A service that provides activities for older people reached almost 1,800 people in its first year.

Barnet Borough Council’s neighbourhood services model offers exercise classes and activities to people in a range of areas.

They are delivered by the Barnet Provider Group, 17 voluntary sector and community organisations from across the borough led by Age UK Barnet.

The group’s first annual report sets out the numbers of people now benefiting from neighbourhood services.

In the first year almost 245 more people sharpened their IT skills or learned new ones and an extra 95 people have joined lunch clubs.

More than 100 joined exercise classes, falls awareness and health promotion and 340 extra people have taken up Age UK’s handyperson service.

Other organisations in the provider group such as the retired and senior volunteer programme, the High Barnet Good Neighbour Scheme and the Barnet Asian Women’s Association also increased the number of people accessing their services and activities.

Mark Robinson, chief officer at Age UK Barnet, said: “The provider group is always talking to older people to find out what they would like to see in their area and, where possible, we can then set up activities such as exercise classes, social groups, lunch clubs and coffee mornings.

“As a group we are committed to improving the lives of Barnet’s older people and we want to work together to address the very real issue of loneliness and isolation among them.”