THE recession is biting and money is tight yet the financial support we, at the Victoria Centre, Lydney, have received during the past year from this area has been amazing.

As many of your readers know, the centre provides hot lunches, freshly cooked on the premises, Tuesday to Thursday, for retirees. The cost of this meal is just £3.50 and our avowed aim is to maintain this price for as long as possible. We have also recently embarked on an ambitious programme of renovations in order to modernise the building and meet the necessary Health and Safety requirements.

Fund raising is, therefore, our life line. Sizeable grants have come from the Summerfield Charitable Trust, the Gloucestershire Community Foundation, The Henry Smith Charity, London, and Help the Aged.

Local organisations, namely the Aylburton Slimming Club, The Vassar Smith Chapter, Lydney, the Forest of Dean Rotary Club, The Royal Forest of Dean Chapter, Newnham on Severn, the Co-op Funeral Service, The Forest of Dean Lions, MidCounties Store and Tesco have shown equally generosity. The individual members of the centre or citizens of the town have supported us also with their spontaneous donations of money or time.

We have been humbled and impressed and we, as a committee, are truly grateful. Later this year we hope to hold an Open Day when we shall invite anyone who wishes to come and see what is being and has been achieved. – Pearl Biddle, secretary.