Care bosses have insisted a community hub’s £150,000 revamp is value for money and will provide ‘quality’ services for vulnerable and older people. The new Hub Alkrington, in Middleton, was launched in July as a ‘one-stop’ shop enabling adults to access a range of wellbeing and care services.
Championed by Rochdale council as ‘an innovative community facility’,the Hardfield Road building was formerly home to its axed Moving On service for people with brain injuries.As well as ‘signposting’ borough residents to advice and mental health services, the hub also showcases a virtual ‘smart house’ featuring forms of ‘assistive technology’ that help people live independently.
Organisations providing services at the facility include Kickstart with Hope - which continues the work of Moving On - HMR Circle, Mind, Your Trust and the council’s adult care service. However the Better Health 4 Middleton (BH4M) community group has criticised the council for going about things ‘the wrong way around’ - arguing that the public should have been consulted before it opened.
