A POPULAR lunch club for elderly people has been saved from closure.

The Tuesday Lunch Club was forced to leave its home at Origin Café in Turnberrie’s Community Centre in Thornbury at the beginning of last month.

After the centre’s trustees decided not to renew the café’s lease, Penny and Rich Baker were forced to search for a new home for their long-running weekly club.

They have now secured space at the Armstrong Hall, after help from Thornbury town councillors, and the club's regulars are delighted to still have a place to meet.

As at the previous venue, many members are provided with lifts by the Four Towns and Vale Community Transport group, but some walk there themselves.

“After many months of uncertainty, we are so happy to be able to say we are settled here,” said Penny.

“The Armstrong Hall staff have gone out of their way to help us, which is incredible.

“Our members are all delighted that the club can keep running, they all really enjoy the chance to get out and socialise with their friends.

“We are now able to accommodate more people than we could at Turnberrie’s – we currently have 26 regulars but anyone over 60 is welcome."

She added: “We took over the club about four or five years ago when it was looking to close. So this is the second time it has been saved by the community.”

The group meets on Tuesdays between 11am and 2pm and members enjoy a cooked meal, card games and bingo.

Member Rita Watts said: “We all truly appreciate what Richard and Penny have done here, we hope that it will continue for a long time. It has become a really big family here. If this kind of thing didn’t continue, the club members wouldn’t have the chance to go out.”

Fellow member Amy Crass added: “Penny and Rich have really put themselves out for all of us.”

Lunch club regular Pauline Bradford also offered praise to the group of volunteers who help the club, saying: “They are so caring, we are really lucky to have them here.”

But while the club has been saved, as it no longer runs out of Turnberrie’s café, funding is required.

Penny said: “We are ok to sustain it for the time being, but we are currently looking into grants and other forms of financial help. This club does a lot for the elderly members and we want to keep it as easy and affordable for them as possible.”

When approached for a comment on why they had ended the lease with the Bakers, the trustees of Turnberrie’s would only say they “could do better”.