UNDER pressure Devizes PHAB is calling on the people of Devizes to support its biggest fundraising event of the year to help show Wiltshire Council it is worthy of keeping the grant which last month it threatened to scrap.

It is holding its fancy dress Push Walk in Hillworth Park on June 1 and is hoping for a bumper turn out.

The council has backtracked on the decision to stop grants to clubs across the county that support the elderly and disabled but is now consulting.

Club chairman Terry Bazeley said he was pleased that a Wiltshire Council officer and area board chairman Simon Jacobs visited a PHAB meeting at the Nursteed Centre last Thursday.

He said: “It was important for them to see what we do and for us to have a chance to ask questions. But we still do not know if our grant will be safe.

“A lot of our members are elderly and disabled and really look forward to our meetings where we do a lot of different activities and also go on regular outings.

“The council is keen for us to raise money ourselves. It would be wonderful if lots of people could get behind our Push Walk. It would really show that the community of Devizes is behind us.”

Last month Wiltshire Council sent letters to clubs including Devizes PHAB, Devizes and District Association For The Blind & Partially Sighted, Devizes and District Association for Disabled, Devizes Monday Club and Devizes Wednesday Club saying their grants were being cut.

After an outcry social care cabinet member Jerry Wickham admitted the letters saying a total of £62,000 was to be cut from the overall budget should not have been sent out and the decision would be postponed.

Devizes PHAB also provides transport for a number of other groups and Mr Bazeley has just had good news that its transport grant of £6,100, which is separate to the general grant, is not to be cut. Go to devizesphab.co.uk

To find out more about Push Walk go to https://www.devizesphab.co.uk/fundraising-events