A SOCIAL group that provides a ‘lifeline’ to people in the Yate community is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Options opened in Ridgewood Community Centre in October 1999 and has been successfully running there ever since.

The group started when founding members Cindy Sutton, Dil Rockall and Nancy Dunn contributed £5 each to rent a number of rooms at the community centre.

People that attend the Options groups can take part in a range of activities including sewing, knitting and other craft projects.

Cindy is the only one out of the three founding members that is still an active member of the group, after both Dil and Nancy passed away in recent years.

She described the decision to pay the £5 rent for the room 20 years ago as the ‘best decision of her life’.

“This group is a huge lifeline for everyone that comes, “ Cindy explained.

“For a lot of us this is our social and we have become great friends because of this.

“It is definitely one of the best decisions I ever made and the best £5 I ever spent.”

The group has helped raise money by completing a number of projects throughout its two decades, but Cindy recalls their work on the Millennial Quilt as one of the best.

“We all took part and produced a quilt for the turn of the millennium,” she continued.

“It sold at auction for around £800.”

Whilst the group still regularly attracts 12 members every week, member of 18 years Rita Schwartz admitted that it would be nice to see others come and join them.

“We cover a vast age range and we come from all over,” she said.

“We are a really friendly group and when I moved here from London they really helped me to settle in and I feel very privileged to know everyone.”

Cindy echoed her friend’s sentiments and encouraged anyone interested in joining to get in touch.

“We are a really friendly group who can offer people a chance to be social but also to try new things, we welcome everyone and we all have become great friends through being a part of this group,” she added.