Award for Grangemouth charity which has become an oasis of social interaction for elderly

The Jimmy Murphy Memorial Trophy – named after a man renowned for giving his time to local causes – has been awarded to individuals and organisations that go the extra mile to make their communities a better place.

The 2023 recipient – Grangemouth Old People’s Welfare – has been doing just that at their Talbot House base, in Talbot Street, Grangemouth, for well over 40 years.

Holding lunches for elderly people every Tuesday and Thursday, Talbot House has become a place the older generation has come to rely on for their social interaction and well being.

Charlie Greer, the charity’s chairman, said: “Some of the people make their own way here and some of them arrive via mobility buses. It’s very much a social thing and it’s important to a lot of people.

"After COVID-19 a lot of our regular users who had been stranded in the house – like all of us – were able to come back to Talbot House. It combats social isolation and people look forward to coming here for a chat.

"It’s also sometimes the only main meal that some of them enjoy each week.”

Charlie said he and the charity’s team members were happy to receive the award, which was presented to them by Jimmy Murphy’s widow Anne.

The venue, which opened in 1980, has also become home to a lot of organisations and clubs in recent years and has become something of a “community hub”.