PENSIONERS can still attend their treasured Bewdley luncheon club after a new venue was found in the nick of time.

Friday was the last day for the WRVS club in Lax Lane but users found out 48 hours before the closure that it will continue at Riverside Church in Dog Lane.

The club transferred to the new venue on Monday and food operations manager at the WRVS, Clive Webley, said the charity had already received positive feedback from users.

He said: "It is exactly what we need, we looked at the other options and found the church to the most suitable one.

"It was always our intention to find another venue, we just had to find the right one."

Access to the building was good and the club would continue to be held three times a week, he added.

The charity last month announced it was moving from the property in Lax Lane, owned by Worcestershire County Council, because of the poor state of the building.

Pensioners reacted with dismay to the news, telling the Shuttle/Times & News their social lives would be torn apart if they could not meet their friends at the club.

Mayor of Bewdley, Tony Williams, said he would fight the closure and this week welcomed the news of the new venue, also known as The God House.

He said: "I am delighted a place has been found. It is very important for the elderly community because it is one of the few places they can meet their friends. If this wasn't available to them most would be confined to their homes."