DEDICATED Seymour Community Hub volunteers Ted and Joan Perritt expressed their gratitude to the group’s other volunteers after being recognised for their long service at a charity event.

The couple first got involved with the Seymour Tenants and Residents Association around 10 years ago after moving to Trowbridge, before the Seymour Community Hub was set up at an abandoned shop in Charles Street.

It is a small community building that houses several weekly groups, with Mr and Mrs Perritt running a knitting group, a croquet group and a coffee morning, as well as a fish and chip lunch for pensioners once a month.

They were recognised by their fellow volunteers and Mayor of Trowbridge Roger Andrews last Friday (June 26) at a coffee morning fundraiser for Marie Curie, which raised £174.90 for the cancer charity.

Mrs Perritt, 72, said: “It was a complete surprise and we still haven’t really got over it. When we came to Trowbridge to live on the Seymour estate we got involved with the Seymour TARA.

“Initially we were just members, but then we were on the committee and organised various things with them, before the Seymour Community Hub was set up at the abandoned shop.

“We have enjoyed being a part of it and there is a regular core of people that come to the centre and we’ve made lots of friends through it. We have got much more out of it than we have put in.

“We didn’t know what was going on at first as we thought the turnout was just for the Marie Curie event, so it was a big shock. The hub means so much to both of us and everyone works hard there, we are extremely grateful to everyone for this recognition.”

As well as volunteering for the Seymour Community Hub, the couple also volunteer at the Unite Church in Trowbridge and the Soup Kitchen, with Cllr Andrew presenting the couple with a rose bush and broom bush.

“We were both surprised when we found out as we thought we were just doing a coffee morning for Marie Curie and assumed that everyone was there to support that,” said Mr Perritt.

“It was lovely to see the effort they had gone to and it was a wonderful gesture. We volunteer as we want to help people and we have a laugh while we do it. We want to thank everyone for this nice surprise; they did well keeping it secret.”