Rainbow Foundation Celebrates Community Impact at ACE Event
L-R Morgan Tudor, Rhian Bowen-Davies, Caroline Tudor-James, Cllr Tina Mannering, Philip James. (1)
24th February 2026
Rainbow Foundation Celebrates Community Impact and Unveils Ambitious Strategic Plan at Annual Celebratory Event (ACE)
The Rainbow Foundation welcomed a strong turnout at its Annual Celebratory Event (ACE) at Piercy Hall, Marchwiel, bringing together older people, partners, funders, volunteers, clinicians and community leaders to celebrate a year of innovation and impact across Wrexham and North East Wales.
Guests included Rhian Bowen Davies, Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, who delivered the keynote address, and Wrexham Mayor Cllr Tina Mannering, who praised the Foundation as a multi-award-winning Centre of Excellence for Ageing Well.
In her speech, the Older People’s Commissioner recognised the dedication behind developing and sustaining community-based support. She stressed that no single organisation can meet the full breadth of what older people need and that ageing well is a shared responsibility.
“Age-friendly communities don’t happen by accident; they happen through leadership, collaboration and a shared belief that older people deserve the very best from the society around them,” she said.
Prevention was highlighted as a major theme running throughout The Rainbow Foundation’s work, helping people stay active, connected and resilient.
“The evidence is clear: when we invest in community-based preventative work, we reduce loneliness, improve physical and mental health, delay the need for more complex interventions, and strengthen communities,” she added. “But prevention must be understood as a whole-system commitment, backed by sustainable funding and long-term planning.”
Mayor Cllr Tina Mannering also commended the Foundation’s achievements: “It was a privilege to attend The Rainbow Foundation Annual Celebration. The charity helps older people stay active, connected and independent through innovative programmes, social prescribing and community-based support.”
Guests also had the chance to take part in an Active Futures exercise demonstration, showcasing the simple strength and balance activities that help older people stay active, prevent falls and build confidence.
CEO Caroline Tudor James presented the Foundation’s draft Strategic Plan, co-produced with service users and shaped by lived experience, national trends and local priorities. The plan will be shared with partners over the coming months to support joint planning and strengthen the region’s preventative system for ageing well.
The Strategic Plan sets out four priorities:
- Expanding the Hub Model – Ageing Well Centres of Excellence Penley (32 years) and Marchwiel (6 years) continue to show the value of integrated community hubs. Over the next three years, the Foundation aims to expand this preventative model into new areas.
- Growing Outreach and Preventative Support Rainbow will widen mental health and lifestyle support through outreach, home visiting, digital inclusion, community transport and movement-based programmes including Active Futures, the Changing Habits programme and Parkrun engagement.
- Developing In My Place – Rapid Response and Future Care Planning This nurse-led service will support older people within hours of a fall or sudden decline, helping prevent avoidable hospital admissions and enabling people to remain safely at home. The model has been co-produced and is 50% funded through a Social Impact Bond supported by the Alzheimer’s Society.
- Developing the Rainbow Pathway Project – Integrated Step-Down and End-of-Life Care A proposed facility will provide rehabilitation, reablement, respite and end-of-life care closer to home, reducing long hospital stays and offering dignified local support.
In closing, Caroline Tudor James said: “Our strategic plan strengthens what works and scales what matters. It focuses on integration, prevention, independence and dignity — and it is shaped by the voices of the people we serve.”
The ACE event celebrated both the Foundation’s achievements and the growing collaboration across North East Wales to build an Age Friendly Wales where older people can live, age and thrive well.