Why Wirral News is supporting £1.5m Hoylake Cottage Day Care Appeal

Jun 3 2009 by Lorna Hughes, Birkenhead News

WIRRAL News is proud to announce our support this week for a very worthy cause – the appeal to build a new day care centre for older people at Hoylake Cottage.

Hoylake Cottage currently provides day care for frail older people and those with dementia.

Clients who visit the centre enjoy good company, a hot meal, refreshments and activities, while door to door transport is also provided.

With the number of people aged over 85 expected to double by 2020 and more people acting as carers for elderly relatives, there is increasing demand for day care services.

The number of people with dementia is also set to soar to 1.4 million in the next 30 years. In Wirral, there are already at least 5,250 people suffering from dementia

But Hoylake Cottage urgently needs new facilities to meet this need because its rapidly deteriorating Victorian building lacks space, presenting daily challenges for hard working staff and volunteers.

The charitable trust which runs Hoylake Cottage wants to raise £1.5m to pay for a state-of-the-art-day centre on the site of the existing 100-year-old former cottage hospital.

Day Care Appeal fundraising director Helen Latham said: “The plan is to start work in 2012 and open in 2013. We have a fantastic fundraising committee of volunteers who help in numerous ways to plan events and engage the support of the local community.

“It is a huge target so we have a lot of work to do. But it is thanks to the local community that we have been able to open a superb new nursing home and I hope that people in Wirral will continue to support us in our aim to provide the best care for older people.

“We need to support carers so that older people can be looked after at home for as long as possible. We will be able to do so much more when we build a centre with space and with modern facilities.”

The new centre will offer

additional services such as bathing, hairdressing and chiropody to improve quality of life.

The aim is to support carers so that older people can be looked after at home for as long as possible.

Vera Ball cares for her mother Betty Huggit, who turns 88 in July, at her home in Moreton.

Betty has been receiving day care at Hoylake Cottage since just before Christmas.

Vera said: “It provides an excellent service and it’s close to home so it’s easy for us to get there.. Mum does various activities, like bingo and she can still see her friends.

“She really does enjoy it and it gives me a chance to catch up with other things I need to do.”

If you are planning a fund-raising event contact the Wirral News reporting team: Contact details on Page 2.