I want to draw attention to another local group doing great work in the constituency by sharing this story:
Wallingford’s main COVID19 community support group helped organise a little special birthday celebration for 94 year old Alice White on 24th May. Alice, who has lived in Wallingford for 56 years and has been in isolation since the beginning of the crisis, has been supported over the past ten weeks by Wallingford2020 volunteer Tracey Stilwell Garrett and the two of them have developed a warm friendship.
When she told Wallingford2020 co-ordinator Jacqui Bradney that her birthday was coming up, and that she was sad not to be able to share it with friends and family, a seed was planted, and on Sunday the group gave her quite the birthday surprise.
Balloons, cards, flowers and cakes, presented by the town’s mayor, were handed to a surprised and beaming Alice as Tracey coaxed her out in to the sunshine. Musician Maff Potts was on hand at the keyboard to play Happy Birthday as well-wishers from the group, all at a safe distance, sang to celebrate her birthday. As a special request, Alice asked that we also sing along to “We’ll Meet Again”.
Alice regularly speaks to Tracey and Jacqui and is very touched to have had such dedicated help over the past weeks – topped by this very unexpected event. She said, “This is a wonderful surprise – Tracey has looked after me so well and I’m really very grateful for everything. I’m just finding it really hard not to hug everybody as a thank you! When things get back to normal I’ll be inviting everybody around for tea and cake.”