Spiralling costs leave Age UK Wirral in 'fight for survival'

Age UK Wirral bosses say the organisation is in 'dire need' of increasing its income if it is to continue supporting thousands of local older people every year.

The Bridge It campaign urges the Wirral community to ‘come together and help bridge the gap between the charity’s current income and the actual costs of providing its care and support right across Wirral’.

Using the strapline ‘We never know what we’ve got until it’s gone’, the 75-year-old charity is seeking to raise at least £75,000 over the coming weeks from the campaign, which will feature in all of its shops, buildings and across a range of social media platforms.

The Bridge It campaign will be narrated by Bridgit, the campaign's ambassador who will feature throughout the fundraising 

Jamie Anderson, chief executive of Age UK Wirral, told the Globe: “This is the worst funding crisis I’ve experienced in 25 years of being with the charity.

“And it’s not just a case of us needing to keep our current services and activities running – the older population in Wirral is increasing in number and will continue to do so over coming years.

Age UK Wirral staff with 'Bridgit', the campaign ambassador (Image: Lynne Hamilton / Age UK Wirral)

“Demand for our support has gone through the roof. It really worries me what the impact would be for older people and their families in Wirral if we have to make some really difficult decisions to stop services and activities over the coming weeks and months.

“Older people often tell us we are their lifeline but now it’s a case of we need to find our lifeline to keep all of the plates spinning’.

Mr Anderson added: “Volunteers and staff are working tirelessly to keep vital services including our medical transport schemes, day care for people with dementia, carer support, mental health support, advice and information and many more.

“They see first-hand, on a daily basis, the difference that their support makes to people’s lives.

“We simply can’t keep up with the increases we are experiencing to gas, electricity, food, insurance and fuel costs. That’s before we’ve even tried to maintain our legal obligations with keeping abreast with legal minimum wage requirements.

“No matter how much harder we all keep working, the mountain keeps getting steeper and steeper.

“The challenges have been relentless since March 2020 when we embarked on our Covid-19 Emergency Response Service and I really worry about the burnout of volunteers and staff if we can’t find some solutions to this crisis."

You can help support the campaign by donating through the following methods:

• Website: https://bit.ly/bridgeitdetails
• JustGiving: https://bit.ly/bridgeitdonate
• Telephone: 0151 433 3317
• Text message: Text BRIDGE followed by the amount you want to donate to 70450