Shock as learning centre set to close

10:38am Thursday 31st August 2006

A CORSHAM brother was stunned when he learned the Middlefield Adult Training Centre in Chippenham, where his sister is a student, is closing.

Shane Funnell, 36, of Dickens Avenue, said his family had not been told officially despite the council making the decision nearly three years ago.

Mr Funnell said his handicapped sister Sherrie-Lee depends on the training centre for support and he didn't know how the family would cope without it.

He said: "Sherrie-Lee loves going to Middlefield and it has helped enormously with her walking, reading and writing. Even when she is ill she still wants to get up in the morning and go down there.

"She gets to socialise there, and she wouldn't normally be able to meet up with other people as she doesn't drive and she doesn't have the funds to take part in outside activities."

"When I told my mum the news she was shocked. She had been given a letter to say the kitchen would be shutting for a while but she had no idea that the whole centre could be axed.

"She really doesn't know what she is going to do."

The training centre, in Hungerdown Lane, Chippenham, was set up to provide a sense of independence to those with learning disabilities, including them in everyday activities within the community.

Sherrie-Lee, 31, depends on support from her mother Pauline, who is in her seventies. The family live together and depend on Middlefield for respite.

Mr Funnell recently held a charity football match in aid of the centre to help pay for transport for the members.

Middlefield doesn't receive grants from the government and therefore needs to provide all its own funding for transport to get its members around and take them to places they love such as swimming pools and stables.

Mr Funnell said: "This is typical of the council. My mum doesn't have the time or the funds to look after Sherrie-Lee full time."

A spokesman for the county council said: "Middlefield Centre will be closing, but it will be a closure of the building and not a closure of the services it provides. We are looking at opening smaller day centres as we believe a larger number of smaller day centres work better than bigger institutes."