TRIPS to an Alton lunch club for the over-60s will be all the sweeter after grants from district councillors helped pay for improved access.

A crumbling pathway into the Vokes Lunch Club, held in the Red Cross building on Normandy Street, had been causing problems for many of its members, especially as some of the diners were well into their 80s and not too steady on their feet.

Seven councillors from East Hampshire District Council, covering Alton and Holybourne, clubbed together to pay for the new £1,440 pathway.

They each donated money from their councillor grants budget, a £4,500 pot awarded to each councillor to spend in their community.

Terry Blake, chairman of the Vokes Lunch Club, said: “We are very grateful for the generous donation from the EHDC councillors which has enabled us to carry out much-needed repairs to the pathway into the lunch club.

“It has been causing difficulty for some of our members and it is much appreciated by the trustees and the members themselves.”

Two of the contributers, councillors Graham Hill and Andrew Joy, visited the lunch club last Wednesday to see the difference this work has made to the club’s elderly lunch goers.

Mr Hill said: “I am delighted to have been able to give something toward this important work. The Vokes Lunch Club is an important part of the lives of its members, ensuring not just a delicious hot meal but also an opportunity for them to socialise with friends.”

Mr Joy added: “The old path was clearly becoming a problem for some of the older members of the group and had to be resurfaced. This was a costly job and not something the club might have been able to achieve on its own and that’s why the councillor grants are such a valuable tool for every councillor.”

According to Mr Blake, the Vokes Lunch Club serves lunches in a comfortable and friendly environment five days per week to residents of Alton and the surrounding area and is always delighted to welcome new members.

The club is currently looking for volunteers to help out a few hours per week at the lunch club premises at 100 Normandy Street, Alton, or as drivers for the Vokes minibus which collects and returns members to and from their homes.

For more details, call 01420 84235.

The councillors who donated grants towards the resurfacing of the Vokes Club path included Edward Brandt (Alton Westbrooke) £220, Graham Hill (Alton Whitedown) £225, Andrew Joy (Alton Ashdell) £225, David Orme (Alton Wooteys) £225, Dean Phillips (Alton Eastbrooke) £220, Robert Saunders (Alton Amery) £225, and Glynis Watts (Holybourne and Froyle) £100.

Community groups or projects run for the benefit of the community are eligible to receive money through the councillor grant scheme. To apply or find out more details about the scheme, contact your ward councillor or visit easthants.gov.uk.