Sadness as centre for elderly is axed
A DAY-CARE centre for old people that has been running for 40 years is set to close.
Users of the Notintone Day Centre, in Sneinton Dale, are to be sent to other centres when it closes its doors for the last time on March 28.
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Facility: Emma Wragg with grandmother Joan West outside the Notintone Place day centre, in Sneinton, which is run by the Salvation Army and is due to close.
The Salvation Army says they can no longer justify running the centre, with costs too high and headquarters having to subsidise the operation.
Phil Johnson is the centre's community services manager.
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"We've run a day centre here for about 40 years," he said.
"In days gone by we had people here for 15, 16, or 17 years – that's not going to happen now.
"The council have not been referring people to us in the numbers we need to sustain it. Realistically we still have our utility bills and over the last few years we as a centre have been heavily subsidised by our headquarters."
Mr Johnson added: "We're working with the council to find laces for our users at other day centres.
It's tragic. It's almost like a family, a grieving process."
Despite the closure, the Salvation Army is still hoping to provide some sort of service from the facility, but do not know yet what the building will be used for.
Emma Wragg's grandmother, Joan, 84, has been using the service for about 18 months.
Emma said: "We lost my grandad 18 months ago. They did everything together. The centre helped get her out again and have a life."
Joan uses the day centre two days a week for three hours at a time. Emma of Jarvis Avenue, Bakersfield, said: "It's going to have quite a big impact.
"It upsets her knowing a lot of the other old people haven't got anywhere to go."
A Nottingham City Council spokesperson said: "We have invested significant time in working with the local manager to maintain the local service and to make it sustainable. "Unfortunately it appears that the Salvation Army at a national level has made a business decision to stop providing day services.
The day centre is next to Notintone House, a residential unit which will remain open.
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