Activity in Retirement’s 30th Anniversary

Local charity, Activity In Retirement (AIR), which works to bring retired residents together to enjoy shared activities and pastimes, celebrated its 30th pearl anniversary with an Afternoon Tea.

Staff and service users were joined by local MP, David Rutley, praised its dedicated volunteer committee, without whose unwavering hard work and commitment the wide range of activities the organisation arranges would not be possible. He also highlighted the invaluable work the charity undertakes to help keep local older residents active, helping to combat loneliness, isolation and improve emotional wellbeing. The Afternoon Tea was followed by an evening dance, attended my many of the group’s members.

The event was a double celebration as Cheshire East Council has recently acknowledged the important role the charity plays in the local community by agreeing to continue to keep the Macclesfield Senior Citizens Hall on Duke Street (where the group is based) open. In addition to this, the Council has spent £100,000 refurbishing the hall’s kitchen and toilets, greatly improving the facilities available to service users, in response to which the hall has also been renamed as the Macclesfield Community Centre. Richard Christopherson, Locality Manager for Cheshire East Council responsible for working closely with AIR and raising the profile of the need for the improvements, and Christine Boswell, the Supervisor for the venue, were also thanked warmly at the event for their efforts in supporting the user groups and ensuring that all the activities could continue during the refurbishment of the building.

Activity In Retirement was founded in 1989 by Clifford and Margary Gray MBE, after the then-Senior Citizens Club closed. They aimed to create a group where older residents could get together and enjoy one another’s company. They have truly succeeded in fulfilling that objective, as, today, AIR has over 700 members, a number it consistently maintains, and regularly operates 22 activities, ranging from scrabble, table tennis and dancing, to day trips out and holidays. Any local residents interested in joining the group can find details about membership by telephoning 01625 611098, or by visiting the charity’s website: https://airmacclesfield.com/application-form-simple/