Cherry Tree Centre supported by 1,000 residents

The Age UK petition has been signed by 1,000 residents

On Saturday, Maureen Smithers and members of Young at Heart Community Partnership – a charity hoping to run the day centre from April next year – gathered in The Martlets shopping centre to gauge public support.

Last month, Age UK announced it would be closing the centre when its lease runs out in March next year.

This inspired residents and the Young at Heart Community Partnership to intervene.

Mrs Smithers said: “So many of the residents we spoke to on Saturday were really supportive of the day centre. There are so many elderly people who need it and cannot be moved all over the place from one day to the next. For people suffering from dementia, it isn’t fair to expect them to keep moving around.”

The Young at Heart Community Partnership is hoping the signatures will show West Sussex County Council that it has the support to run the centre.

Bella Tomsett, secretary of the partnership, said: “We have a meeting with West Sussex County Council on December 15 where we need to show that we have community support, ways of funding the centre and that our approach is viable.

“We have so far received support from both Mid Sussex District Council and Burgess Hill Town Council. They have been extremely helpful with this whole thing. We just need to convince the county council that this option is viable.”

At a meeting last Monday, leader of Burgess Hill Town Council Pru Moore said Age UK was offered six months free rent from the district council but turned it down.

She also said she would propose to Mid Sussex District Council that a year’s lease is available.

Miss Tomsett added: “We will be having a meeting with the district council before the county council meeting but we haven’t got a date yet.

“They have mentioned the year’s lease which would of course be fantastic news for us.

“We just need to get the decision makers at the county council on board with what we are proposing.

“I was overwhelmed by the levels of support we received from residents who signed the petition on Saturday.”