If you are a regular reader of the Waverley Web you will have noticed that Surrey County Council has withdrawn its annual £50,000 grant towards the WRVS – Meals on Wheels Service. So now the beleaguered Day Centre’s – one of which has just been burgled – have been offered a Golden Boot by “Your Waverley” in an attempt to keep the service going..going.. . ?
Let’s hope “Your Waverley’s” word is its bond – “and it revises all the centres’ Service Level Agreements?” UP!
Across the country local authorities are cutting the vital service – with only half now ensuring a hot meal is delivered to the housebound elderly, and the South East is one of the lowest. According to official figures only 33% of eligible people receive Meals on Wheels. Don’t these dummies realise this will put even more pressure on the NHS because of unnecessary hospital stays and send even more into nursing homes?
This is taken from the Council Committee papers:
At least so far, “Your Waverley” has its priorities right – which is more than be said for Surrey County Council! … It prefers to invest £30m in the Blightwells/East Street re-development scheme in Farnham rather than supporting the elderly to remain independent in their own homes?
And… perhaps “Your Scrooge” should not ask the Day Centres to pay back money back when it has £65 million in Reserves so that it can use “Your Money” join the county council in playing “Property Developers.”
Perhaps it should write the “loan” off and give the Day Centres more money for helping to ensure such a vital service continues?
I wonder if our county councillors would each give up one days travelling expenses so that our elderly people could have a meals on wheels?
We very much doubt they would give up anything. Surrey County Councillors are now in the property development business, using “Your Money” on risky ventures – the elderly? Who are they? Who needs them?
A Vital service that should be protected
WW agrees with you – it is a vital service and should be protected. But “Your Waverley” has kicked all the other old people’s services into touch with the demise of Age Concern Waverley – so what does it really matter if another service bites the dust?