Middleton charity Burnside Centre accredited as real living wage employer

Kerry Edwards, manager of the Burnside Centre

Award-winning charity and community centre The Burnside Centre, based on Langley Estate in Middleton, has recently been accredited as a Living Wage Employer.

This means that everyone working at Burnside will receive a minimum hourly wage of £9.50, significantly higher than the government minimum for over 23s, which currently stands at £8.91 per hour.

Kerry Edwards, Burnside Centre Manager, said: “Becoming a Living Wage accredited employer has been one of our key aspirations and we have been able to implement this fantastic accreditation as a symbol of best practice, professional growth and our investment in people.

“We are a small, local charity working tirelessly for our community especially over the Covid-19 lockdown as keyworkers. It is a pleasure, even after such a difficult year to clearly demonstrate through this accreditation, the continued investment we have within our staff. I firmly believe the benefits of this investment will be reflected in the high-quality work we provide.”

Other local living wage accredited employers in Middleton include Hopwood Hall College, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing and A-Plant Accommodation on Greengate Industrial Estate.

Laura Gardiner, Director, Living Wage Foundation said: “We’re delighted that Burnside Centre has joined the movement of over 7,000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.

“They join thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as Burberry, Barclays, Everton Football Club and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like Burnside Centre, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay."

The real Living Wage provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that wish to ensure their staff earn a wage they can live on, not just the government minimum. Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 250,000 people and put over £1.3 billion extra into the pockets of low paid workers.