The Beginning

The Hall was eventually purchased because of events following the birth of their son Richard by Alan and Mary Chapman in 1964. Richard was diagnosed as brain damaged and later partially sighted - the latter being probably due to the high dosage of oxygen administered at birth in order to save his life.

The Chapman's became aware that there were few services for the disabled. With some friends from their local church of St Andrews (now All Saints) they gained permission to use the empty church school room's for a playgroup for local disabled children in 1968. Among the helpers were Ernie and Barbara Hyde. The playgroup was taken over by the County Council in 1972.

From contact with other parents, it soon became clear that there was an urgent need for a service, which would give parents some respite from caring for their disabled child.

Alan and Mary decided to look for a suitable house that they could buy and convert to a short-stay care home for such children, but their funds were somewhat limited.

They discussed their idea with Ernie and Barbara Hyde and eventually all decided to join forces and look for a suitable place with their now joint financial resources.

In December 1972 Rossendale Hall with its Lodge and 4.5 acres of land was offered for sale. The two families decided to submit an offer for the properties which to their delight was accepted. They raised the money from the sale of their own homes, a donation from a local person and subsidised by the sale of the Lodge by a later auction.

Both families moved into the Hall during the Spring of 1973.

With the help of many local people from the nearby village of Sutton - as well as Macclesfield - a working party was formed which for the next three years would plan, fund-raise and oversee the building of a purpose built Short Stay Care Unit - now called Riverside in addition to the existing Hall. The Rossendale Trust was born.

This had been identified as a very necessary expansion of the Hall as the Founding Families were occupying most of it.

It has to be said that the founding families created an ideal caring environment for so many people - which it is really a true reflection of their own love and caring for all people in a similar position.

Whilst this was the very first expansion of the Rossendale Trust - it didn't just stop there - as their vision and perception of future needs was for Expansion.