AN OPEN day in Cricklade showcasing the support available to older people saw hundreds of residents pay a visit to the town hall on Friday.

Between 10.30am and 7pm the hall was full of residents taking advantage of the advice and support on hand, ranging from help with financial planning to tips on how to keep warm in the winter.

As well as this there was a talk on what the new Care Act will mean for local people and a presentation from the Alzheimer’s Society on their Dementia Friends initiative.

Chair of the Cricklade Extra Care Group Terri Robertson said that the event had had a brilliant turnout, drawing around 250 people.

She said: “It has been really, really successful. The turnout from the Cricklade community has made this event really wonderful.”

Nick Crane, deputy head of the Wiltshire and Swindon Users’ Network, said: “The community spirit here is amazing. If we could parcel this up and put it into every town we would have a totally different Wiltshire.

“Virtually everybody who we invited has come and I just think it has been a brilliant day. This is one of the best events I’ve been to.”