Older people’s social group helps form friendships

A social club for older people in Melksham is helping residents be part of their community through outings and weekly meetings.

Melksham 60 Plus Club has 52 members who meet at Queensway Chapel every Tuesday.

The club was formed in 1949 and is in its 77th year, providing a space for Melksham’s older residents to make friends and social connections.

Chair of the club Rosemary Nash said, “It really is a lovely friendly club and I am really proud of it. We do really try to keep our members as active as possible. The youngest member we have is 60 and our oldest member is 94. Our very oldest member has left for a care home but she would have been 105 this year.”

Every Tuesday, members pay £2 a week for refreshments and enjoy a game of bingo and a raffle. “It really is a lovely, friendly social club,” said Rosemary. “It enables people to meet their friends. We believe that socialising is the most important aspect of our club, which is why we try to get our members out as much as we can. We don’t charge people for their first time because we want to make sure the club is right for them.”

Recently, the group visited Melksham Rugby Club for a social afternoon where they were treated to soup and bingo. Throughout the year, members also go on day trips; this year they will be going to Weymouth, Swanage and Bournemouth. In December they are planning a pantomime trip and a free Christmas meal.

To help people who may be struggling to get to the club, a community bus provides transport to and from Queensway Hall. Melksham Without Parish Council recently gave the group a £500 grant towards running the bus.

Rosemary said, “More important than anything for us is for members to meet up with their friends and to get out and about. So many of them don’t get out. We provide a community bus each week for them and that picks them up and takes them home afterwards. They pay £2 for the return journey.”

Due to its popularity, the group is unable to take any new members at the moment but Rosemary said there is a waiting list that people can join.

She said, “I have just recently added two new members to the group who have been on the waiting list for two years.”

Having joined the group when she first moved to Melksham, Rosemary said it was ‘instrumental’ in helping her make friends in the town. “I didn’t know anybody in Melksham. I moved from Chippenham. I would read about the club in the paper every week and I said to my husband, ‘one week I am going to go down there.’ One day I did and I have never looked back since. They made me feel so welcome there. I have made some really good friends now in Melksham; I didn’t know a soul when I moved here.”

For enquiries about the club, ring Rosemary Nash on 01225 701112.