A SENIOR citizens group gathered to celebrate a decade of healthy living at one of its regular group meetings.

Slough Senior Citizens Group met at Brook House in Chalvey to mark its 10th anniversary with a New Year celebration and keep fit class on Thursday. 

On the group's actual anniversary on Tuesday, I met founder and organiser Vijay Gupta who talked me through the history behind the group.

He said: "We felt that older people did not have a place where they can do some exercise, and the point is that they came for exercise and then could make friends.

"Lots of older people do not live with their families now and the question was how do they spend their time. The group gives them the opportunity to spend time with people and be healthy."

Mr Gupta first applied for funding for the group in September 2005, applying to the Slough Race Equality Council and being awarded a £1,060 grant.

He said: "We were very happy when we got that through. Had this not been achieved we could not have launched it."

Mr Gupta, who lives in Chalvey, was very passionate about the group as he showed me all of the newspaper clippings that mentioned the group and its achievements that he had collected over the 10 years.

The passion and enthusiasm that he has for the group is infectious, as those participating in the keep fit class showed.

He said: "We started off with one session every two months in 2006 but now we have two sessions each week.

"We have been able to build a network of friends and at the end of the day we feel happy that we have been able to do something worthwhile.

"The volunteering in itself is one of the ways to remain happy. It is not important that you live longer but that you live a healthy and long life.

"Volunteer work keeps me busy. I will be 76 in March and I cannot get paid anymore for work, even if I wanted to!"

A challenge arose in 2011 as the Berkshire Community Foundation funding dried up. The group received a small grant of just £500 and managed to raise around £200 through some fundraising but managed to carry on.

Mr Gupta said: "We didn't close and we carried on and found some funding from the People's Health Trust eventually.

"Now we want to improve our attendance and have more people take advantage of our classes and we want to build up our resources."

Mr Gupta's proudest moment with the group was winning the Group of the Year award at the Slough Voluntary Sector Awards in 2013, beating off competition from around 20 other organisations.

He said: "It was very proud moment and I felt really rewarded. We were expecting some recognition but not first position. That is a memorable event for us."

Slough Senior Citizens Group is mainly for those aged 55 and over, but anyone is welcome. It is free to take part and you can just turn up at one of the sessions.

Yoga takes place on Tuesdays between 11am-noon and the keep fit class is on Thursdays between 10.30-11.30am, both at Brook House.

For more information email sloughseniors@gmail.com