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Horsforth: Day centre users protest against loss of 'lifeline'
People who attend a Horsforth day centre fear they will have no place to go, once its role changes.
A protest was held at Calverlands Day Centre, which currently offers day centre places for around 25 older people each day.
But following a shake-up of day centres by Leeds City Council, Calverlands is now to become a specialist day centre for dementia and Alzheimer's sufferers only.
People objecting to the change made their views clear outside the Church Lane centre.
The crowd included centre users and their families.
They say people who have used the centre for many years are losing their lifeline and will be left with "nowhere to go."
Shelley Wildman, whose 82-year-old mother Anne Sadd attends the centre each week, said: "My mum is very shy, insecure and her only friends are at the day centre where she looks forward to going every week.
"To close this centre to open a seven-day-a-week dementia unit is totally unacceptable and a disgrace to push the elderly aside to make room for people with Alzheimer's.
"I promote as much as possible my mother's independence as it's a vital part of a older persons dignity and as people like my mother living alone can feel totally isolated in their own home.
"They will have nowhere to go. The alternatives they are being offered are no good, and include being given money to arrange days out themselves, which is no good."
She said her mum really looks forward to going to Calverlands to see her friends and for social activities which keep her stimulated.
"These are the things that keep her happy and something to live for," added Mrs Wildman, of Horsforth.
Calverlands was not one of the original six centres earmarked for closure.
Following a reprieve by council leaders only three centres are now set to close.
They are Holbeck, Bramley Lawn and Woodhouse. Other centres including the Doreen Hamilton in Osmondthorpe; Naburn Court in Whinmoor and Otley day centre will open for reduced days.
A Leeds City Council spokesman said: "We will do everything we can to accommodate people's preferences and we will be as flexible as possible when offering places at alternative day centres.
"We realise how important it is to keep groups of friends who want to stay together together. Nobody will receive any less service than they do currently."
"An alternative centre has not yet been offered and won't be until we have talked again with service users and their carers, explaining the range of choices open to them.
"The next step is to explore people's preferred options and identify groups of friends who want to stay together. We will give customers and their carers every opportunity to let us know what issues are important to them."
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Weather for Leeds
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
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Temperature: -7 C to 0 C
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