The History of Day Centres project booklet is now finished! The booklet was produced collaboratively with people who attended the Day Centres and explore the themes which they said were most important including work, wages, discos, holidays, and friends.
Of particular interest are people’s understandings of why the Day Centres closed and whether this was the right decision.
Sharon Phillips, who attended one of Croydon’s Day Centres for over 20 years, said: “Too many people, that’s why they closed the Day Centre. The noise upset me sometimes, I get headaches sometimes. I don’t like noise, I like to go a quiet place. I like the Recourse Base, good, good place.”
Pippa Goode said: “Well I think it was told to save money. Told to save money, and I don’t like that, what the government’s done, they took all the work away. Now I am a little bit upset, because we used to get paid here, and we’re not paid now. And a few years ago we were told we’d have to pay to come in here, but luckily it didn’t come up so it didn’t happen. That’s what the government, the council said. I mean I said if that comes up I shall refuse to pay.”
Simon Flute said: “The other thing is that they were trying to save up money. I think the government should come down here and see the staff and members and listen to what they have to say.”
Pat Hall said: “That’s why people come here, because it was Tony Blair’s idea for people not to stay in Day Centres. He thought Resource Bases were better for people. Tony Blair was right because people don’t want to stay in them all their lives, do they? They get bored. It’s better to get outside.”
The Stories booklet is available as a PDF (5MB), which you can
download.
