Petition against day centre closure to be handed into Shropshire Council

The Grange Day Centre provides vital life skills, socialising and health support to physically disabled adults between the age of 18 and 60.

Nicola Clark, who leads the Shropshire Cares Campaign which is fighting cuts within elderly and disabled services said:

“The Grange Day Centre is a crucial service for its users and their carers, and the only one of its kind in the region. Users there can access physiotherapists and occupational therapists, and dedicated staffs ensure they achieve progress.

“One user of the service called Andy began attending after his wife died from cancer and he had a debilitating stroke. The Grange not only proved crucial to his physical recovery thanks to the one-to-one work with the staff, but it's also where he met his new partner, Anne. His feelings are clear: "All of us are so devastated at losing this place – it means so much to us, and all we can do is fight on."

The Grange Day centre costs Shropshire Council £200,000 per year to run. Last September, it was decided that closing the centre would help the council achieve its £76m budget goal over the next four years.

Last December, users and their families held a meeting to draft a report in anticipation of the council's final decision. It was attended by the MP Daniel Kawczynski. Halfway through the meeting, a representative from Shropshire Council announced centre was to close on 31 March 2011. Those attending the meeting were left devastated by the news.

Nicola said: “This, confusingly, goes against what was announced by the government. In November Andrew Lansley, the secretary of state for health, stated that "social care services should not have to suffer because of the cuts imposed by the comprehensive spending review", adding that "local authorities in the context of their council tax are not seeing a reduction in cash terms of the resources available to them.

“My petition has received over 1,000 signatures from local people keen to save the Grange. As more than 1,000 signatures prompt a full council debate, I contacted Shropshire council. I was told I hadn't fulfilled their 10-day notification period; nine days weren't enough. However, I could submit it before the next full meeting at the end of February. I decided to continue with a protest anyway and asked the users if they wanted to participate; they were keen. They finally met Chandler, who offered to delay the closure until December 2011 – a small step forward.

“These are tough decisions. Lives already difficult are being made worse in the name of "savings". It may cost £200,000 to run but the true worth of the centre in human terms, is vast.”

Shropshire Council say they are committed to making sure that our most vulnerable are given the best opportunities and choice that best meets their needs, and that a consultation has been carried out with everyone involved at The Grange Centre to ensure that everyone receives the type of care and support they need.

The 35 to 40 people who attend the Grange throughout the week would be offered alternative facilities to meet and socialise as part of plans to close the centre.

The council has also been talking to service users at the Grange about their individual care needs and where that care can be delivered once the centre closes. They say that new personal budgets will give people the flexibility to access services in the community, and other places will be provided where people can meet to socialise as they do currently at the Grange.