A day care centre near Bury St Edmunds which provides an invaluable service for people in the community has received a boost from a borough councillor.

Hopton Day Care Centre, known as the Home from Home, provides a weekly service for up to 17 people, and is designed to help people who may otherwise suffer from loneliness and social isolation.

It also provides respite to family and friends who care for those people on an everyday basis.

The centre, which has been running for 27 years, is run by a management committee and volunteers.

Carol Bull, borough councillor who represents the Barningham ward, which includes Hopton, visits the centre regularly to speak to people using the service and has helped secure council funding for the service in the past.

Mrs Bull has now given £1,000 from her locality budget towards a stand assist – which can be used by carers to help the less mobile members of the group move from their chair to the dining table or toilet without the need for heavy lifting.

Mrs Bull said: ““The day care centre service is invaluable to so many people, not just in Hopton but from a number of local villages.

“It really does provide a lifeline for some of the most vulnerable people in our society as well as their everyday carers. I pop up regularly for a cup of coffee and the atmosphere is great.”

Lesley Williams, chairman of Hopton Day Care Centre, said: “We are very grateful for the continuing support of Mrs Bull.

“The stand assit can make all the difference as to whether someone feels comfortable and able to come along and continue enjoying the day care centre.

“It can be the difference as to whether they get out from their house or not. That in turn can then have a huge impact not just in terms of the loneliness or social isolation that they may then feel, but also the knock on effect to their physical and mental health. So this one bit of kit is so vital to our work.”

The day care centre, which can help arrange transport to and from its sessions, meets every Wednesday between 10am and 3pm, providing both morning and afternoon refreshments as well as a two-course lunch which is freshly cooked on the premises.

The Hopton Day Care Centre is open to new members and is also looking for more volunteers to help deliver the service.

Anyone interested in finding out more can contact Joyce Barrett on 01953 688114 or Lesley Williams on 01359 221583.