RISBOROUGH Day Centre - battling to stay open after losing county funding from next April - may have to reduce its provision for disabled people.

Buckinghamshire County Council's social services department this week confirmed that relocation of key help for disabled users was "a possibility."

The Risborough Christian Fellowship is proposing a partnership with the centre, in Clifford Road. The county council insists any rescue package must be finalised by September.

County councillor Dennis Green (Con, Risborough) told the Bucks Free Press: "If the fellowship is successful in taking the centre over as a leasehold, then I think some of the services will have to go elsewhere, which will be very distressing for the parents and carers, not to mention the people themselves who use the day centre." Cllr Green added: "I hope that all services are maintained at the day centre - it's an integral part of the community."

Day Centre manager Zita Calkin said: "Some people are under the impression that the day centre has already been saved. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and more work has to be done to safeguard our services for the future."

Christian Fellowship minister, the Rev Martin Rowley, said: "We've been told by social services that care of the physically and mentally disabled people who use the centre is their statutory responsibility. Where they do that is a matter for them. If it's not in the day centre, it will be somewhere else, and if there are no arrangements in place by September, everyone loses."

A spokesman for county social services said: "We're considering the possibility of other premises which might be suitable for those who use the centre at the moment."

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