White Horse Day Centre organisers honoured with Civic Awards

ORGANISERS of the White Horse Day Centre have been recognised with Civic Awards for their ongoing work to provide entertainment and lunch for the elderly each week.   

Westbury mayor, cllr Mike Sutton, hosted the annual Civic Awards last week to celebrate the work of local people, and Christine Mitchell and Sue Ezra were both presented with an award for their involvement with the day centre over the years.   

The friendship and lunch club for the over-60s provides people in the Westbury area with the opportunity to enjoy some company, a hot lunch and entertainment each week at Grassacres Hall.  

In a speech, cllr Sutton said, “We talk a lot about the council, shops, charities and all the great organisations who do so much for this town, but really it is the people that make it what it is. Townsfolk are our greatest asset and we should be proud of the people in this town.  

“This year, the Civic Awards are given to Sue Ezra and Christine Mitchell who have done such a lot over the years to provide lunches for the elderly at Grassacres Hall. All in their own time.” 

Speaking about the award, Sue said, “It was a complete surprise to get the award I’ve been running the day centre with Chris for eight years, offering a meal and company for local people. It’s such an important facility for the elderly and lonely in the town, giving somewhere for people to go. 

“We offer a three-course meal, tea and coffee and a chat and entertainment every Thursday from 10am to 3pm.” 

Christine added, “What a lovely surprise! It’s great to receive the award which is for the whole team at the day centre who do such a fantastic job. I started as a volunteer helper, then became co-ordinator and have been helping Sue run it ever since.  

“It’s great for us to receive the awards as it helps put the centre on the map and let everyone in town know about what we do. We have a few places available if people do want to come for a meal, company and a fun time on a Thursday and, of course, we are always on the hunt for extra volunteers!” 

In his speech, cllr Sutton went on to say how although council’s across the country are facing financial difficulty, people in the town are striving to make it a brighter place to live. He thanked everyone who helped organise, as well as those that attend, the many events in the town such as the Soapbox, Chilli Fest, Sunday Brunches and the Christmas lights switch on. 

• The White Horse Day Centre can be found at Grassacres Hall, Eden Vale Road, Westbury BA13 3NZ. The day centre runs every Thursday from 10am to 3pm and, along with the three-course meal, organisers provide a range of popular activities such as quizzes, games and bingo, for £9 a session.