AN ELDERLY social group in Radcliffe has announced that it plans to name a new day care centre in honour of John Atkinson, killed in the Manchester terror attack.

Friendly Faces – which was set up by Cherella Young in 2015 – aims to reduce isolation among Radcliffe’s elderly residents.

Cherella, now aged 34, of Red Bank Road, said: “John was a family friend of mine and after receiving permission from the family I want to name the day care centre after him.

“He was very well liked in the care industry and I feel that doing so would be a fitting tribute to him and the family.

She added: “I set the group up to try and help elderly people in the area to meet and make new friends.

“Since starting up the group in 2015, it has gone from strength-to-strength and we are receiving more and more interest all of the time and so we feel now we need to move to a permanent home.”

The mum-of-four is now in talks with other groups in the borough to try and find a new place that they can call home.

She said: “We currently have until November to get proposals finalised and to put any project ideas forward so the hope it to have a place sorted by then.

“If we can get the use of any other local buildings that are willing to let us use it for our day centre then we will do.

“Although we are looking to expand to a day care centre to benefit the local community, we will always see Radcliffe Borough FC and the facilities there as our original home.

"The club have allowed us the use of their venue there every week and will continue to do so until we find our new home so I would like to thank them for that. We have all become one big, happy family since the group was formed and has continued to blossom.

“I would also like to thank Ambition For Ageing for all of their help so far, they have been hugely supportive.”

A JustGiving page has been set up for anyone to help out with donations. The page can be found at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/friendlyfacesdaycentre?utm_source=Facebook

For more information about Friendly Faces and the work that they do, people can visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/friendlyfaces942/