Council cuts funding for Age UK dayclubs

The social clubs that take place nationally for those aged 55 and over, are ending in York from September.

The clubs offer a range of activities for their attendees, such as fitness classes, quizzes, games, and general social events. The news of the funding cuts from the council arrived in a letter to the members of the York clubs earlier this month, reading:

“City of York Council have taken the decision to stop funding the service and although Age UK York has been searching for alternative funding it is now clear that this won’t be in place by the end of September.

“As such Age UK York has taken the difficult decision to close its Dayclubs service on 30th September 2024 at the end of our funded contract with the council.”

Angela Newdick spoke to YorkMix about her 96-year-old aunt who attends the club twice weekly: 

“I can’t tell you how important they are. It’s her lifeline, I can’t stress that more.

“She’s 96 and she has trouble with mobility, she’s taken there and brought back, and she’s met friends there that she can chat to.

“We visit every other day but it’s people her own age, it’s different.”

“She’s been devastated. Yesterday we were worried about her because she said she had nothing to look forwardrt been to and had lost her spirit, it broke our hearts.

“I can’t tell you how upset she’s been, when you’re 96 things like that can really affect your health.”

Angela and her sister have been trying to find an alternative: “We haven’t come up with anything and we’ve been on to all the sort of agencies that we can think of in York.

“We’re both quite determined, so maybe there is something out there that we don’t know about but we can’t find it at the moment.”

Simon Holmes, CEO of Age UK York, has said that Age UK will release a statement this week addressing the closure, including details of “both the short term situation and opportunities for the future.”