Elgin's Greyfriars club celebrates 50 years of providing social events and activities to people in Moray with learning disabilities
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ELGIN'S Greyfriars Club celebrated their 50th anniversary on Thursday (September, 28), marking an incredible five decades of bringing joy to people with learning disabilities in Moray.
The club, founded by ten pioneering parents of children with learning difficulties, has grown from a small gathering on Greyfriars' Street, to a group of 84 enthusiastic members who come from across Moray each Thursday for a social night at Elgin Town Hall.
Over the years, the club's offerings have also expanded, providing a range of activities and events each week. From board games and tea, the club now hosts discos, bingo nights, theme nights and entertainers. The volunteers also run a tuck shop and arrange trips to events and activities outside of the Town Hall.
May Newlands, who leads the group with her assistant chairperson Wendy Camlin said: "I have been volunteering for 35 years now, and it was quite a small group then compared to now, it has just grown and grown.
"Our members just love it, we try to vary the program every week to keep things exciting. They love dancing, so we have DJs and lots of different parties and theme nights and they've enjoyed everything from clown performances to martial arts demonstrations."
To celebrate their 50th anniversary, the club also held a party, complete with a buffet and the dancefloor was packed with participants enjoying music from the DJ. The group also had a cake made for the event, which was cut by Catherine Stewart (66) who was one of the original members of the club and still attends each week.
As a registered charity, the Greyfriars Club relies entirely on the dedication of its volunteers and the support of the community. With members contributing just £20 a year, the volunteers organise fundraising events such as tombolas and coffee mornings for funding. The money raised also helps to provide outings to pantomimes, ten-pin bowling, and shows at the Town Hall, so that members can enjoy activities beyond their regular club nights.
May, who became involved in the club after an invitation from a neighbour also added that the charity would love to see more volunteers come on board. She added: "Our volunteers are all very hard working, we do it all ourselves, but the smiles on their faces make every effort worthwhile. It is so wonderful to see everyone enjoying themselves and they look forward to it each week – if you come into the Town Hall on a Thursday night you just see everybody dancing and having a great time."
Those interested in volunteering with the group can contact May Newlands by phone at: 07751 292083.
