A Glossop-based community interest company has struck up a "cutting edge" partnership with a housing association which will enable its wellbeing services to be delivered to both residents and the local community.

Now based at Whitfield House, an Extra Care Housing scheme managed by South Yorkshire Housing Association, Be Well can deliver its services straight into the heart of the community.

Described as a “ground-breaking move”, it’s seen as having the potential to revolutionise how local communities see what some people still call “old people’s homes” and make a positive contribution to how their older neighbours live.

Thanks to National Lottery funding, Be Well have already linked up three residential settings – Whitfield House, Regency Hall and Willowbank Care Home – with three pre-school nurseries - South View Nursery, Little Stars and Hadfield Nursery School – partnerships which have proved the value of integrating older people with their neighbours.

Be Well’s intergenerational work was inspired by a Channel 4 documentary called “Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds” and they have seen the same positive results in the lives of all involved.

A formal launch was held at Whitfield House on Monday afternoon (26 September) to celebrate the initiative, which was attended by partners, local organisations and High Peak Mayor Cllr Ollie Cross and Mayoress Gill Cross.

Some of the attendees at the launch at Whitfield House 

Born in 2012, Be Well stemmed from an idea that Chair Mick Owen had that getting people more active in Glossopdale would save the NHS money. He was first commissioned by Cottage Lane Surgery in Gamesley, who tasked him to focus on their older patients who moved least.

Since then, what is now Be Well have worked with a number of agencies, schools, sports clubs and community groups to find ways to help people improve their wellbeing by breaking the habits of inactivity, isolation and loneliness.

With the support of the community, Be Well’s future vision is to grow its current projects and activities, increase the team and continue to bring wellbeing to the people of Glossop.

Richard Thomas, a volunteer director of Be Well, said: “People who started with us 10 years ago are still on the journey with us to this day. Every time we’ve asked the community for something, the community has given us something back and it’s been absolutely fantastic.

“The pandemic was a really tough time for everyone and it was a real watershed for Be Well because we had this fantastic piece of work reuniting the generations and bringing people together, a great team and the funding we needed. Then suddenly Covid-19 said we couldn’t do it anymore. We had to, in a way, pivot to make us all think differently.

"One of the things the whole organisation rallied around was that idea of bringing communities together.

“We can replicate what we’re doing anywhere and you can see from the Whitfield House residents and from our guests here how willing people are to support us and that it’s a really positive thing." 

South Yorkshire Housing Association is a charitable organisation managing more than 6,000 homes and supporting hundreds of people to lead independent lives.

Their Extra Care Supported Living Scheme in Whitfield House has 45 self-contained flats of mixed tenure - some of which are within a beautiful refurbished old Victorian house and others in the purpose-built apartments attached.

Curling is one of the activities Be Well runs at Whitfield House

Jennifer Dexter, Service Manager at South Yorkshire Housing Association, commented: “I opened the scheme when SYHA had developed the area and have always been interested in the effect wellbeing activities can have on people, especially intergenerational work – the residents and children get so much from it and it’s definitely the way to go. You can see the smiles on people’s faces.

“Many years ago, Mick contacted me and we got the ball rolling. Initially Be Well were based elsewhere and came to Whitfield House to deliver their service but then, after Covid, we were approached to see whether they could base themselves here.

"We had a room and we had no hesitation in letting them use it. Be Well fits in with our values at South Yorkshire Housing Association and it benefits everyone involved. It’s gone from strength to strength.

“When we talk about intergenerational work, we always think of younger children and older people but I think, in an area like Whitfield, it would be useful to get teenagers involved who are perhaps bored and looking for something to do. That’s the next thing for us to look at.”

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