Age Concern Winchester Secures New Mini-Bus (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Age Concern Winchester Secures New Mini-Bus

4:23pm Monday 1st December 2008

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Thanks to a great deal of local fund raising activity during the last 18 months & some generous donations a much needed replacement mini-bus to ferry Age Concern Winchester’s ‘clients’ to their weekly Lunch Clubs & other functions in & around Winchester has recently been purchased.

Receiving the mini-bus at the handover presentation on Monday at St. Barnabas Church in Weeke was Lady Alison Wakeham MBE, (Patron of Age Concern Winchester) and Arlene Fisher (Chair of the Trustees) “For such a local charity whose funds are limited this is a fantastic result,” commented Lady Wakeham, “the old mini-bus was literally on its last legs & without the provision of this new bus, many of the elderly would not be able to get to the Lunch Clubs. The Lunch Clubs not only provide a welcome cooked meal, but more importantly the chance get out of their homes & socialise with friends.

Age Concern Winchester is one of the few local charities that concentrate on getting the elderly out & about & without such specialised transport it would be in some cases very much, home alone.”

Also attending the handover were the major sponsors who made the whole project possible. This included ex-Mayor Chris Pines, whose Mayor’s Charities’ Fund donated over £10,000. Age Concern Winchester members worked hard with Chris during his year of office to help raise funds.

Also present were representatives from Winchester Rotary, who gave a contribution £3000 & local businessman Richard Steel & his family, who kindly donated a substantial balancing amount in memory of his father Stanley, who was twice Mayor of Winchester & a keen supporter of local charities.

“Without these major donations this mini-bus would not be here now” remarked Arlene Fisher in her vote of thanks “but I also want to recognise all the effort of others, who have given so much to this project, particularly the team of volunteer drivers who did much to find & source an appropriate mini-bus that was then customised for use”

Age Concern Winchester is a truly local charity providing a range of essential services aimed at enhancing the lives of the City’s older residents.

One of the most valued services is the Lunch Clubs, where every week, at four different venues around the City, a hot meal is provided for members. Having a regular cooked meal can be very important to the elderly, but for many it is the chance to socialise & talk to friends that is the real benefit. Without the Lunch Clubs many of the City’s older people would face a very lonely & isolated existence.

Age Concern Winchester currently provides over 4000 meals every year.

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