By Marianne Parker, Community Builder for Wellswood/Torbay Creative Community Builder

As I write this, we have just enjoyed five whole days of gorgeous sunshine and beautiful blue skies. The first taste of summer.

The next lifting of restrictions will hopefully happen on 19th July.

So on Saturday 24th July, we are planning to celebrate with a Wellswood community picnic at 2:30pm on Meadfoot Green!

If you live in Wellswood, bring a chair or a blanket, a picnic and something to drink.

Meet up with old friends and make some new ones while you listen to the sensational sounds of Sam Massey and his Jazz Quartet drifting across the valley.

You can dance…or even join in with a game of rounders!

If you have ever flashmobbed with us over the past five years, please come along and join in with your favourite dance routine… Dancing Queen, Carwash, We Go Together – or learn a new one!

Everyone from Wellswood who has volunteered at the vaccination centre or helped a neighbour, friend, or a stranger is invited so we can thank you for all the incredible time, effort and energy you have donated freely to helping people in Wellswood.

Everyone who has ever attended any Ageing Well group or trip or activity in Wellswood is welcome.

Anyone looking for a friend or company for the afternoon and for the future is welcome too.

If you are interested in joining any Ageing Well activity or group in Wellswood, or in starting a new one, please come along.

People who came along to try a coffee morning five-and-a-half years ago, to meet up with strangers, have since formed long-lasting, genuine, close friendships with each other.

They have kept in touch, supported each other through the last 18 months and have now started to meet up in person again as friends, independent of their community builder.

This is the legacy of asset-based community development in Wellswood, where groups of friends are being there for each other and looking forward to having some fun together in the near future!

See you there!