A bright future for Annan Day Centre

A WELL established facility in Annan, serving the town and surrounding communities is about to be launched into a new era of expansion.

Annan Day Centre has a brand-new purpose-built base on the horizon and is developing its service provision, by creating more jobs and training opportunities.

The service will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year and its future looks bright.

The day centre not only benefits people of retirement age, it supports and enhances the lives of adults living with health conditions that can lead to isolation.

Centre manger Emma Irving and her team have been working tirelessly over recent years to swell the membership.

She said: “Rebuilding our membership and reinstating our services, following covid, has been our priority.

“Now it’s time to grow and expand the range of what we offer and on top of that we are now in a position to supercharge our plans for a purpose built facility in the town.”

A recent grant of £60,913 from The National Lottery Community Fund the Connected and Thriving project will support community-led activities for the next two years. It will help subsidise the cost of services and has added two new members of staff to the team, brought in to develop a brand new programme, which includes line dancing, chair Pilates, easy aerobics and supports established activities such as aqua fit and a range of indoor activities for members attending the drop-in facility, currently housed within the Market Hall.

The importance of having a busy schedule of varied activities is seen as essential for servicing a diverse range of people from the community.

The day centre was set up by senior members of the community back in 2005 for the benefit of those reaching later years or those in a more vulnerable position.

Present head of the charity, Donald Irving has been a member for a decade, serving as chairperson most of that time.

He said: “Providing a thriving schedule of activities for people to join in with keeps the centre vibrant. It’s vital to help combat loneliness by helping people stay connected.”

To take forward the bigger project, establishing a brand-new purpose-built building on the grounds of the former Annan library, Dumfries and Galloway Council’s CLERF fund have awarded Annan Day Centre a capital grant of £88,664.

Emma added: “We took ownership of the old library through a community buy-out in 2021. With the original building being subject to vandalism and subsequent fire damage meaning it had to be demolished, we were in the perfect position to realise the opportunity to create a purpose-built facility.

“We are very excited to see things progress. This has been a long journey, but we’ve kept going and we believe the new centre will be a lasting asset to the community.”

A further bonus has been an award from Bank of Scotland Foundation – Empower 2025. A sum of £150,000 will be fed in over the next three years, to provide security and sustainability during rising demand.

Emma added: “This will support the continuation and development of vital programmes. We are very grateful to all our supporters and funders; from large organisations such as Bank of Scotland Foundation to the many local businesses who have supported us along the way. We can’t thank everyone enough.”

The town of Annan has a population of 8700, with over 2000 of its residents being over the age of 65.

That number is on the increase and there is more and more need to ensure that the community is best equipped, both mentally and physically to enjoy later years and for those that can, to continue making a positive contribution to the local economy and community.

It is hoped work can start on the new facility in the not too distant future, and in the meantime Emma and her team; Donald and the active committee members will continue offering the wide range of services.

Donald said: “Care in the community has been an objective of our national heath services for many years, taking strain away from care homes and hospitals.

“That can only be done with private-sector intervention and the Annan Day Centre is an excellent example of doing just that.

“We have a strong core of services, ranging from a varied programme of activities at the Day Centre to foot-care services, meals on wheels, transport to the centre and for medical appointments, as well as home cleaning services. All these things combined help people remain independent for longer and that is good for everyone.”