We’re as fit as a fiddle!

ON THE MOVE : Mary Walsh, Millie Wilde, Alice Dyson and Eileen Shaw take in some exercise

THEY might have clocked up a fair few years between them, but these residents at a Waterhead care home are showing no signs of slowing down, thanks to a special Age Concern activities programme.

Sprightly residents at Anchor Homes’ Millfield care home have been getting busy with series of fun activities as part of a project to deliver activities at care homes across Oldham after securing sponsorship from the Big Lottery wellbeing fund.

The Home Not Away project is part of Age Concern’s national Fit as a Fiddle programme and is aimed at helping older people who are living in care homes in Oldham to have access to a wide range of safe physical and meaningful social activities.

The programme runs over eight weeks, with two sessions per week offering structured physical exercise with Age Concern’s Michael Rattigan and a therapeutic range of social activities with the project’s activity coordinator Louise Brooks.

Millfield, in Hudders-field Road, is just one of the homes to benefit from the scheme, with residents trying their hand at musical bingo, giant skittles, floor netball, giant crossword sessions and sit and get fit exercise classes.

And one resident giving her seal of approval was June Williams (78).

She said: “I really thoroughly enjoyed all the sessions, especially the large crossword which involved every resident.

Michael is very enthusiastic and gets everyone participating.

Millfield Home manager Maggie Thomas said: “The activities with Age Concern have been a big success and residents have benefited greatly from the sessions. We now plan to continue with a new social activity and exercise initiative with our newly appointed activities coordinator.”

Age Concern project manager, Carol Richards, said: “All equipment and written guidance for the sessions are provided by the project. We also offer on-site mentoring and support for care home staff to enable the activities and exercise programme to be continued at the end of the eight-week period.”

For more information phone Carol Richards, project manager, on: 0161 633 0213.