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Closures will hit us
• MY daughter has a long-term mental illness. She lives at home and attends Southwood Smith Day Centre and the women’s day at Ashley Road centre, where she feels safe from predatory attention.
If these centres were not there the consequences for us as a family would be serious. I wouldn’t be able to work and our quality of life would deteriorate. Recent letters in the Tribune do not seem to have taken into account the effects of the closure of Islington mental health day centres on pressured carers. The proposals would close Ashley Road and probably Southwood Smith too.
My daughter doesn’t need the proposed outreach service. She needs somewhere to go. If the closures go ahead, there will be nowhere for her. If she has to stay at home then I cannot work. There is no benefit for my family in this.
Islington Council has admitted it does not need the money it could raise by selling Ashley Road. The current Lambo service is one that its client group wants to continue. Islington Mind only sees a larger contract for itself and more money coming in.
Whatever view Islington Borough User Group (IBUG) may take and whatever support its chairman is claimed to have, it hasn’t affected the decision on the future of Islington day care. It seems naive for anyone to think that it would.
The council executive is reconsidering the proposals because of Councillor Andrew Cornwell’s stand and not because of Peter Jones and IBUG. I hope the Tribune’s discussion will have some influence because if it doesn’t the future for my daughter and myself looks bleak. We will be impoverished, all for money the council does not need.
SK
(Name and address supplied) N1
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