A HEARTBROKEN pensioner has been forced to close a community group launched on Canvey 65 years ago, because of dwindling numbers.

Attendances had become so low at Number One Pensioners’ Group that subscriptions didn’t cover the cost of room hire andit was no longer viable for the group to run.

The group had just 21 members, compared with 81 just a few years ago. Members paid 80p a week to attend.

Chairman Marjorie Arbon, 82, of Strasbourg Road, had to make the difficult decision after being a member for 21 years.

She joined after the loss of her husband, Ernest, and said the camaraderie of the club helped her through her grief.

She said: “It is a real heartache for me to have to close the group.Iget so upset about it.

“For 21 years, it has been part of my life.

“The first time I went my daughter-in-law held my hand and took me.

“The club wasagreat help. It was something to look forward to. When you are sitting on your own, you need something to look forward to.”

The club held its last meeting at the War Memorial Hall last Wednesday and will host a farewell dinner tomorrow at Canvey’s Oysterfleet, in Knightswick Road.

She added: “We had a small coach which picked up the residents who can’t walk. For some, it was the only day they got out all week.

“We were just a group that met and had a cup of tea and biscuits,achat and played bingo for a few hours.

“But it was likeageneral community meeting for friends. It will be sadly missed as it was a great help, especially if you were on your own.

“It will leave a big hole in everyone’s hearts.”