The charity Your Trust has marked a record-breaking year of growth after revealing that more than 1.6m people engaged with its leisure, culture, and wellbeing programmes during the last year.
Your Trust is Rochdale borough’s charity for active, creative and healthy living, and its newly-published annual report showed that last year’s numbers were an increase of more than 210,000 on the previous year.
Behind the numbers are a wide range of activities and events, including thousands of community sessions such as the Holiday Activity and Food programme, which provided 40,000 meals to local children. Children were also supported by mental health and wellbeing sessions, delivered in partnership with Youth in Mind.
Falls Prevention classes were attended over 31,000 times by older adults and hundreds of older people also joined Your Trust’s Exercise Referral Programme – designed to help get people moving and feel better.
In addition, collaborations like Creative Voices and Dumpling Day celebrated Rochdale’s rich diversity and community spirit, bringing the community together at key points throughout the year.
And new initiatives such as Inclusive Watersports and Multi-Sports for Parkinson’s have welcomed people of all abilities to take part.
Estelle Rowe, Chief Executive of Your Trust, said: “This past year has been inspiring and we’re delighted to have achieved record numbers, supporting more people than ever before.
“We’ve seen just how much good can happen when people come together to move, create and connect. From our leisure centres and arts spaces to our outdoor programmes and wellbeing initiatives, Your Trust has been at the heart of helping people live happier, healthier lives.
“We’re proud of what we’ve achieved together with our communities and partners – and even more excited for what’s to come.”
Your Trust’s positive impact was also evident through a range of environmental and educational work. The charity reduced its carbon footprint by 4% year-on-year, supported over 4,300 people through Active Travel Rochdale, and helped 84 local people gain qualifications through Community Sports Leaders courses. Its volunteer network contributed more than 560 hours of time to good causes locally too.
