When asked what they enjoy most about attending St Mary’s Thursday Club day centre each week, high on the list for our 10 or so elderly members is the opportunity to enjoy a tasty home- made meal, created specially for them to enjoy together with their friends in the welcoming atmosphere of Bloxham Parish Rooms.
Lock-down has naturally put an end to that, due to social distancing and shielding, but it has not prevented our Coordinator Lynn, Deputy Caroline together with other helpers and friends from ensuring that our members are not forgotten.
Every member has a weekly phone-call or socially distanced welfare visit with a chance to chat, advice, support and treats including marking birthdays and special days. Deliveries of home- made cakes and goodies has been organised, and Trustees created a special newsletter with information, activities, updates and messages for members to help them feel connected and remembered even though not physically together.
Creativity packs from Age UK Oxfordshire and Cherwell District Council news and activity sheets were distributed to each member to ensure that even if they were without access to a computer, everyone was kept occupied. Members also support each other with friendly phone calls, and while they miss each other’s company and long to be together again, friendships are maintained, and mutual support provided.
Although the club cannot meet physically for the foreseeable future, we will continue to support our older, more vulnerable generation in Bloxham, Milcombe and surrounding areas as best we can in this way. Trustees are grateful for the financial support from Oxfordshire County Council, Bloxham and Milcombe Parish Councils, Cherwell District Council Covid grant, Bloxham Baptist Church, Bloxham Feoffees and others which enables the service to continue.
Our AGM, which will be held on September 9th at 3pm by Zoom, will be a time to reflect on a year of unexpected challenge, and to recognize the support and friendship of the many people who enable the club to exist. One such person is Daphne Townsend to whom we will be saying a big thank you as she will be standing down as Trustee after more than a quarter of a century of service. Daphne has rarely missed a week of helping at the club where she has been a stalwart: prepared to turn her hand to whatever help is needed including standing in as cook. Happily, she will continue to support Lynn and Caroline in this way once we are up and running again.
If you would like to attend the meeting or to receive more information about the club, please contact Secretary Jenny Smithson for login details:
Jennysmithson58@gmail.com
Bee Myson, Trustee, St Mary’s Thursday Club