Age UK Wirral launches £500,000 appeal to as it takes over former council care home Meadowcroft

Oct 10 2012 by Lorna Hughes, Heswall News

A CHARITY has launched a £500,000 appeal to transform a dilapidated former council care home in Bromborough.

Age UK Wirral will officially take over Meadowcroft on Spital Road this week – 18 months after it was closed by Wirral council.

It plans to run a range of services from the building for people in south Wirral, including daytime support for older people and those with dementia, short-term respite care, a lunch club and activity-based memory work for people with dementia.

Its Active Age activities to promote an active, healthy lifestyle – which are currently run in the Lauries Centre in Birkenhead – will also take place in Meadowcroft.

Age UK Wirral chief executive Myrtle Lacey said Meadowcroft was perfect for the task – but it was dated and needed a lot of work to bring it up to scratch.

She said: “This building has been empty for quite a long time and it’s ideally located to provide services for people in south Wirral.

“There is so little opportunity for older people in this part of Wirral and this is an chance for us to give them the same opportunities that older people in other parts of the borough have.

“But it’s quite a big job. There are 10ft weeds in the courtyard, it needs extensive redecoration and some renovation work will also need to be done.”

The first service to move into the building is likely to be Active Age, with other work taking place in phases.

There will also be ten respite rooms, to help carers and families.

Other services will include chiropody, a lunch club and a community computer suite.

Ms Lacey said: “We’re very good at day care but there is a massive need for this type of short-term respite care.

“At the moment we can’t look after people overnight and carers are desperate for us to be able to provide this service. It will give families and carers the rest they deserve.

“Meadowcroft will bring together, under one roof, a range of opportunities and support.”

Age UK Wirral is now appealing for people across the borough to support the Meadowcroft Appeal by buying an item from a special wish list, making a small donation or giving up some time to help out.

Firms and individuals are also being asked to consider “adopting” one of the new respite bedrooms by helping to refurbish them.

Age UK Wirral’s last major appeal helped fund a specialist wing at its Devonshire Resource Centre in Birkenhead for younger people with dementia.