Hundreds of Clacton residents descended on the Princes Theatre yesterday (11th September) for the return of the Older Persons’ Fair, organised by Giles Watling MP and Tendring Council.
The fair, which returned for the first time since the Covid Pandemic, brought together organisations from across the area that support residents to showcase their work. From law firms to community groups, carers support to health organisations, and local services like Essex Police and the Council, around 30 different providers were at the Theatre from 10am until 2pm talking to residents and sharing information about how to access their services.
Residents of all ages arrived to find out more about what is available in the local area, as well as meet and chat to Giles Watling MP, who was touring the Fair listening to the concerns of constituents.
Mr Watling said: “I am so pleased to be able to meet and talk to so many local residents and hear directly from them about the issues that are affecting them. It’s events like these that help shape my focus for our Clacton constituency, and help me understand better what it is our residents need. I was also grateful to be able to meet so many charities and businesses based in the local area, and thank them for the amazing work they do day-in, day-out to support local people and bang the drum for our amazing constituency.”
Reflecting on the importance of the event post-Covid, Mr Watling continued: “The lockdown years were isolating for a lot of people and cut so many off from the community in which they live. This applies especially to the older generation. This is the first time we’ve been able to host this event since Covid – the last was in 2019 – and I am pleased that so many residents came out to find out about services they could have been using before now but have been unable to discover due to the impact that Covid restrictions had.”
The Fair is set to return next year, and organisations interested in taking part are encouraged to contact Mr Watling’s office directly for more information.
