A lifeline service which has provided mental health support in Inverness for nearly 25 years is set to close next month after £150,000 of funding was slashed by health bosses.
The drop-in centre at Cairdeas Cottage, which is operated by Support in Mind Scotland, will shut at the end of June after NHS Highland withdrew financial support.
It comes after a NHS Highland review of its mental health found that supporting two services in the city was “unsustainable”.
Meanwhile, the 30 people who have come to rely on services at Cairdeas Cottage face being moved to the health board’s own service at Bruce Gardens.
Mental health campaign group Hug and clients of Cairdeas Cottage have spoken out to support the Bank Street centre.
Graham Morgan, advocacy manager for Hug, said: “We entered into the review of day services in good faith with the promise of seven day a week services and a host of new activities and have ended up with the closure of the very service that people valued most.
“In the aftermath of an election in which all the political parties promised action on mental health, we call on NHS Highland, which has made the biggest cuts in mental health funding of any health board in Scotland over the last 10 years, to recognise the value of organisations such as Support in Mind Scotland and reverse their decision to stop funding this service.”
Cairdeas Cottage has been open for nearly 25 years and is open five days a week from Tuesday to Saturday.
It offers meals, training towards employment, relaxation classes and physical activities.
One service user said: “Cairdeas gives me a life.”
Another said: “This is all the support I have. Lots of us have no other support than here and would not be seen in Bruce Gardens.”
Councillor Bet McAllister, Inverness Central, said that she was “very disappointed” by the news.
She said: “They have been there for such a long time and it’s such an easy place for people who need the service to drop in for a cup of tea and chat.
“I know from my time at the college they do a lot of good work with helping people learn trades and job skills so it will be a big loss.
“Hopefully something can be done to help.”
Councillor Alasdair Christie, chairman of Highland Council’s education, children and adult services committee said he was unaware of the details of the case but would contact NHS Highland for an explanation of the decision.
An NHS Highland spokesman said: “NHS Highland’s review of services is tasked with ensuring value for money, and aim to provide improved services.
“NHS Highland had explored the feasibility of merging Bruce Garden’s Day Centre services 10 sessions per week and Cairdeas Cottage Day Service’s seven sessions per week to form a seven day service for the city of Inverness, with evening options and to deliver savings.”
He added: “NHS Highland believes that the plans for increasing the range of services offered will be of benefit to many more clients than are currently supported in the service. The move to seven day opening will also meet a long expressed desire for clients for support over the weekend.”