NEW OPENING
“This age group is more, not less, open to change – they’re not set in their ways and they want to try new things”
Second Half Centre members enjoy a trip to the theatre
The centre opened on 29 October
2012 with a highly affordable offering courtesy of these funding streams. Membership is free until 1 June 2013, after which there will be a cost of just £20 a year for those who can afford to pay, or £10 for those on a bursary. Classes cost extra, but typically range from £2–5 a session. This is key, explains Shaw Ruddock, as North Kensington – where the centre is located – has high levels of social deprivation. Six out of 10 pensioners in the area also live alone. “But isolation can happen to anyone,”
says Shaw Ruddock. “My own parents were very isolated. It just creeps up on you and happens to people you wouldn’t expect. It’s not a class issue – it doesn’t discriminate. So we aren’t only targeting one section of the community: our centre is for everyone, from all social backgrounds. And I think the fact that we haven’t imposed class barriers by only targeting the less well-off – that we’ve aimed for a high quality offering that will appeal to all – means we’re doing it better than anyone.”
Creating a community The Second Half Centre currently provides over 50 hours of activity a week, from IT classes to life coaching, theatre visits to cookery courses, art classes to gardening, group exercise to
‘brain fitness’ – current affairs sessions, for example – and visual history of art to history of literature. “We use only the very best teachers,”
says Shaw Ruddock. “We have head chefs from top London restaurants teaching our international cooking courses, for example, and the head gardener from Kensington Roof Gardens comes in to run the sessions in the allotment. “Around 30 per cent of our teachers
are volunteers – we’re lucky to have so many people who want to give back and share their expertise – and the rest we pay. This is how we’re different: we pay to get the best. We have to. To
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attract people from all socio-economic backgrounds, we need to have the best teachers. The volunteer teachers we have are fantastic and the best in their field; if they didn’t volunteer, we would have to pay them. Because that’s our model: everything has to be top quality.” The idea isn’t simply to give members
‘old people’ activities to do: it’s about ensuring those aged over 50 continue to be challenged and supported in getting the most out of life. “The government tends to think older people can’t look after themselves, but in fact they just want to be given an opportunity to do precisely that,” says Shaw Ruddock.
“This age group is also more, not less, open to change – they’re not set in their ways and they want to try new things.” Sessions therefore range from
‘retooling for work and life’ classes – CV writing, strategic thinking and IT skills for those who want to return to work, for example, or social media classes to help people stay connected – through to confidence and wellbeing workshops. New sessions are also added to the timetable all the time, as relevant volunteers offer their services – from advice on relationships and sex in older age to adult parenting skills. There’s also a strong group exercise
schedule offering 13 different classes, including Zumba, salsa, stretch & tone, pilates, yoga, tai chi and ‘learn about your body through movement’ classes
– the latter run by a former member of renowned ballet company Ballet Rambert. Members can volunteer in the centre
and mentor newcomers – there’s already a waiting list to do this – which helps foster a real sense of community.
“Everyone talks about addressing isolation, but you need to create places that give people something that belongs to them,” explains Shaw Ruddock. Adding to this sense of community, members can have a coffee and socialise in the café after classes, while St Charles’ own restaurant downstairs has been given a Second Half makeover
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and seen custom rise significantly as a result, including the monthly – heavily subsidised – Second Half lunch. The original target was for 170
members; by March there were already almost 700, with a revised target of 1,000.
“But there’s no maximum capacity. If we get full, we’ll just find space to expand,” says Shaw Ruddock unequivocally. Growth has been driven through numerous channels, from GP referral to links with third sector organisations, marketing in local venues such as libraries and cinemas, and word of mouth. There has also been a great deal of media interest.
A national roll-out? There is also interest in the model at a governmental level: Shaw Ruddock has been in discussions with the Department of Health (DH) for the past 18 months. “What we’re trying to do is create a template we can roll out nationally, and which ideally both the Department of Health and the Department for Work and Pensions will embrace,” she says. “There are lots of under-performing
properties within the NHS, and I think there could ultimately be around 30 of these centres across the country, starting with five or six in London to make sure it works perfectly. With our model, running costs would be less than £300,000 a year per centre, while the long-term savings for the NHS would be vast. “As a charity, I also don’t think we
should pay rent going forward. We’re turning around under-performing space and delivering what the country needs. “It would be great for society if the
roll-out could happen under the banner of the DH – if they could own it and take credit for it – to help drive a wholesale mindshift in society. In fact, we’re hoping to create the next Second Half Centre in the next 18 months through the DH. But we do need to make sure the concept isn’t watered down. High standards lie at the very heart of our success and must absolutely not be lowered.” ●
May 2013 © Cybertrek 2013
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