About Us

Age Concern Borrow Centre at Cowplain is a registered charity, number 251915. With two exceptions, approximately 45 unpaid volunteers hold all positions. The exceptions are the part time posts of Centre Manager and Cleaner. Find out more on our key position holders.
 

Our aims and objectives

We aim to :

  • Assist older people in their quest to remain as independent as possible
  • Relieve social isolation
  • Encourage older people to be involved as valued members of the Community
  • Promote well-being
  • Help older people to overcome disabilities

We seek to do this by:

  • Providing a safe friendly environment to encourage social interaction
  • Offering a wide variety of stimulating Community activities
  • Offering information
  • Working closely with other organisations, and acting as a facilitator to ensure that the needs of our local older people are met
  • Supporting and training a dedicated team of volunteers

Our Story

Age Concern Borrow Centre origins started in 1976 with a fund raising drive to provide a day centre as a means of helping the maximum number of older people in the local community. Prior to this time Age Concern Cowplain was already running a Luncheon Club, coffee mornings & outings based in the Cowplain Women’s Institute Hall.
 
Mr Eddie Borrow, a local farmer, donated a quarter acre site on the corner of London Road with Padnell Avenue. This is our current location, and why we are “Borrow Centre” as recognition of this gift.
 
Fund raising continued, with large donations from Waterlooville Lions Club, Mr Borrow, Help The Aged plus an interest free loan from Havant Borough Council and many smaller contributions from voluntary fundraisers.
 
Work started on the Borrow Centre in June 1981, at a cost of £38,000, five years after the scheme was initiated.
The Age Concern Borrow Day Centre, as it was then called, was officially opened on 16 October 1981 by The Mayor of Havant. The Centre flourished and proved extremely popular, so much so that 21 years later in November 2002 the committee approved a complete revamp of the Centre, including new extension and improved facilities to meet the growing needs of the community.
 
The amount needed was at least £300,000, and fund raising began immediately.
 
Again some large donations were obtained, for instance The Big Lottery Fund £100,000, Hampshire County Council £25,000, The Wolfson Foundation and Comic Relief £5,000 each and Havant Borough Council £750.
 
A list of some of our donors is on this web site. Plus of course many smaller donations from individuals and volunteers fund raising.
 
Fours years and three months of fund raising had produced £312,000, and thus enabled building work to expand the Age Concern Borrow Centre to start in June 2006.
 
Work was completed over winter 2006, with the official opening 22 February 2007, once again by the Mayor of Havant.
 
Age Concern Borrow Centre is now able to offer much more to the local community, some of which the original fund raisers in 1981 never could have imagined, such as computing and internet access to the world.