Wiltshire day centre funding cuts a 'bombshell'

The New Road centre in Marlborough provides services for about 55 users a week

Funding for day centres for disabled, vulnerable and elderly people in Wiltshire could be cut within three months, it has been announced.

Wiltshire Council has sent out letters to the venues informing them funding is to be reduced.

Deborah Bond, who chairs the New Road centre in Marlborough, called the news "a complete bombshell".

The council said the centres did "great work" and the decision "was not taken lightly".

The New Road centre has been open for 30 years and provides day centre services for about 55 users a week, of which 30 are regulars.

Ms Bond said: "Our clients can't just get on the bus and go to the cinema on their own.

"I have already had parents of some of the disabled people come up to me in tears because they don't know what is going to happen."

Transformed his life

Ms Bond said the way the centre's staff had found out had been "brutal and cruel" and they were determined to fight the decision.

Carla O'Shaughnessy's son Joe, who has learning disabilities and cerebral palsy, has been visiting the centre for two years. He attends for three days a week and his mother said it had transformed his life.

She said: "If the day centre were to close it is not an understatement to say that it would destroy lives.

"As a parent of a disabled child you get used to fighting your whole life. I had accepted that the day centre was all that Joe had and that could be taken away."

A council spokesman said: "Due to the increased demand for our statutory frontline services we have made the difficult decision to end awarding grants to specialist day service clubs from 31 May.

"The centres do great work and this was a decision not taken lightly."