This month sees the end of an era, with the closure of the Abbeyfield Newbury Society. The charity’s closure reflects national trends. Wealth and modern technology have helped people stay in their own homes, however changing regulations and demands have unfortunately made small care homes and shared residences financially unviable.
Abbeyfield Newbury Society was established in 1961, as part of a national movement to combat acute loneliness and neglect among the country’s elderly. The charity provided homes in which elderly people could live in their own bed-sits, but also share dining and sitting room space, cooked meals, a garden and a housekeeper on site. Later it added ‘advanced care’ homes that catered for elderly people with greater physical needs including ‘respite care’, funded by the council, which gave families some weeks of relief from the demands of caring.
The charity is transferring its assets to Greenham Trust, which is dedicated to the Newbury community and its needs. Greenham Trust will administer the assets of the Abbeyfield Newbury Society and incorporate proceeds within its grant giving to charitable projects for the benefit of the elderly within West Berkshire and North Hampshire.
Chris Boulton, chief executive of Greenham Trust commented, “We are pleased to be able to assist the former trustees of the Society, ensuring that the elderly in our local community will continue to benefit from what Abbeyfield created through their hard work over a significant number of years”.
Abbeyfield Newbury Society’s founding members included two future mayors of Newbury and individuals from a very wide range of professions and backgrounds. It drew generous support from many of the town’s businesses and associations such as Rotary, members of the local Masonic Lodge, Vodafone and Newbury Building Society.
John Jolley, Trustee for Newbury Abbeyfield Society said, “Over the years, hundreds of local people have benefitted from Newbury Abbeyfield Society. We have all tried to make our residents at home, but regrettably our continued activity is no longer financially viable, and we have no alternative but to close.
“Endless thanks to those who have contributed huge amounts of time to running the charity, fund raisers, volunteers and those who have donated gifts and money for the elderly community. We have enjoyed support from the local community and although this is a sad time, Abbeyfield’s legacy will still live on thanks to Greenham Trust and lots of elderly people in West Berkshire will continue to benefit in years to come.”
For more information on this transfer please visit the Greenham Trust website. Applications from suitable projects for grants from the Trust will be considered in the normal way through The Good Exchange: www.thegoodexchange.com