The Mackenney Centre celebrates its 50th Anniversary

This month, September 2024, marks the 50th Anniversary of The Mackenney Centre, following its grand opening to the older communities of Medway over half a decade ago, in September 1974. 

It’s September 1974. The Osmonds are number 1 in the UK charts with Love Me for a Reason, Harold Wilson is Prime Minister and ITV have just launched a new sitcom, Rising Damp. Meanwhile, in Woodlands Road, Gillingham, following fundraising by local residents and with the support of the Local Authority, the doors of The Mackenney Centre open for the very first time – providing a new and exciting place where older people can go to meet new people and partake in activities, with the overall goal of reducing loneliness in Medway.

Fast forward 50 years; it’s now September 2024. Things are vastly different, yet very much the same. The day centre service, as it did back in 1974, includes lunch, activities, games and entertainment, as well as in-house facilities including footcare, bathing and hairdressing – a place where older people can go to socialise, regain confidence and retain independence. Over the course of the past 50 years, we have seen technology change and transform the world around us, having both positive and negative impacts on older people (read more about this here), but one thing has not changed at all: the ever-increasing experience of loneliness among older people, and the vital need for our basic, yet life-changing services.

In August 1974, the then secretary of Gillingham Age Concern (now Age UK Kent Rivers), Mr. Booker, described the centre as "preventive medicine" for those who use it, aiding people to become "community minded".  Despite society, and the charity itself, evolving and changing, the issue of loneliness remains today, and the charity's focus continues to be to support older people to maintain (and even prolong) independence, reduce loneliness and increase community engagement.

The Mackenney Centre, named in honour of Treasurer, Sidney Mackenney (1974-1996), has remained a constant in the history of Age UK Kent Rivers, from its origins as Age Concern Gillingham, and through its growth to become Age UK Medway, and now, Age UK Kent Rivers. Funded in part by the Local Authority in the earlier years, to later being entirely unfunded, Age UK Kent Rivers has always found a way to keep the centre open, charging for the service in a mindful, community-focussed way to ensure its sustainability, and even replacing the service entirely with a ‘day centre from home’ package during the Covid-19 pandemic. We know that, sadly, not all charities survive in the face of funding withdrawals, nor global pandemics, and Age UK Kent Rivers is proud to be able to celebrate 50 years of The Mackenney Centre.

To honour this incredible milestone, Mackenney Centre staff threw a very special 50^th Birthday party for customers and staff to enjoy, with a lot of help from the local community - who donated wonderful raffle prizes, craft goodies, balloons and decorations, cakes and gift cards, and even volunteered their time. A huge, heartfelt Thank You goes to: BAE Systems Rochester, JCB Group Rainham, Morrisons Strood, Card Factory Dockside, Boyce’s Bakes Gillingham, Hobbycraft Strood, M&S Dockside, and Asda Gillingham (with a special shout out to Diana, Community Ambassador, for coming along to the party to support and celebrate with us).

Thank you to Chair of Trustees, Dr. Gill Fargher, for coming along to celebrate with staff and customers.

Finally, thank you to our incredible staff team at The Mackenney Centre, for their hard work, compassion and for always embodying the ALF Principle – even when it means dressing up, being silly and putting on a brilliant and hilarious show for all the customers.

Today, 1.4 million older people in the UK are experiencing loneliness, which can have a devastating impact on the quality of their life, and among our many companionship services, our social hubs/day centres remain one of the most vital. We proudly now operate social hubs and Dementia centres in Medway, Dartford, Gravesend, Faversham and Sittingbourne, which you can find details about here (select ‘Socialising and activities’ from the drop-down menu).

If you want to support Age UK Kent Rivers and make a positive impact to your local community, head to Get Involved to find out how you can help us in sustaining our vital services for the next fifty years, and in our mission to encourage everyone to #AskAboutALF, in order for everyone to Achieve Life's Fullness.

Written by and with credit to Anna Stansell, Head of Corporate Communications and Tracy Rodwell, Trust & Grants Fundraiser, September 2024