"Our purpose - to provide a day of social activity and a home cooked meal for senior citizens who live alone, either in the town of Llanfyllin itself or one of the surrounding villages and who find themsleves isolated from contact and conversation with their family or friends.
We recently hit the headlines in The Shropshire Star with the news that with funding rapidly running out we are facing the prospect of having to close the doors on our activities.
Over the years we have catered for as many as fifteen ladies and gentlemen each Tuesday, now sadly our numbers are depleted to six with five support helpers who lead gentle activities to stimulate exercise, play dominoes, card games, scrabble, quizzes and bingo, and indulge in a little light hearted banter.
Members, who contribute £5 each towards the day, have morning coffee on arrival, a home cooked lunch and afternoon tea before leaving at 3.00pm, would welcome others to join their number.
The only pre requisite for members who have ranged in age from 65 to 102, is that someone, either a family friend or volunteer driver, is able to drive them to and collect from the Public Institute each week and that they are independent when going to the toilet.
A minimum of twelve attending and contributing regularly would not only make us self sufficient for the foreseeable future, but enhance the life of an otherwise lonely person through conversation and activity.
The group now falls outside any qualifying criteria for funding so has to rely on the wits and skills of its helpers to maintain the service which is so valued by those who attend, and which has only survived in recent times through the support of the families and relatives of those who have benefitted in the past and from fund raising coffee mornings.
We are now, facing the inevitable prospect of closure when our current resources run out in August, and need to help ourselves in order to help others.
It is a sobering fact that each and every one of us will one day be old and possibly lonely, and an even sobering question - will there be someone willing and able to offer a helping hand to us?
The members and helpers at the Llanfyllin Senior Citizens' Day Centre would like to express their very sincere thanks to all who supported the recent Strawberry Tea at Bryn Celyn.
We were blessed with a warm and sunny afternoon, which enabled visitors to sit out at tables in the garden, and such was the variety and quantity of food available that it was hailed as a 'strawberry banquet' rather than 'tea' and much enjoyed by all who attended.
Due to the generosity of people who came, donations from those who found themselves unable to, and a cake stall and raffle with prizes donated by local businesses and supporters we raised the sum of £673.
This grand sum which far exceeded our hopes and expectations, will enable us to continue to provide our Tuesday activities at the Public Institute, until the end of the year at least."
Article written by Rosemary Clarke
