Age Concern Cowplain centre manager retires as community comes out to give its thanks
A Hampshire Age Concern centre manager has retired after over a decade of service with the local community attending an event to show their appreciation.
Liz Wood has worked for the centre in Cowplain for nearly 17 years, helping to provide services for socially isolated elderly people in the area. The Borrow Centre in London Road was packed out on Friday, August 16 as friends, family, colleagues, and members of the community celebrated Liz’s retirement and took the opportunity to thank her for her hard work over the years.
It was an event full of touching tributes as Liz’s achievements were reflected on, most notably how she modernised the centre’s processes and fought to keep the centre open during covid. It was through the uncertain days of the pandemic that she was able to secure grants to keep it open and arrange takeaway meals to ensure that members of the community did not remain isolated.
Reflecting on her retirement Liz had mixed emotions. She said. “I feel sad but it’s time to go onto pastures new. It’s been a mix of apprehension and worry that people would not turn up today.”
Looking back over a decade and a half of memories there have been too many stories for Liz to go over but one thing that always sticks with her is the people the centre has helped. She said: “When we have relatives come up to us and tell us what a difference we have made to their loved ones, that makes you feel really good.
“It’s great to feel that you have enabled them to live their life rather than just existing inside four walls. It helps give them a sense of purpose and improves their wellbeing so it is great to have been a part of.”
Liz said: “We provide lunch clubs three times a week and we also have a befriending service which aims to get socially isolated people that are living independently in their homes into the centre. It might not necessarily mean the centre but anything that is going to promote independence again, we do computer lessons, we have podiatry service, it’s all focussed on helping older people.
“The centre is for the over 50s but predominantly it is for older people that perhaps have lost mobility or their physical or mental health has deteriorated. It is a bit of an achievement when you get somebody that has short term memory loss but they know that they come to lunch every Tuesday.”
While Liz is not going to miss all aspects of running the centre, there is one thing she will miss and that is the people. She said: ”I’m definitely going to miss all of the volunteers, the service users. I'm not going to miss the stress but I definitely am going to miss it.”
Liz now has some well earned holidays to look forward to but it may not be the last time she gives back to the community. She said: “When I have taken stock and had a little bit of a rest, then I will probably go and volunteer somewhere else.”