Page 2 - link magazine

The Link Magazine • March 2003
West's oldest organisation celebrates 25 years of companionship

The Good Companions Club, West Swindon's longest running community group, marked its quarter century since the first members got
together in 1978 with cream cakes, bingo and a sing song at Toothill Community Centre on 10 February.
by seven people w ho e ued to grow and the members
had retired to the area, when the moved to the main hall at the corn-
vast majority of residents were ^ - munity centre in 1987.
y young couples bringing up chil- , ^ ,^ ^ "It's quite an achievement for a
dren, the club grew in size to 90 0, group to keep going for so long."
members in the late 80s and now i said Jean. "It's nice to know that
has thirty regulars. the club has provided an impor-
Jean Carey, now 87, and hus- taut place for older people to meet
band Jack, 89, were founder mem- > over so many years."
bers, with Ann and George Tweed, "We've had lots of good Christ-
Mr and Mrs Mead and Mrs Leigh, mas parties and trips to lovely
who is over 100 and still lives in places all over England. I hope the
Toothill. club can continue for a long time to
Mrs Tweed was chairwoman for m _ - come."
the first six years and Jean has Jean and Jack Carey, front left, with members of the Good Companions The Good Companions welcome
been chair ever since, with a short The club first met in the hut that community room at Toothill pri- new members on Mondays, 2pm
break in the early 1990s whilst she served as a community centre on mary when the school opened in to 4pm. Call Jean for details on
fought off cancer. Dunwich Drive then moved to the September 1978. Numbers contin- 344717.
Mayor gets aboard a high horse Don't let the burglars in
Swindon's mayor, councillor Stan Pajak went to the hobby horse "Bogus callers praying on vulnerable people are a blight on our
races on 3 February to take part in the first anniversary activities at the community and they must be stopped," was the message from Toothill
Food and Friends lunch club in Freshbrook Community Centre. councillor David Cox at the launch of the Call A Friend scheme for
Swindon on 10 February at Salzgitter Court in Toothill.
Donning rac-
r q
in silks and a There were 104 distraction bur- Older residents who register
g
jockey's cap w ` glaries in the town last year where with the scheme are being issued
bogus callers gained access to a with a yellow card to display in
over his chain W
of office, he ^ person's home, usually posing as a their front window and are being
came in a cred !" '; i i b representative from a utility. Now encouraged to call on up to two
itable second. r:• Y a partnership between Wiltshire friends or relations to be present
"I think the 1< Police, the Safer Swindon Shop, before they open the door to a
dice must have ^... . Age Concern Swindon, Swindon stranger, providing reassurance to
been loaded or Y Council and the Neighbourhood the householder and deterring
perhaps it was te +q,. , Watch team hope to signficantly would-be thieves.
inexperience," cut this number after a successful For details of the project, call the
pilot project in Wroughton. Safer Swindon Shop on 525114.
said coun
The Mayor at the starting line with, from left, Carol Gibbons,
Pajak. Its the volunteer Phillip Duff, assistant cook Carol Clutterbuck, treas- The Mayor launches
first time I've urer Lorraine Webb, volunteer Sybil Saunders and members the scheme with Kit
seen hobby Beryl Haywood, Ivy Armstrong, Mo Welch Kilburn and Joan
horse racing; Garrish, with Henry
it's a great way of getting people trips which members enjoy." Nightingale, resi-
involved and a novel means of rais- Food and Friends caters for 30 dent, crime preven-
ing money through the small bets. people for Monday lunch. For de- tion PC Geoff Suffolk,
"The club has a really friendly tails about joining, call Lorraine Jean Goncalvez of the
atmosphere and the lunch was Webb on 871017, weekday morn- Safer Swindon Shop,
superb." ings. Supt Wayne Bonne,
Cook organiser Carol Gibbons • Nobby Clarke, the Mayor's at- coup David Cox, Insp
said, "it doesn't seem a year since tendant for the last 14 years, grew Simon Dicks, Nor-
we started. We serve good whole- up on a farm with working horses man Sermaine, resi-
some food and try to vary the pro- and set his heart on becoming a dent, Jo Osorio, direc-
gramme of activities. We've had jockey but could not secure a place tor Age Concern
some lovely barbecues, parties and in a stables after leaving school. Swindon

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