Solihull Age UK celebrates 40th anniversary
Local older people 's charity and member of Solihull Chamber of Commerce, Age UK Solihull, has celebrated its 40th anniversary, along with the Mayor and Mayoress of Solihull and some of its other supporters.
The Mayor, Councillor Ken Meeson and Mayoress Mrs Annette Meeson, joined Age UK Solihull staff, Trustees, other volunteers and corporate supporters for a celebration at the charity 's head office at The Core, Solihull Library, on Friday 31 March.
The Mayor proposed a toast to the charity, commending them for everything that they have done for older Solihull residents since they were established in 1983.
Age UK Solihull 's chief executive officer, Anne Hastings, gave an informative speech about the history of the charity, which was originally known as Age Concern Metropolitan Borough of Solihull. In 1996 it became a company limited by guarantee known as Age Concern Solihull.
In 2009, Age Concern England and Help the Aged merged to become a new charity called Age UK, and Age Concern Solihull became a brand-partner and began trading under the name Age UK Solihull.
Although Age UK Solihull is a brand partner to the national Age UK charity, it is a completely independent, local charity that purely serves residents of the Solihull borough, with all funds raised for Age UK Solihull staying in Solihull.
The Mayor cut the charity 's birthday cake, made and donated by Cakes by Adele Solihull, and guests had the chance to mingle and look at old photographs, newsletters and reports from the last 40 years. A raffle was also held, with prizes including an overnight stay for two at Resorts World 's Genting Hotel, afternoon tea for two at the Crowne Plaza Solihull, and a Heston Blumenthal Easter Egg donated by Waitrose.
The Mayor said: “It was a pleasure to join Age UK Solihull to celebrate their 40th anniversary. The charity has done some fantastic work over the past 40 years, and that work is increasing as Solihull has an older than average population, and issues like the coronavirus pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis have exacerbated problems faced in later life. Well done Age UK Solihull - keep up the good work. ”
Anne Hastings added: “Our vision is a world where older people flourish, and our mission is to improve the lives of all older people in the borough of Solihull. We do this through a wide range of services and support and while some of these have changed over the years, what hasn 't changed is the amazing dedication of our staff and volunteer teams to making life better for older and vulnerable people in the community.
“We are so grateful for the support we receive, and we were thrilled to celebrate our Ruby anniversary with some of our supporters on Friday. We look forward to seeing what we can achieve in the next 40 years. ”
Pictured: The Mayor of Solihull Councillor Ken Meeson, cutting the charity 's birthday cake