Charity taking over care service

People who use the Tamara centre protested at its closure

A national charity is taking over day some care services for elderly people in south-east Cornwall.

Services at the Tamara Residential Home in Torpoint, formerly run by The Guinness Trust, ended when it said low demand meant they were not viable.

The Abbeyfield Society has stepped in to provide 24 day care places from Monday to Friday from 1000 to 1600.

Jane Thom, from Abbeyfield, said it had used the Tamara facilities and managers felt "we had to do something".

Cornwall Council will continue to fund 11 care places.

Public outcry

The services at Tamara had been run by the Guinness Trust for 19 years.

Its users and their supporters protested against the closure.

Ms Thom, house manager of Torpoint's Abbeyfield Society home, said it was taking over in response to the public outcry over the impact of the decision.

The mayor of Torpoint, Mike Pearn, said he was delighted Abbeyfield was filling the breach but saddened at the closure of services supported and often funded by the community over the years.

He said: "Funds were raised for the Tamara centre by local people, including £250,000 in the late 1980s."

The Guinness Trust said it had explored retaining the services but as few as six people a day used them and it had needed at least 14 to make them viable.

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