Have you closed the Isabel Blackman Centre in Hastings because we are old and don’t matter?

From: John Aitchison, Turnberry Close, St Leonards
12/12/13- The Isabel Blackman Centre, Hastings ENGSUS0012013121213350812/12/13- The Isabel Blackman Centre, Hastings ENGSUS00120131212133508
12/12/13- The Isabel Blackman Centre, Hastings ENGSUS00120131212133508

It is difficult to express my feelings on the enforced closure of the Isabel Blackman Centre in the Old Town, in terms which could be printed in the Hastings Observer.

How can one describe the callous way in which the East Sussex County Council came to this decision. They did not even have the guts to come face to face with the clients – they sent officials to do their dirty work instead. We are old people so perhaps we don’t matter.

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We are disabled people so we don’t count. We are people with dementia so we can be ignored.

We are people with strokes and mental heath problems so we can be set aside.

We cannot march with banners – most can’t walk more than a few yards. We do not have a voice. However we do have a vote so we know what to do at the next County Council elections.

This closure will have unintended consequences – more strain on the NHS, more loneliness, more work for Social Services and in the end virtually no savings at all.