John Baron MP today officially opened the new George Hurd Centre, in Audley Way, Basildon. Whilst there, John secured a promise from Lovells to provide free of charge a scooter shelter in the car park to protect against the rain when residents are visiting the centre.
John said: “This fabulous day Centre will allow residents to access a wide range of services all in one place for the first time. With the elderly population growing, this facility will play an important role in helping older people to continue to live independently and to fully enjoy their retirement. It is a great community asset.”
“I am also delighted that today I have been able to secure from Lovells a scooter shelter on behalf of local residents. This is badly needed and our thanks go to Lovells.”
“Congratulations to everyone for working together to produce such a fantastic new day Centre at no expense to council tax payers. Our thanks also go to the teams involved in now making this work for the local community.”
Dozens of elderly residents joined MP John Baron for the official launch of
the George Hurd centre in Audley Way.
The two-storey building is a replacement for the centre’s former home in
Fauners which is due to be demolished and replaced by new housing.
It follows a deal negotiated by Basildon Council giving Family Mosaic and
Lovell the site of the ageing centre in exchange for building the new one.
More than 700 elderly people will benefit from the larger building which
includes new facilities and space for local community and voluntary groups.
Local residents will also benefit from 49 new affordable homes and 12 for
private sale being built by Lovell on the old site.
Councillor Phil Turner, cabinet member in charge of Resources, said: “The former centre was built more than 40 years ago and was struggling to meet the modern needs of elderly residents.
“Instead of using taxpayers’ money to prop up an ailing building we exchanged the land for a new purpose built centre. This has not only saved public money but has resulted in a £2m facility that is both larger and better equipped than the one before.
“The George Hurd centre is a lifeline for many elderly people and I hope this brand new development provides better quality care and support for them.”
Among the new facilities is a hairdressers, medical room, together with a
full-sized snooker room and table. There is also a professional kitchen, lounge, dining room, activities room, main hall and classroom.
Councillor Terri Sargent, who worked on the project as the former cabinet member in charge of Community Services, said: "The George Hurd is one of our most popular day care centres and is relied on by hundreds of elderly people each week.
"The new centre not only offers modern facilities for the elderly but also provides a permanent base for local community and voluntary groups. These have been joined under one roof for the first time and will give older residents convenient access to the services they provide.
"We hope the new centre becomes an even better place for elderly people to meet friends, stay active and get the help and advice they need."
The CVS and BDVC have set up offices on the upper floor, with the Wickford
Talking Newspaper set to join them in June.
Among the activities already on offer at the George Hurd are yoga, keep fit, ceramics, bingo and art. Elderly residents can also take advantage of cheap meals, an evening meal takeaway service and transport to and from the centre.
No comments:
Post a Comment