Becky Allatt marks 40 years helping children lead better lives in Rochdale

Becky Allatt

Becky Allatt, the matron at Rochdale Children's Moorland Home, marks 40 years helping young people to enjoy better lives in Rochdale.

Becky first started her career working with children aged 16, and is now about to start her fifth summer in charge at the Home, which provides respite and holidays for youngsters from tough backgrounds.

The grandmother-of-two previously set up Rochdale's Sure Start children's centre, after many years working in social services, and in her spare time she runs a church youth club.

One of Becky's key projects at the Rochdale Children's Moorland Home this year is to co-ordinate a special programme of days out for children, which is being sponsored by Rochdale Exchange Shopping Centre, as part of a charity partnership.

Rochdale Children's Moorland Home has been operating for more than 120 years, since its location, Nab Farm in Wardle, was donated and it now provides short breaks in a healthy environment for up to 300 disadvantaged children each year.

The centre has large outdoor play areas, lounge, kitchen, dining room, bedrooms and a new playbarn.

It gives children who have often had a tough start in life a chance to relax, enjoy the outdoors and build their self-confidence with activities, challenges, outings and fun events.

Becky says the home has a vital role to play in giving underprivileged children from a range of backgrounds and special needs the chance to enjoy a break.

She said: “It’s hard to believe in this day and age that some children have never been to the seaside but it’s true and they are bowled over by it when we take them.

“We also go to a Tesco store in Rochdale one evening and the children are introduced to different foods and learn how food goes from the farm to the table."

Becky said the children also enjoy swimming sessions, and Thursday evenings are always party nights with staff running a Moorland’s Got Talent contest and party games.

Jane Barker, chairwoman at the home, said: “Becky and her family are unbelievable. The amount of time, effort, dedication and commitment they continually put in to ensure everybody that visits has a good time is second to none”.

“I'm sure that Pete, Becky’s husband must sleep well because he must be exhausted after working all day and then coming home and doing most of the maintenance work and gardening for us.

"There must be something in Becky’s family genes because Lizzie, Becky’s daughter, her sister Kay, niece Lucy, and daughter-in-law Heather all do so much voluntary work for us, I don’t know what we would do without them all.

"We are amazingly lucky to have them. There isn’t a visitor to the home who doesn’t comment about how friendly and helpful the family are and what fantastic ambassadors they are for the organisation."