Funding axed for Burnbank Volunteer resource centre

Feb 4 2010 by John Rowbotham, Hamilton Advertiser

DISMAY this week greeted the news that the £72,000 council grant to Burnbank Volunteers Resource Centre has been axed.

The decision is almost certain to lead to the closure of the centre, in Argyle Drive, and redundancy for four staff.

Up to 400 people a week, many of them elderly and disabled, use the centre which has been running for 33 years.

It’s organised by the paid staff and about 30 volunteers and is also the meeting place for 13 groups catering for the elderly, disabled and visually impaired.

One of the groups, the stroke club, is run by Jock Stein’s sisters Margaret McDade and Jessie McNeill.

Centre volunteers and users had mounted a spirited campaign to save the facility, with 1000 letters of complaint sent to South Lanarkshire councillors.

However, on Monday the council’s executive committee approved a list of efficiency savings that included a proposal to axe the centre’s funding.

Yesterday (Wednesday) centre president Gordon Young said: “The council have given us time to run it down and we will carry on until then.

“But this is a very sad time and it will leave a massive gap in social day care in Burnbank.

“I don’t think there are the resources in the area to take on the work we were doing.

“We had people who came to us because they didn’t want to be involved with social work and the worry is that when we close they will retreat back into their homes.”

He added: “We will be working with the outside agencies such as social work to make sure everyone is secure, but I only hope that in six months time we don’t find some little old lady lying behind her door.”

Mr Young said they were exploring the possibility of obtaining alternative sources of finance, but added: “The implications of that might be charging clients and we have no wish to pick the pockets of sick people.”

Council Leader Eddie McAvoy recognised the good work done by the centre over the years, but added: “Last year their grant was due to be cut and we gave them another year to enable them to find alternative funding and they have not done that.

“Sadly, we have a limited amount of money to go around and some projects have had to be cut.”