Residents reap rewards from cash funding

Middleton Heartline Club

Communities in Rochdale borough are set to benefit from £6,000 of funding thanks to housing association Contour Homes.

A total of ten projects were given the go ahead earlier this year after applying for a share of Contour’s ‘Cash for Communities’ fund – with four of them based in Rochdale and Middleton:

• A wellbeing café at the Multicultural Arts and Media centre (MAMC) in Rochdale town centre.
• Armchair exercise classes at D’Olivera Court, Middleton.
• Badminton courts at Middleton Heartline Club.
• Six week IT course at the Middleton Lighthouse.

Peter Swindles, 64, coordinator of the Middleton Heartline Club said: “The club is really valued by its members, as it’s more than just exercise. It’s a way of meeting people, and a chance to get out of the house and socialise.”

Contour has provided £2,000 to sponsor the badminton courts for another year and help towards ongoing costs for the club.

Peter added: “As a registered charity, the club is run completely by volunteers, so we’re absolutely delighted to have received this funding.”

Health Action organisation, Big Life, applied for the ‘Cash for Communities’ funding to continue running their armchair exercise classes at Contour’s sheltered scheme in Middleton. Now in their seventh week, the classes help mobility through the use of resistant bands, balls and small weights.

£1,000 also went to the Multicultural Arts and Media centre, based in the centre of Rochdale, to fund new equipment to help get their Wellbeing café up and running.

Community groups across Greater Manchester were invited to submit ideas for projects that would help make their neighbourhood a better place to live, with sums of up to £2,000 awarded to each group.

Contour’s community investment officer, Stephanie Hill said: “We received dozens of applications for funding but these ones really stood out.

“We have over 700 residents in the Rochdale area so we’re really excited to be investing in these projects to help support the local community.”