Rochdale to gain vital support as Oldham social enterprise goes mobile

Rochdale will benefit from a special initiative run by an Oldham social enterprise, set to put its services on wheels and go mobile.

Upturn, which specialises in helping disadvantaged people find work, says it’s responding to the growing demand to grow its services and will expand its reach to the borough with a new electric mobile unit.

The new electric mobile unit will provide new experiences for disadvantaged people, by introducing day breaks and trips to the seaside or countryside, sometimes for people who have never been out of the area they live in.

To make the project a reality, Upturn launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise the remaining funds needed for a VW ID Buzz Style Campervan, which has already received partial funding.

The mobile unit will enable Upturn to penetrate deeper into communities, providing vital support and creating better life chances for residents.

Maria Williams, co-founder of Upturn, emphasised the urgency of the initiative: “We’re increasingly hearing about the mistrust in mainstream services and seeing the demand for our support massively increase.

“However, we recognise that there are still parts of the community that we can’t reach, so we want to do something about it."

"Upturn's mobile financial support services aim to offer individuals opportunities to develop and succeed, addressing the unique needs of underserved areas. This move is expected to foster positive change and improve access to essential services in Rochdale and beyond.

“Our work has become very important in the current cost-of-living crisis, and we need to reach more people, many of whom are struggling financially and simply cannot now afford even the bus fare to come and see us.

“This new electric mobile unit will help us reach thousands more people who need our help.

 “We’re asking for local businesses or members of the public to support our campaign so that we can help as many disadvantaged communities by engaging with them directly on their doorstep.”

Maria added: “Many of the people we support could never dream of taking a break - they are coming to us in desperation in the current cost of living crisis for financial support with food and clothing and even transport costs and we help, wherever we can through the use of cash reserves, and this makes a tremendous difference to health and welfare.”

The campervan, which will become the mobile unit, is carbon neutral and built using recycled materials.

To support the crowdfunding campaign visit: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/upturn