Hopes raised for under-threat dementia centre

Manager Eileen Wright has welcomed a meeting with the council leader

A meeting is to be held later this month to discuss ways to save a centre for dementia patients.

Endike Community Care Association (ECCA) in Hull has been providing day care since 1992.

However, manager Eileen Wright said the facility in Ashton Close was "hanging on by the skin of our teeth" and would close "within two months" if future funding was not secured.

Councillor Mike Ross, the leader of Hull City Council, will meet management to discuss their concerns on 30 August.

In June, staff and families took their funding plea directly to Hull City Council

Ms Wright said: "I am feeling positive. I welcome the meeting with Councillor Ross and others.

"Clients and their families will be at the centre so they can see for themselves what we provide."

There had been "a lot of sleepless nights" about the future of the centre.

"A lot of people will suffer if this centre closes," she added.

Ms Wright said she was "very grateful" for a number of small donations received since ECCA went public about its financial troubles.

'Nowhere to go'

In June, the council told the BBC that ECCA received a time-limited grant from the authority, which ended in September 2023.

In a statement, the authority said it had been working with the centre for "many months", providing support and "advice on how the organisation can become more sustainable".

This support included increasing the number of individuals being placed at the centre for day care.

ECCA has 52 clients on its books, cared for by a team of nine dementia-trained staff.

Ms Wright said: "Without us, these people would have nowhere to go. There is a need for this service."

A council spokesperson said: "Councillor Ross will be meeting with the team from ECCA at the end of the month, where it is expected they will show him the activities at the centre [and] set out their concerns."

Follow BBC East Yorkshire on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail]