Social enterprise HMR Circle celebrates 10 years of events

10 years to the day of that original event the group returned for a sold out lunch at the Olde Boars Head to mark this landmark occasion

An award-winning social enterprise which works to reduce social isolation and loneliness amongst older people has celebrated 10 years of events.

Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale (HMR) Circle is a not-for-profit community interest company which works to reduce social isolation in older people through social events, practical support, befriending and a volunteer drivers service.

Although Circle was incorporated as an organisation on 12 June 2012, it wasn't until November of that year it started to organise social events. Since then, the group has organised a whopping 6,774 events.

The first-ever Circle social event took place on the evening of 6 November 2012, at the Olde Boars Head in Middleton, with a handful of curious attendees coming along to see what 'Circle' was about.

On Sunday, 10 years to the day of that original event the group returned for a sold-out lunch at the Olde Boars Head to mark this landmark occasion.

Chairman Mark Wynn said: “We were fortunate to have two of the original attendees from that event joining us again, Alan and Joan.

“At major landmarks like this we like to reflect on the journey Circle has undertaken.

“Originally part of a larger organisation, we have been fully independent for around eight years now.

“We took some of the ideas from the original Circle concept and developed and add to them to build the success that HMR Circle and the wider Circle family has become.”