We are looking for new members to join our "old folks" club in West End.

You can enjoy seven outings between April and October, which include garden centres for afternoon tea, lunches at interesting pubs or a river cruise, and five meetings between November and March, four being in the social club for afternoon tea and a speaker.

In August we have our annual garden party and in December our Christmas party, which this year will again be at the Hare and Hounds pub.

We have a lovely group of members who enjoy meeting up monthly and socialising. The club is for retired people, and although initially it was for West End villagers, it has opened up to others who can travel from their home to the High Street in West End for the coach or the social club.

There is a membership fee of £25 which is paid at the AGM in March and then a percentage of the cost of the outings is paid while the rest of the cost comes from club funds. There is no cost to members for the garden party or the Christmas party. We are also looking for people to join the committee!

Please come along and try us out. We meet on the fourth Wednesday of each month, the first Wednesday in December.

Add your name to the list in Brown's Newsagents or ring me, Kate Brown, on 01276 858356. I would love to hear from you.

Kate Brown

West End Old Folks Social Club

As the World Cup and England’s campaign progress, millions will come together to watch the big games. For many, football is more than a sport – it’s a community, united by passion and hope.

But beyond the anticipation and excitement, football tournaments can take on a very different meaning for many women and their children.

During this year’s World Cup, you will likely see headlines about rises in reports of domestic abuse. Behind big matches, where tensions are running high, it’s women and their children who are most at risk.

At Refuge, the UK’s largest specialist domestic abuse charity, we support thousands of survivors on any given day. But no matter whether a team wins or loses, football doesn’t cause abuse – abusers do.

While these tournaments can exacerbate pre-existing behaviours, abuse happens all year round, often hidden and unreported.

Abusers may use football or alcohol intake as an excuse, but there is never any justification for domestic abuse. It is the abuser's conscious actions alone that are to blame – it is a choice and must be challenged.

This World Cup, we’re urging everyone to stand with survivors and give domestic abuse the red card.

To any woman who is experiencing abuse or feeling unsafe: please know you are not alone. You deserve to live free from fear – and Refuge is here to support you.

Our free 24/7 National Domestic Abuse Helpline is available on 0808 2000 247, or visit www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk for support and information.

Gemma Sherrington, CEO of Refuge