Weekly lunch club provides cheer for over-55s

Photo of helpers and guests at Patchway Pensioners' Lunch Club

Volunteers at a local lunch club for the elderly are looking to raise awareness of the weekly event across Patchway and the Stokes.

The Patchway Lunch Club meets from 12.15pm to 1.30pm every Wednesday in Patchway Community Centre, Rodway Road. It is open to anyone over the age of 55 and offers a two-course meal for £3 per person.

Mini-bus transport to the venue can be arranged at a cost of £1.50 for the return journey.

Amongst the volunteers helping run the club is Bradley Stoke Tesco Extra community champion Dawn Richards, who spends around six hours each week helping to arrange the menu, cooking and tidying up. Other volunteers come from the local community in Patchway, including South Gloucestershire ward councillor Eve Orpen, herself a pensioner.

One regular, Olive Merrells, 87, told the Journal she has been attending the club since it started in 1989. Describing the club as a “great asset for the community”, she said she loves the food and enjoys the opportunity to get out and meet people.

Anyone interested in attending the club is invited to contact Dawn Richards on 07710 148023 or via the customer service desk at Bradley Stoke Tesco Extra.

The club has received grant funding from South Gloucestershire Council, Patchway Town Council and Almondsbury Charity.

Photo: Helpers and guests at Patchway Pensioners’ Lunch Club. Standing (l-r): Mike Taylor, Helen Ford, Dawn Richards, Anne Richards, Sandra Woodruff & Colin Wilkins. Seated (l-r): Barbara Walker & Phyllis Fagan.

This article originally appeared in the June 2017 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal news magazine (on page 34). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to 9,500 homes in Bradley Stoke, Little Stoke and Stoke Lodge. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.