Maria said, “It was great to meet some of the 50 plus members of the Sherfield Park Over 55’s Club at Sherfield Park’s busy Community Centre. The club is a really important source of information regarding what is going on in the area.
“Club members talked about the importance of access to cash at the Chineham Shopping Centre, and the need for more shops suitable for older people. Bus timetables were also a hot topic with the frequency of particular bus routes to the shopping centre and into Basingstoke being a particular concern.
“Basingstoke has one of the most rapidly ageing populations of any community in the country. This is due to the rapid expansion during the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. One of our biggest challenges is to reconfigure local services to meet the needs of this rapidly growing group of older residents. Demand for the NHS has increased, with the average number of doctors’ appointments going from 4 to 6 due to our ageing population, so the right social support systems need to be in place.
The Sherfield Park Over 55’s Group meets every Tuesday from 10am at Sherfield Park Community Centre.