Retail therapy for pensioners

ALAN Sugar eat your heart out... a group of Royton pensioners have set up shop in a bid to enhance their social lives.

The enterprising group, all residents at Tandle View Court in Rochdale Road, have opened the store to raise funds for tenant activities.

New To You at Tandle View is well stocked with a variety of items that have been donated by the local community including clothes, books, ornaments, toys, jigsaw puzzles, handbags, shoes and videos.

Proceeds from the sales will be ploughed back into the residents’ association and used to fund parties, events and day trips.

The space was originally intended to be used for general provisions but this would have put it in direct competition with near-by shops and residents wanted to create community links.

The brains behind the business — Patricia McGuigan, Doreen Seymour, Dorothy Hilton, Sybil Hague, Isabella Mckenna and Ivy Taylor — have been beavering away for the last few weeks getting ready for the grand opening.

Patricia said: “It is very exciting for us and has certainly taken up a lot of our time. We are very pleased with the support we’ve had and would like to thank all those who have kindly donated items to us.”

Tandle View Court, which opened in June, provides 59 extra care apartments for older people and is part of the PFI partnership between Oldham Council, Housing 21 and Bullock Construction.

Court manager Susan Hargreaves, said: “I think it’s quite unusual for tenants to run their own shop in this way and they have been working hard to get everything ready, sorting and pricing items and laying out displays. I’m sure it will be a great success.”

New to You at Tandle View is open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays between 11am and 2pm.