It’s party time – all thanks to Bill!

■ CHEERS – residents over 60 enjoy their meal at the Beeswing pub in Kettering and are entertained by young singers from the Queen of Hearts Nursery School Ltd

A FOUR-DAY party was organised to give more than 200 older people a New Year dinner.

Northamptonshire county councillor Bill Parker, who represents the Brambleside ward, first arranged the event three years ago and 26 people aged 60 and over went along. The event has grown in popularity, with 100 attending last year. This year, 204 people were catered for at the Beeswing pub in Rockingham Road on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and today. Cllr Parker, who is allocated £10,000 every year to spend on community projects, spent £1,700 from this year’s pot to give people a chance to get together. He said:

“One of the problems in the north of Kettering is that there are no facilities for people of all ages and I’m particularly conscious that there is nothing for the older generation. “We started advertising in our newsletter and invited children from the Queen of Hearts Nursery to sing at the event. “It’s a nice way for some of the older residents to get together and talk to people they might not have seen in a while.”

Cllr Parker, who is also chairman of Brambleside Community Association, is helping with plans to get a community centre built close to the school. It is hoped it will include kitchen facilities so children at Brambleside Community Primary School can be provided with a hot lunch. The project, expected to cost between £1m and £2m, has also received £5,000 from Cllr Parker’s funds to help pay for architects and the planning application. It is hoped the community centre can be built between the school and the shops to provide a home for community groups. Cllr Parker is meeting Kettering Council officers next month to discuss further funding. He said:

“The school was built 12 years ago and the land nearby was earmarked for a community centre so this has been a long time coming.”

Cllr Parker has also used some of his money to start a community newsletter.