Buckfastleigh Town Council has given £250 to ensure that residents do not have to endure a lonely Christmas day.
Councillors were shocked to hear that a number of people had spent last Christmas without company or good food and responded warmly to a request for help from St Luke's Church. The council was asked to donate £50 towards the £250 cost of providing a Christmas lunch and get together for 20 people.
'My view is that we are the Buckfastleigh council and if the people of our town are suffering and experiencing hardship we should get on and do something about it,' said Cllr Donald Joint. His colleagues quickly agreed and voted to cover the full cost of the scheme.
q Buckfastleigh mayor, Cllr Donald Joint, has indicated that he could be willing to serve a second term if that is the wish of his colleagues. The subject cropped up during the April meeting of the full council, when Cllr Joint advised members to think about the annual selection of committee members next month.
Reluctant to be drawn on whether he would be happy to serve a second term as mayor, Cllr Joint eventually inferred that he would, prompting murmurs of approval from councillors. 'The wheels are running smoothly, why change things?' asked deputy mayor Cllr Pat Hedges.
q Ensuring the disabled have access to facilities at Buckfastleigh Town Hall has become a matter of urgency for the town council. Despite establishing a committee to investigate the matter last year, little progress has been made and now councillors are worried that they could be sued if the situation doesn't improve. 'Buckfastleigh must be seen to be doing something,' mayor Cllr Donald Joint told the council. 'Waiting to include the changes in the town hall refurbishment will take too long,' he said. Cllr Mike Tolchard said he would hate the council to be 'hauled over the coals' as a result of inactivity and suggested that advice be sought urgently from Teignbridge Council about the steps necessary to satisfy the Disability Discrimination Act.