AN OLD Town community group is celebrating after being given a grant to keep an important social event running for the next year.

Eastcott Community Organisation was awarded more than £2,700 from the Allen Lane Foundation to support afternoon teas at Savernake Street Social Hall.

They have been running the teas since August last year and were initially funded from a council grant but it was uncertain how long this would last.

Now the group can keep on running the afternoon teas which are attended by people from all over Eastcott and Old Town.

“We’re all really pleased to have got the money and excited about what it now means we can do in the future,” said Caroline Davies-Khan of Eastcott Community Organisation.

‘We are very grateful to Swindon Council for enabling us to start the afternoon teas, and to the Allen Lane Foundation for supporting their future for the next year.

“We were looking at ways of securing the funds so we could expand what we did when we found out about the foundation. “We put an application in last October and found out last Saturday that we had got the money, which was brilliant news.”

The grant will also cover the cost of using the hall and refreshments for a year. The group are also looking into the possibility of using the money to provide transport for the early residents.

Caroline said: “We have been able to organise several speakers to come along to the teas which have been very popular. Lots of people came when we had the Wiltshire Wildlife in and the Citizens Advice Bureau have also been to talk about how to save energy.

“Hopefully now we can put even more of these events on.”

The afternoon teas run between 2pm and 4pm on Friday’s on a fortnightly basis and have been set up as way of bringing the community together.

“We usually have about 15 people coming each time but this goes up when we have an event running,” said Caroline.

“Anyone can come along. It is for people who may be retired or be at a loose end who want some friendly conversation.”

The next event will be held March 21 before the group take a break for Easter until April 25.