One local resident is looking forward to being £1,000 better off after being told she was entitled to claim Council Tax benefit.

She learned the good news when she consulted the “Fenland Ferret” benefits calculator at Fenland District Council’s Golden Age Fair in Doddington on last Tuesday. She had never realised she was eligible for the help.

The woman was one of more than 100 people who braved poor weather to call in at the fair in the village hall, attended by 23 partner organisations that provide services for the over-60s.

Councillor Mike Cornwell, the council’s Cabinet member responsible for Golden Age, said: “It showed just how valuable these fairs are in terms of providing practical help and advice. They’re also a great way of bringing people together.

“We had a lot of people coming along and staying for the whole morning just to socialise with their friends and people they haven’t seen for years.

“That’s lovely to see because some people hardly ever get out of the house. We had some lovely feedback from people confirming this and saying how thankful they were. All the organisations involved also said they had had lots of interest and made many useful contacts.”

Volunteers from the Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service handed out 10 free new electric blankets in exchange for old ones.

Representatives from Cambridgeshire County Council’s library and trading standards teams said they spoke to about 30 people on a wide range of services and issues, including the risks posed by criminal scams.

Members of Doddington Women’s institute laid on a fine spread of homemade cakes and scones and a light buffet for the stallholders.

Three other members of the council’s Golden Age team – Cllrs Will Sutton, Maureen Davis and Sam Clark – also lent their support on the day, together with local member Cllr David Connor.