A NUMBER of groups in Droitwich are celebrating after receiving grants from the local town council.

At the meeting of Droitwich Spa Town Council, held on September 14, it was decided that a number of grants would be made to local community groups.

Worcester, Birmingham and Droitwich Canals Society was handed £500 while Stephanie Sergeant of Charisma Training was given £750.

St Peter's Pre-school received £1,000 and Droitwich Spa Ladies FC were given a £500 boost.

Droitwich Food Bank was given £1,000 to continue its work, and food bank deputy project leader, Meg Richards, said the donation was "tremendous".

"We are so thrilled and delighted with the donation and we are so grateful to the council," Mrs Richards said.

"We get so much support from local people, and to have the town council supporting us too really means a lot. This will help us continue providing the service to the people who need it in the area."

A grant of £1,000 was also given to the Alzheimer's Society, who have just opened a meeting centre in the town.

The centre opened on Wednesday, September 23 in the Community Hall on Heritage Way with the aim of making a dementia-friendly community as well as raising awareness of the disease.

It offers information sessions on a range of topics from different types of dementia, support services, coping with different behaviours, medication, ethics and the law.

The meeting centre is the first in the country, and opens in Droitwich following extensive consultation with meeting centres across Europe including those in the Netherlands, Italy and Wroclav, in Poland, where Alois Alzheimer was appointed Professor of Psychiatry 100 years ago.