Published: May 23, 2022
Dementia Action Week is Alzheimer’s Society’s biggest and longest-running awareness campaign which works to encourage people to take action and seek help. At Unity Trust Bank, we work with residential homes and community hubs that provide integral care for vulnerable people with dementia. Together, with our customers, we help to create positive impact in society.
An adult day-care centre in Wigan which was saved from closure thanks to six-figure funding from Unity Trust Bank. It is now the leading source of support for people living with dementia in the area.
Reflections Wigan CIC provides a range of activities for people with dementia at Orrell Hall Barn, a converted 18th century farmhouse in Spring Road, Orrell.
Director, Duncan Molyneaux, set up the company in 2012 after taking redundancy from his job as a HGV driver for a rail company. But, after three years the property he was renting was put up for sale.
He said: “We had three months to find a new home or go under. None of the high street banks would lend us the money to buy a property. That’s when I was introduced to Unity Trust Bank. Quite frankly, we would have closed down if it wasn’t for their support.
“Unity lent us £325,000, and together with finance from Key Fund and our own reserves, we managed to buy Orrell Hall Barn.
“Unity have been amazing. They are very clued up about this sector and our relationship manager Neil Cartwright has been great. He always has time for us and goes out of his way to help. We’ve recently secured new finance from Unity to turn one of our rooms into a private meeting place for families and service users.
“Unity’s ethos resonates with me. They are providing the funding for us to do good things with. This is the only facility of its kind in the area. I believe we have one of the best set up’s in the country – it’s fantastic.”
Reflections caters for up to 20 people a day. They provide respite for carers and families and support for people with dementia or other types of needs. It promotes good health and wellbeing through an array of physical activities. They offer stimulating memory exercises, reminiscence and therapy sessions and special theme days.
Set in four acres, there are beautiful grounds for service users to enjoy, including a chicken coop and horses.
Duncan said: “I might have made more money working on the railways but this is more fulfilling career! It’s brilliant to see families benefitting from what we provide, not just the guests.
“Orrell Hall Barm provides a home from home environment. We have a main hall, a music room, dining area and even our own bar area complete with the original fixtures and fittings from The Owd Dog – a near-by pub that closed down.”
Employing seven full time staff, Reflections also works with local colleges to provide two-week placements for students studying health & social care.
In January it was awarded a place on Wigan Council’s ‘Ethical Framework’. This is a list of trustworthy service providers with recommendations from the local authority.
Duncan added: “We have a great working relationship with Wigan Council. We’re very grateful that our application to join The Deal 2030 Care and Support Ethical Framework was successful.
“This is a wonderful initiative which sees the council working with trusted care providers, like ourselves, to help improve local communities.”
To find out more about how Unity Trust Bank can support your business, visit: www.unity.co.uk.
