MP Backs Elleray Hall

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 8th Jul 2002

On Friday 5th july, Vincent Cable, MP, visited Elleray Hall and expressed full support for residents fighting to keep the Teddington elderly peoples' day centre going; and urged the local community to back the centre: "for dozens of older residents, this centre is a lifeline. It provides friendship and companionship for people who would other wise be isolated. And in some cases it provides older people with the only hot meal they enjoy in a day".

Vincent Cable has urged the council to give the Centre time to re-organise its management committee which has declined since the death of the chairman, Richard Bender, and for a thorough review of building works that are necessary: "the council has just completed a re-organisation of day centres such that frail elderly people are now bussed into Elleray Hall from as far as Hampton. It would be very distressing for these vulnerable people if the Centre were to close forcing them to accept yet another upheaval and leading to a breaking up of friendships."