Age Concern East Cheshire

• 1: Home
  • 1.1: Who's Arthur
• 2: Donate Now
• 3: What's On
  • 3.1: Calendar of Events
  • 3.3: Day Trips
  • 3.4: Gentle Exercise
• 4: Services
  • 4.1: Information and Advice
    • 4.1.1: Benefit Information
    • 4.1.2: Counselling Service
    • 4.1.3: Wills Advice
  • 4.3: Supporting You
  • 4.4: Long-term Care Discharge
  • 4.5: Healthy Lifestyles
    • 4.5.1: Fit as a Fiddle
  • 4.6: Computer Learning
    • 4.6.1: Help Sheets
    • 4.6.2: Useful Websites
  • 4.7: Hospital Creative Activities
  • 4.8: Day Care
  • 4.9: Home Help
  • 4.10: Foot Care
  • 4.11: Trading
  • 4.12: Shops
  • 4.13: Equity Release
• 5: Help Us
  • 5.1: Volunteering
  • 5.2: Volunteering FAQ
  • 5.3: Fundraising
  • 5.4: Sponsor Us
• 6: Jobs
• 7: About Us
  • 7.1: Beginnings
  • 7.2: Contact Us
  • 7.3: Environment policy
• 8: Attitudes
  • 8.1: Myths about ageing
• 9: Useful Links
  • 9.1: Traders Register

Beginnings

Madelyn Bridge, Chief Executive and first employee, recalls setting up Age Concern East Cheshire.

In May 1988, on day one of my new job,  I realised four fundamental things:

One - I had no office

Two - We had no money to rent an office

Three - I was on my own

Four - Last but not least I knew nothing about Macclesfield or what I was supposed to do

Never one to shrink from a challenge, I set off from an office based in the boot of my car to do some research, and presented a paper to the trustees of the charity.  The trustees were supportive of the recommendations I'd made and we agreed that firstly I would set up some day services for older people who were physically frails and for older people with dementia.  The first day care opened its doors to clients in 1991.  By this time we had already begun our first service, when in 1989 a team of volunteers provided activities with patients  at Macclesfield Hospital.  Four office moves later, in 2003, the organisation moved into its current home, the New Horizons centre on henderson Street in Macclesfield.

Now, in 2008, the organisation is 20 years old, and from a budget of £20,000 a year 20 years ago, one member of staff and no services, our turnover this year is just over £1 million.  We have 76 members of staff, including 50 home helps and 140 volunteers, and we provide support to over 10,000 older people and carers per year.  Those services are listed in the service link at the top of this page.

I've had the pleasure and privelege of working with some really wonderful and commited people over the last 20 years - trustees, staff and volunteers - and I'd like to take the opportunity of thanking all of them for their part in making Age Concern East Cheshire the fantastic organisation it is today.  Here's to the future!