The Peel Group Foundation establishes meaningful partnership with Age UK Bury, to expand its services and facilities for older people in the local community

The Peel Group Foundation is pleased to announce a new partnership with Age UK Bury, an independent local charity supporting 3,000 older people in Bury, Prestwich, Radcliffe, Ramsbottom, Tottington and Whitefield every year.

Officially established in 2011, following decades of work to support older people in the Bury District, Age UK Bury remains as a local charity with its governing body made up of local people with a passion for improving services for older people in Bury. Working in partnership with the national Age UK charity, Age UK Bury, which is currently made up of 68 volunteers, actively helps older people, their families and carers; however, ensures that every penny raised or donated to their charity stays in Bury, supporting local older people through their services, centres and facilities.

The grant will be used to develop Age UK Bury’s Dumers Lane Community Centre

A grant from the Peel Group Foundation  will be used to develop Age UK Bury’s Dumers Lane Community Centre. The centre had been previously closed due to the pandemic but has now reopened with a plan to carry out repairs and maintenance of the much-loved facility which provides a safe, friendly and non-judgemental space to many. 

The grant will support the activities and services which help their users, including footcare clinics to help with mobility and healthcare; social activities including their coffee mornings and afternoon tea sessions, in addition to their ‘knit and knatter’ and craft groups which also help users with their dexterity. It is also hoped that through the improvements made to the Dumers Lane Community Centre, the space can be used to help facilitate other meaningful services provided by Age UK Bury, such as their Cyber Sessions. The Cyber Sessions provide one-to-one IT support for older people to learn how to use smart devices and stay connected with friends and families digitally. By providing this service in the future at the Dumers Lane Community Centre, it will mean even more older people can use this service from a choice of locations, making it more accessible and convenient for the users.

A proportion of the grant will also be used to purchase a potentially life-saving defibrillator for the community and practical items including external notice boards to advertise the services Age UK Bury will offer from the Dumers Lane Community Centre, which will hopefully encourage even more older people to use the facility and socialise.

Enabling local groups of people to come together and support one another. 

Andrew Hazeldine, Chief Officer for Age UK Bury, said: “We are really grateful to have received this generous grant from The Peel Group Foundation to support our work in Radcliffe. The funding will support our development of the Dumers Lane Community Centre, enabling local groups of people to come together and support one another. 

“Our charity’s key aim is to bring older people together and reduce their isolation and loneliness. Everyone needs someone and we see the Centre as a vital meeting point for people in Radcliffe and Redvales. Our Friends Together group already use the centre and new groups are being planned and developed. We are working with other local voluntary organisations to reach out to those who are most isolated in our society. 

“The support of The Peel Group Foundation has enabled us to refurbish and develop the centre properly and will greatly enhance the lives of local people in our community.”

Kate Holland, a member of The Peel Group Foundation Council said: “We are so pleased to be able to support such a worthwhile project for local residents in Bury.  The Dumers Lane Community Centre facility which has now been taken on by Age UK Bury, provides a vital role in bringing the local community people together in a safe space to meet others, offering help and support with a range of different services.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has really impacted people’s mental wellbeing and many elderly people have felt isolated and lonely. The Peel Group Foundation assessed several charity applications in Bury, and this particular project very much aligned with our core values in supporting charities that help people’s wellbeing in a meaningful way.