A CUMBRIAN charity will officially move into its new premises in July - with former footballer Michael Owen set to cut the ribbon.

Allerdale Disability Association is an independent charity that provides services to physically disabled people living in Allerdale and the west coast of Cumbria.

Commonly known as the ADA, the organisation was founded in 1976 and became a registered charity four years later.

Through the support of local people and funders, the ADA is able to provide their services free of charge, and will continue to do so after their move to Moorclose Community Centre in Workington.

The move has been on the cards for some time, with plans delayed after issues were discovered at the end of 2022, but July 13 will see the charity officially take up residency at the community centre, where the library used to be located.

Tracey Parker said: "It means that we’ve got two offices for our welfare benefits, so we can see more clients confidentially.

"We run social activities for disabled people so that gives us a lot more space to expand on what we do."

Contractors at Sellafield have offered their help and labour free of charge, while other donations and grants, including a generous £10,000 from the National Lottery, have made this move possible.

Ms Parker added: "We currently run a drop-in for physically disabled adults. It’s free and easy, they come and stay as long as they want. They have a game of bingo or a quiz, that sort of thing.

"But with the extra space, we’ve now got a kitchen, so we can do healthy eating cookery.

"We’ve also got some funding from the Hadfield Trust so we’ve now got a 50-inch TV, a karaoke machine, and a table tennis table, so they’re going to be enjoying all sorts of different things."