Community centre gets beautiful painting from Mid Sussex Older People’s Council: Haywards Heath mayor presents gift at afternoon tea

The artwork was painted by MSOPC chair Barbara Baldwin, and Haywards Heath town mayor Stephanie Inglesfield said it was a delight to present the gift.

The mayor said: “What an absolutely joyful event this was as two of my favourite charities got together, with one of them giving a present to the other as a sign of appreciation of the other charity.”

She said the afternoon tea featured ‘a dozen tables beautifully set in the Ashenground Community Centre with an amazing spread of cakes and biscuits’.

The community centre’s free afternoon teas aim to relieve loneliness and isolation in the over 60s. Visit www.ashengroundcc.org.

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Centre manager Sue Netherway and Ashenground Community Centre charity’s governor Richard Goddard attended the event. Mrs Inglesfield said: “Sue and Richard could not have been happier to receive this beautiful artwork, painted by the multi-talented Barbara, which will now be displayed in a place of honour in the centre. It was not only such a privilege to present this, it was also so heartwarming to see that the friendship between two organisations, that do so much for the residents of Haywards Heath, is now sealed into this beautiful landscape painting of the South Downs.”

The independent charity MSOPC (msopc.org.uk) aims to reduce loneliness for older people while opening lines of communication between older residents and local authorities.

The Ashenground Community Centre is run by local people and aims to encourage the social inclusion and independence of individuals.