A LONG-STANDING lunch club for the villages of Shaw and Whitley has closed due to a lack of volunteers and club members after the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Shaw & Whitley Friendship Club in Shaw Village Hall ran on Wednesday lunchtimes and provided a hot meal and social interaction for elderly residents; the last lunch was served on Wednesday 20th December.
“Some of the highlights over the years have been Christmas lunches at Abbey Mill, trips to the pantomime and the seaside and celebrations like the Queen’s jubilee,” said Beryl Easton, one of the organisers. “We don’t plan to do this again in the future, but we are hoping the members will continue to meet up for coffee.”
The dedicated Age UK worker, Sarah Thomson, funded by Melksham Without Parish Council (MWPC) and Melksham Town Council, attended the sessions in November and December, to support those who may feel isolated, to support them in finding other regular activities to attend.
Grant funding of £450 that was given to the club from MWPC has now been donated to Melksham Free Dining which also provides a lunch club elsewhere in the parish, in Bowerhill, on a Wednesday.
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