Day centre is to be closed (From Worcester News)

Pershore day centre is to be closed

9:50am Tuesday 5th March 2013 in News

A PERSHORE day care centre is to close due to dwindling numbers and claims the service is not up to scratch.

The Sanctuary Care day centre will hold its last session on Thursday, March 21, following a steady decline in numbers since it moved to the Wychavon District Council offices in January last year.

The care facility, previously based at Heathlands Care Home next door to the council offices, had been due to close last year but was saved after an outcry by users and their families, who described the service as a lifeline.

Now, only 12 months later, people have stopped using the service and there have been claims the facilities at its new home were not good enough and activities were not stimulating for users.

At a Pershore Town Council meeting, Councillor Mervynne Payne said: “The toilet facilities aren’t good. They have to go down a corridor to get to the toilet and sometimes there was only one member of staff and they couldn’t take people to the toilet.

“They would bring food from Heathlands that was cold by the time they got it. Who wants to go to a place like that?”

The Rev Mark Jennings added: “A member of the congregation for whom I hold power of attorney opted to go to Yates Court in Evesham because it wasn’t stimulating enough [at Pershore].” After it moved to Wychavon District Council the service was housed in a room named after town stalwart John Smith, who was known as ‘Mr Pershore’.

County councillor Liz Tucker said she hoped another way could be found to record his services to the town.

Vic Allison, deputy managing director at Wychavon, said: “We stepped in to offer a space for the day centre and invested to provide a high quality facility.

We’re very sorry that Sanctuary are having to stop the service, we did all we could to provide a nice environment at the Civic Centre.”

Len Merton, director of care for Sanctuary, confirmed the closure. He said: “Unfortunately, despite our heavy investment and work to promote the day centre, demand for its services have continued to decline and we have now reached the point where it is not feasible to continue.”