Your Trust celebrates record 1.6 million engagements across Rochdale borough

Monday, 29 December 2025 10:10

By David Murphy

More than 1.6 million people took part in Your Trust’s community programmes last year, marking a record high for the Rochdale-based charity.

The figures, revealed in its latest annual impact report, represent a rise of over 210,000 engagements compared to the previous year. Your Trust delivers a wide range of leisure, arts, and health initiatives, aiming to help residents across the borough lead more active and connected lives.

The total includes tens of thousands of attendances across events and initiatives such as inclusive sport, family wellbeing, and environmental schemes.

Highlights from the report include the distribution of 40,000 meals to local children as part of the Holiday Activity and Food programme. Delivered alongside Youth in Mind, the programme also offered mental health and wellbeing sessions to young people.

Older residents engaged strongly with services, clocking more than 31,000 attendances at Falls Prevention classes. Many also joined the Exercise Referral Programme, a service aimed at improving physical activity among those living with long-term conditions.

New schemes such as Inclusive Watersports and Multi-Sports for Parkinson’s proved popular, offering tailored support for people with disabilities and long-term illnesses.

Cultural programmes also contributed to the rise in participation. Events like Dumpling Day and Creative Voices celebrated diversity across the borough and provided platforms for creative expression.

Your Trust’s environmental and educational efforts saw further impact, with the charity reducing its carbon footprint by 4% and supporting over 4,300 residents through the Active Travel Rochdale initiative. The Community Sports Leaders programme helped 84 local people gain new qualifications, while volunteers contributed over 560 hours of time across the borough.

Chief Executive Estelle Rowe speaking to Roch Valley Radio said the figures reflected the community’s strength and spirit.

This past year has been inspiring and we’re delighted to have achieved record numbers, supporting more people than ever before,

We’ve seen just how much good can happen when people come together to move, create and connect. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved together with our communities and partners, and even more excited for what’s to come.