The Peasedown St John Lunch Club, with Pam Wright (back, centre)

Two community groups in Peasedown St John have received financial aid this week thanks to their local Councillor.

The Peasedown St Lunch Club and Waynsdyke Play Association have been awarded funding from Cllr Nathan Hartley’s Councillor Initiative Fund.

The Lunch Club, which meets in Beacon Hall, has been running for over ten years on a Monday afternoon. The group acts as a lifeline for those that attend. A number of which are elderly and don’t see anyone else during the week. 

Local Councillor Nathan Hartley (Lib Dem, Peasedown) said:

“I was pleased to be able to give financial support to the Lunch Club when they approached me earlier in the year.

Many of the members that attend are housebound and need opportunities like this to socialise with others and get out of the house.

Resident Pam Wright, who runs the lunch club, and her helpers do a fantastic job every week preparing and cooking the food.”

Cllr Hartley awarded £400 to the group which will be used to pay for an outing in the Autumn, a morning’s entertainment and their Christmas meal in December.

Also in receipt of funding is the Waynsdyke Play Association, which has been active in Peasedown for a number of years. Each week, their Playrangers lead detached youth work sessions for children which promote play and active leisure outside.

Nathan added:

“The Playrangers will be running a Natural Art Project in the holidays which will work with local children to create a willow sculpture. The project will run over four days and result in the sculpture remaining in the village.”

Each year B&NES Councillors are allocated funding to spend in their wards. Cllr Hartley was earmarked £4,000 for 2010/11. His colleague Councillor Sarah Bevan (Lib Dem, Peasedown) was allocated £4,000 last year which was spent on youth work facilities, a new disabled toilet at Peasedown Cricket Club, and cookery classes at the Peasedown Opportunity Project.