PENSIONERS who faced losing the club they rely on are celebrating after it was given a new lease of life – thanks to Daily Echo readers.

The Sunshine Senior Citizens Club had been going for more than half a century but was threatened with closure within weeks as its longstanding chairman looked to step down.

But fortunately, following an appeal for help in the Daily Echo, the Chandler’s Ford group was inundated with offers and now has a new chairman, Susan Paisnel, and vice chairman, Linda Read, ensuring its future.

As previously reported volunteer Iris Thomas, 86, told how after ten years in charge she was ready to retire.

Despite the best efforts of One Community in Eastleigh, which helps oversee the club, and Age Concern Chandler’s Ford, they struggled to find anyone to take up the reins.

For some of its 40 members, who are all over 60 and many of whom are widows and widowers, going to the club was their only outing in a week.

Mrs Thomas appealed for help and offers soon came flooding in from readers young and old touched by their plight.

One was Mrs Paisnel, from Southampton, who had previously run the Holy Family Club, a social club for the church in Millbrook.

“I just thought it was a shame if it’s been running that long – I thought I could do something to keep it going,” said the 58-year-old, who does not work as she looks after her disabled son James, 17.

Since taking over Susan said membership was actually growing, with two new members already, and that she had plans to make the group, which meets every Friday afternoon, even better.

She has also enlisted help from a neighbour, Julie Macintyre.

“It’s fulfilling because I have saved a club from closing and for the pensioners sometimes that’s the only time they meet anybody,” she said.

“If that closed they wouldn’t have contact with anybody outside their own homes.

“It’s nice to see them happy – they’re getting to know me and I’m getting to knowing them.”

Now Mrs Thomas, of Chandler’s Ford, can take a back seat, attending just as a member, though she said it was strange at first to relinquish control.

She added: “It’s the best thing I have done.

“They’re bringing fresh ideas into the club and everybody seems to be responding and liking it.”

The group is still looking for more members and helpers so anyone interested is invited to go along to the meetings between 2pm to 4pm at the Age Concern hall in Brownhill Road.