SOUTH Basildon MP Stephen Metcalfe supported the Heart of Pitsea at its last hullabaloo to celebrate and reflect on the community group's achievements over the last 12 years.

Stephen joined Gill and Tracey from the Heart of Pitsea community group at Basildon Upper Academy on Saturday (23 March) for its hullabaloo event and discussed the hundreds of projects completed by its volunteers in Pitsea.

Mr Metcalfe with Gill

Flyers and pictures were on display which documented the group's achievements.

The hullabaloo was the last big event hosted by the Heart of Pitsea as it begins to scale down and National Lottery funding decreases.

Mr Metcalfe with Tracey.

To mark the occasion, there was afternoon tea, hotdogs, ice cream, a bouncy castle, magic shows, and face painting. It was a great day out for all of the family and a special tribute to all the work that the Heart of Pitsea has done.

The Heart of Pitsea's youth clubs, its walking group, and its Pitsea Pots maintenance group will continue. Moreover, a new charity is being created for Pitsea in association with Men's Sheds UK.

Men's Sheds UK is inspired by the Australian Men's Shed Association which has successfully created community spaces where men can enjoy practical hobbies, side-by-side, making good friends and learning new skills.

Mr Metcalfe commented: "A huge thank you goes out to the Heart of Pitsea and its volunteers for creating hundreds of events, projects, and initiatives which have fostered a real community spirit in Pitsea over the last 12 years.

Mr Metcalfe at the Parliament Men's Shed

As the Heart of Pitsea's volunteers move onto their new project, Pitsea's Men's Shed, I will support them every step of the way. It's a great idea which has a lot of momentum behind it. I look forwarding to visiting!"

The MP recently visited Parliament's very own Men's Shed and praised the success of Men's Sheds UK: "It is great that Men's Sheds are opening across the UK. It is a great idea which has come from Australia and recognises the fact that men generally make better friends when they are working side-by-side, not face-to-face.

"Therefore, they are having a big effect on combatting loneliness – which has become a serious issue in our digitised world. I look forward to visiting Pitsea's Men's Shed."