Age UK Dorchester celebrates 60 years of Roger Thomas' charity vision at Rowan Cottage

Age UK has funded the cottage since 2010, with Age Concern previously funding the cottage from 1997, until its merger with Help the Aged, with the charity aware that Dorset was one of a very few counties in the country without a county wide Age Concern.

Throughout, the founding principles of Roger Thomas in 1957 have been continued.

Thomas noticed that Dorchester lacked anywhere for elderly people to meet.

Thomas, then Mayor of Dorchester, attempted to set up an old people's club, but was met with opposition from the Town Council, leading to the creation of the Dorchester Old People's Welfare Committee (DOPWC) in September/October 1957.

Rowan Cottage was not the original headquarters, and became an option when it was rumoured that it would become available due to the current occupants looking to sell.

As it turned out, two sisters Mrs Lewis and Mrs Leslie, who had been left the property, donated the cottage and the garden to the DOPWC, though the stable and coach house were property of the Ministry of Health, and would be purchased at a later date.

Fundraising began for the conversion, maintenance and the daily work of providing services, with flag days, fetes and jumble sales.

The cottage eventually opened on May, 8 1962, and was opened by Mr Templeman, the chairman of the Wessex Regional Hospital Board.

Since then the cottage has grown within the community, seeing a day centre added, a workshop, and has experienced various improvement works throughout the years.

Although the people within the cottage may have changed, the core values haven't, and Rowan Cottage today still provides for the elderly within the area.

Original activities such as cards and games have been added to, with the centre now offering an array of activities, from personal health such as a nail cutting and better balance service, to fun activities such as Memories for Melodies and lunch club.

In a Dorset Evening Echo article of October, 1961, one gentlemen who lived by himself declared it to be: "better than his own home."

Membership has changed since the beginning, with the membership subscription abolished in 1999, meaning anyone can use the services.

This was part of an Age Concern campaign to promote Rowan Cottage, and under the new management of Wendy Hilton, the then Chief Officer, the cottage saw new welcoming signs on site, a warming reception area installed, regular publicity sent to local media, and it listened to what older people wanted.

The results were an introduction of computer classes, funding opportunities and more advice sessions.

Age UK since 2010 became aware that services for older people outside the county town was not as widespread as it should be, with the chief executive extending the services across a wider area.

Age UK Dorchester now provides services in Wyke Regis, Portland, Weymouth, Wareham, Chickerell, Bridport, Charmouth and Beaminster, highlighting how key the charity is to Dorset.

By March 2017, £9 million had been raised in benefits for local older people since the welfare benefits programme began.

Peter Lindsey, spokesman for Age UK Dorchester said: "We do a number of things, advocacy benefits, footcare and personal care to name a few.

"What we are trying to do is put a big emphasis on social isolation, and we are doing this by having five people in the field.

"Our 'Reach Out Befrienders' are people on the ground making others join social clubs, encouraging people to get out, get active and keep the mind and body active.

"We currently offer a lunch club, which costs £6 for two courses, with old style dishes like sponge pudding.

"We also have a Day Centre and Social club, which is open from 9.30am till 3pm, and offers a similar thing: quizzes, chair exercises and more for £2. 

"We want to speak to more people, and tackle social isolation."

• If you would like more information about Rowan Cottage, purchase Wendy Hilton's book from the cottage itself, or in the three Age UK Dorchester shops in Dorchester, Weymouth and Bridport.