Week of celebrations for Burnside Community Centre

Local community group, Burnside Community Centre is celebrating both its 50th anniversary this week and being awarded £295,000 in National Lottery funding to support its community-based work.

The group, based on Langley Estate in Middleton, will use the cash to continue to develop and deliver quality community-based services.

Burnside Centre has been running since 1969 and is celebrating its golden jubilee this month with a special weekend of events, including a community fun day and a plaque unveiling.

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/62738/golden-jubilee-weekend-at-the-burnside-centre

Dedicated staff and a strong committee run the centre, which was recently awarded the accredited status of ‘Trusted Charity’ by the National Council of Voluntary Organisations.

The new funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, which distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes and is the largest community funder in the UK, will see the Centre continue to develop new projects, ways of working, and support its vision, growth and development.

At the same time, the group will be able to press on with plans to support to the wider voluntary sector within Rochdale. This fund will help them to build relationships with other organisations experiencing the same challenges and hopefully enable them to develop a stronger support network and increase quality standards of practice within the sector.

 

 

Manager of Burnside Centre, Kerry Edwards said: “We’re delighted that The National Lottery Community Fund has recognised our work in this way, and most importantly has found us worthy to invest in our future plans for the next five years.

“Now, thanks to National Lottery players we will be able to thrive and build our capacity to meet future challenges. This is so important because it enables us to provide our local community a vital resource in difficult times, a sense of familiarity, opportunity, support, education and guidance.

This year has been a challenging one; however, it has all been worth the extra effort and determination.

“This funding application was some of my best work and I want to thank everyone who has supported and believed in me. Burnside Centre inspires me every day and I am so honoured to be in a position to help bring about positive change.”

 

 

Volunteer, Catherine Browning added: “Thanks to the support I received from staff at Burnside, I now help plan and deliver afternoon teas, support fellow peers on cooking projects and sit on a voluntary committee where we plan activities to stop people feeling alone and help them get out more.

“I’ve been put on training to support me such as food safety, first aid and adult safeguarding. I manage small pots of funding, fundraise for good causes, budget for events and have gained so much confidence.

“I approached Burnside with an idea and they have supported me and other local volunteers to make it happen.”