About us
We're a local charity offering Manchester's older people, their families and carers a ‘relationship for life’ for whatever opportunities and challenges later life brings.
Age UK Manchester (formerly Age Concern Manchester) is an independent charity working with and for older people across Manchester.
We were formed in 1976 to “promote the relief of elderly people in any manner that now or hereafter may be deemed by to be charitable in and around the city of Manchester.” We aim not only to provide direct assistance through our own services, but also seek to influence the nature, style, client group and location of services provided by others, particularly the statuary agencies with responsibilities for meeting the needs of older people across the city of Manchester.
We are committed to ensuring that older people live longer and happier lives; that their carers have the time to pursue their own interests whilst their loved one is valued in our care; and that everyone who receives our support is treated with dignity, respect and kindness.
Our range of services mean that we can offer older people a relationship for life, with support, opportunities and practical assistance at every stage of later life.
We also work with our Age UK colleagues across Greater Manchester to ensure a unified response to need in the region.
We are registered with the Charity Commission (1083242) and are a Company Limited by Guarantee. Our governing body is the Board of Trustees which meets once a month to receive reports and discuss progress.
We rely on your support to keep serving the community. We are supported by donations from the public, income from our charity shops, and some charitable grants.
If you would like to support our work, you can donate to contribute towards our efforts to ensure that everyone in Manchester has opportunities to love later life.
Our history
Like many other local Age UKs, our roots can be traced back to an “older people’s welfare committee”. In our case the charity was part of the then Manchester and Salford Council for Voluntary Service, and in January 1976 the first separate charity called “Age Concern Manchester” was established. The charity grew steadily and a fundamental review of organisational and managerial structures was in progress when, in June 1996, the IRA bomb that devastated Manchester’s City Centre, rendered our Corn Exchange headquarters unusable, causing considerable disruption to the charity’s organisation.
However, our staff and volunteers worked tirelessly to ensure that our work in the community and in our local day centres continued and that services to older people were sustained throughout a very difficult time.
Since the bombing, our Headquarters have moved to a number of different locations, and we are currently based at 20 St Ann's Square, Manchester, M2 7HG.
Organisational Quality Standards
We are proud to have achieved the Organisational Quality Standards for local Age UKs in England.
Our achievement of the Organisational Quality Standards recognises the high standard of our performance as an organisation. It certifies that we are a well-governed and effective organisation committed to the wellbeing of older people, our staff and volunteers and to working in partnership with others. The Standards are externally assessed by industry leaders SGS and endorsed by the Charity Commission.
To find out more about our Organisational Quality Standards certification, please contact us.
Who's who
Our board of trustees
Trustees currently on the Board are all volunteers and are senior professionals or retired professionals, bringing their combined knowledge of finance, law, accountancy, the management of human resources, charities, transport, nursing, mental health, and social care to the governance of the charity.
Brian Green - Chairman
Dr Sean Lennon - Deputy Chairman
Sally Dervan - Company Secretary
Richard Zoltie - Honorary Treasurer
Colin Fall
Richard Clarke
Katie Cruikshank
Our Senior Management Team
Sally Dervan - Chief Executive
Michelle McKinney - Care Services Manager
Heather McGinnis - Finance Manager
Richy Campbell - Business Development Manager
Sue Agar - Service Development Manager
Rick Hartley - Retail & Income Generation Manager
Equality and diversity
We value diversity in all that we do. We recognise and welcome the diversity of older adults and their different needs, choices, cultures and values and the diversity of our volunteers, supporters and staff. We believe that it is only through working together that we can use our local, regional and national presence to the greatest effect.
Equal Opportunities statement
- Age UK Manchester recognises that certain individuals and groups in society suffer discrimination. Age UK Manchester, as an employer and as a service provider, is working to remove all forms of unfair discrimination, whether on grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
- Age UK Manchester acknowledges its duty to ensure that it does not engage in direct or indirect discrimination in its own employment and management practices, in the services it provides and in its policies. In the course of its work it will oppose the practices of others where these conflict with this statement and the equal opportunities policies adopted by Age UK Manchester.
- Age UK Manchester will provide services and facilities which meet the accessibility needs of those who use them
- Age UK Manchester will ensure that written equal opportunities polices are developed for all aspects of its work and implement programmes of action to ensure such policy is put into practice.
- All Age UK Manchester’s employees and volunteers will be expected to adhere to the organisation's equal opportunities policy in the course of their work with, or on behalf of Age UK Manchester.
Complaint policies
Age UK Manchester is committed to providing services of the highest possible quality, reflecting as fully as possible the views and wishes of the users of our services.
We acknowledge that, despite our best efforts, occasions may arise when users of the services, or other people who come into contact with Age UK Manchester, feel the need to express dissatisfaction. If we have made a mistake, or if there is room for improvement, we need to know in order to put matters right.
This complaints procedure is designed to ensure that any complaint is dealt with fairly and thoroughly. By ‘complaint’ we mean any expression of dissatisfaction. This procedure is made accessible to the public in the form of a poster, which is displayed in interview rooms and public reception areas, and a leaflet.
Complaints Procedure – Informal Complaint
Many misunderstandings or differences can be sorted out by discussing them with the volunteer or member of staff in charge at the time and the place that the complaint first arises.
Should the matter not be resolved in this way, it should be brought to the attention of the service manager who will make contact with the complainant to try and resolve the matter. Even if the matter is resolved it should still be fully recorded in the ‘Comments, Compliments, Complaints’ file. If these discussions do not resolve the difficulties, then the next step is a formal complaint.
Complaints Procedure – Formal Complaint
At this stage the complainant should be asked to complete a Complaints Form and to send it in confidence to the Chief Executive. A sample of the Complaints form follows. The Chief Executive will acknowledge a complaint within 5 days of its receipt. The complaint will be fully investigated, normally by the line manager of the person or persons directly involved in the complaint, and a report produced for the Chief Executive within 28 days. All complaints will be dealt with in the strictest confidence.
The investigation will be carried out fairly, and will not be dealt with by anyone directly involved in the matter. If any meetings are required, these will be arranged at a time to suit the complainant(s) and they will be entitled to bring a non-lawyer friend or relative along to represent them. The complainant will be kept informed if an investigation takes longer than 28 days.
It will be for the Chief Executive to decide what action, if any, it is appropriate to take in response to the complaint. The complainant will receive a written statement setting out the decision. A copy of the complaint and the decision will be kept in a named file - ‘Comments, Compliments and Complaints’.
Should the complaint be about the action of the Chief Executive, the role ascribed to the Chief Executive in the complaints procedure will be taken by a Trustee appointed by the Board for the purpose.