'New hope' for Leamington Spa's Helen Ley MS centre

The centre provides respite and residential care

A care centre in Warwickshire for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) could be saved from closure because a potential new owner has been found.

The Helen Ley care centre in Leamington Spa was due to shut by the end of January.

Now current owners the MS Society said it had signed an initial agreement with a locally-based care centre.

Castel Froma provides care for people with brain injuries, MS and other neurological conditions.

'Ray of hope'

The MS Society said there was a "new ray of hope" for the centre and it was now working with Leamington Spa-based Castel Froma to agree "precise terms and discuss detailed transfer arrangements".

Stuart Nixon, acting chair of the MS Society, said he was delighted "that such a well-known local organisation has come forward to continue running the service".

He added: "We recognise that this has been a very difficult time for all affected, and we would like to thank our staff for continuing to provide excellent care and support for guests, their families and carers during this time."

Robert Pearce, chief executive of Castel Froma, said: "We couldn't contemplate seeing Helen Ley close, so we had to put an offer to the MS Society."

The MS Society announced its decision to move out of providing respite care directly in July 2010 and had also been trying to sell three other centres.

It said its centre in Scotland had been transferred to new owners and work was "ongoing" to transfer its York-based care centre to a new provider.

The charity revealed its centre in Surrey still faced the threat of closure at the end of November.