperson and handyman directories, and advocacy suggests a role in helping people navigate practical problems as well as providing support directly. It may act as a bridge between older residents and fragmented sources of help.
Why it matters
This points to a potentially important connective function: organisations working on housing, poverty, repairs, benefits or health may already hold complementary parts of the support pathway.
Show evidence
“Specialist support services include grants and advice service, and debt counselling.”
Source:Charity Commission“Information, tradesperson and handyman directory.”
Source:Charity Commission“Provides Advocacy/advice/information.”
Source:Charity Commission
- Which services are currently delivered directly, and which are referrals or legacy activities.
- Which West Midlands communities are reached most consistently, and which are underserved.
- How community spaces, support programmes and advice services connect in practice.
Remaining uncertainties
- Recent annual reports or impact data showing service volumes, beneficiary profiles and geographic reach.
- Evidence of referral pathways, delivery partners and collaborations with local health, housing and community organisations.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
Age Concern Birmingham is the foremost voluntary agency supporting older people, their families and carers. The services provided include, but are not exclusive to, day centres, luncheon clubs, carers support services, befriending schemes, specialist support services (grants and advice service, and debt counselling), information, tradesperson and handyman directory and volunteer schemes.
Charity objects
TO PROMOTE THE RELIEF OF OLDER PEOPLE PREDOMINANTLY, BUT ALSO OTHERS IN NEED, IN ANY MANNER WHICH NOW OR HEREAFTER MAY BE DEEMED BY LAW TO BE CHARITABLE IN AND AROUND THE UNITED KINGDOM AND INTERNATIONALLY (HEREINAFTER CALLED ¶THE AREA OF BENEFIT÷).