Written by: Jess Graziano, Communications Officer
We visited Conygre Hall in Timsbury, where residents gather every Wednesday for a fish-and-chip lunch, encouraging community connections and combatting loneliness.
The group was set up over 10 years ago by Liz Craddock, one of Curo’s Livewell Officers, after some customers suggested the idea. The monthly catch-ups encourage residents to get together.
Holly Reed, Livewell Officer, and Tricia Weisberg, Livewell Team Leader, arrive at the hall at 10.30am to meet some of the regulars, who like to arrive early to help set up the tables with freshly ironed tablecloths and cutlery.
Beryl Maggs, local resident, says, “I’ve been coming here since my husband passed. Doing this gives me joy – I love helping people and it feels like I’m doing my bit for the community.”
Pat Hooper, another resident, adds, “It gets you out the house – otherwise you’re just sitting in doing nothing. Here you can talk and meet new people.”
By 11.30am, the hall fills up with residents ready for a cuppa. Three ladies are sharing their latest family adventures with each other. Nancy, Janis and Audrey all met at a local Bingo club, where they heard about the event.
“We go to several groups a week together,” says Nancy. “They get us out of the house and it’s lovely meeting new people. Since we lost our husbands, we’re trying to live life to the full and do them proud.”
Janis adds, “They’ll be looking down on us saying, ‘Go on, girls!’”
The trio agree that this club and others they attend keep them feeling positive, even on the harder days.
It’s clear this monthly get-together is vital in combating loneliness – and that it’s the residents who make it such a success. Each month, everyone brings in a raffle prize and the money raised helps toward the cost of hiring the hall. Everyone who attends pays £7 for a portion of fish and chips, hot drinks, biscuits and a pudding.
If you’d like to get involved with running a similar group in one of our community rooms, please speak to your Livewell Officer, Sheltered Housing Officer or Independent Living Officer. Our community rooms are free to hire for Curo customers.