FURTHER to Richard Stevens’s letter (Oxford Mail, August 16) concerning the massive hike in fees to attend local day services.
In Witney, our local health and well-being centre, The Elms on Moorland Road, which although funded by Oxfordshire County Council , is uniquely run by staff and volunteers from the Leonard Cheshire Disability charity.
However, service users will be subject to even steeper price rises if the Conservative County Council has its way. The current daily charge of £1.30 is set to rise to £15, that’s a staggering 1,053 per cent.
To add insult to injury the cost of transport to the centre is also increasing from £1 to £5. I visited the centre recently and met with service users and staff and it’s clear that many people feel they won’t be able to attend the centre and access the support it offers if these horrendous hikes in charges go ahead.
The Elms provides essential support to mainly elderly residents and has impressive specialist support for dementia sufferers too.
It says something about the society we live in and the way we treat our elderly residents who have contributed so much to our country that we’re now asking them to dig deep into their pockets to pay for a service they not only desperately need but also enjoy.
ANDREW COLES (Cllr) Labour — Witney Central Ward
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