Melksham’s volunteers bring mother and daughter together at Christmas
AGE Friendly Melksham’s Christmas dinner scheme helped to bring a mother and daughter, separated by thousands of miles, closer together on Christmas Day.

Atworth resident, 95-year old Edna Capper, was one of the many recipients who received a home-cooked Christmas dinner, made and delivered by an Age Friendly volunteer on Christmas Day. And Edna’s daughter, Katy Connor – who lives in Byron Bay, Australia and contacted Age Friendly Melksham shortly before Christmas after she spotted news of their work online – has praised the work of the local scheme and its support for both her mother and herself.
Katy told Melksham News, “I live in Byron Bay in Australia and haven’t seen my mum since last March. With the heart breaking situation with Covid over there (the UK) I have been so worried about her living alone and not having any contact with anyone for all these months.
“It was absolutely wonderful to connect up with Age Friendly Melksham and have the peace of mind that Mum would have a hot meal this Christmas, alongside it being delivered with a warm, friendly smile.
“(After contacting Age Friendly Melksham) I immediately phoned my mum and she was so incredibly happy, she was restored to her usual perky self again. Laughing, mum said she hoped it wasn’t kangaroo! Age Friendly Melksham have brought the essence of joy to both our lives this Christmas, there are not enough words to express our gratitude to them. They made the process so easy, being so welcoming, friendly and helpful.
“Jon Hubbard (chair of Age Friendly Melksham) also let me know they organise phone calls and can offer face-to-face calls for us over the internet, which would be such a blessing for us both. At mum’s age, the internet would be a struggle, but Jon and the team at Age Friendly are able to tackle all the difficult obstacles which will enable mum and I to see each other, from Australia to Atworth.
“I am beyond grateful and so excited about the prospect of being able to chat to mum and see her face again. This year has been especially hard for our elderly loved ones, but tonight I can sleep peacefully here in Australia knowing there is hope, and that hope came from the truly wonderful people at Age Friendly Melksham. It now feels like Christmas.”
For more information about the work of Age Friendly, visit https://agefriendlymelksham.org.uk