Almost 2,000 people have backed calls to prevent a “lifeline” north-east respite centre for disabled people from closing.
Amid fears that the Respite Bungalow on Roberston Road in Fraserburgh could be axed as part of a review, an online petition to Aberdeenshire Council was launched about a month ago.
It has gained the support of 1,400 people while a paper petition circulated around the town has been signed 500 times.
VIEW THE PETITION HERE
Wendy Dalgarno’s brother Mark attends the facility regularly and she claims the “lack of communication” on the fate of the facility prompted her to launch the online petition.
It has been backed not only by residents from Aberdeenshire, but from people in Australia and New Zealand too.
If the centre were to close, its users would have to travel 30 minutes to Peterhead.
The Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership, which is conducting the review into the future of the site, has stressed that no decisions have yet been made.
But last night Ms Dalgarno blasted bosses for providing parents and guardians with a lack of information on what may happen.
She said: “If it’s about costs, I’m sure the families could come together and help raise funds.”
Miss Dalgarno’s mother, Linda McCalman has received more than 500 signatures so far on her paper petition, gaining support from people in Fraserburgh and the surrounding area.
Miss Dalgarno and Miss McCalman are encouraging affected families to reach out to them “to find out if they’ve been informed about what’s going on”.
A spokeswoman for Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership said that a paper about the issue was still “on track” to be debated by the board next month.
MSP Peter Chapman met with the families involved on Saturday.
He said: “It’s clear the service users absolutely love to go there and that the respite centre is a valued facility in Fraserburgh which needs to stay open.”
MP for Banff and Buchan, David Duguid said: “I also intend to raise this issue in my next meeting with the Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership.
“The service users and their families are understandably concerned and I want to do all that I can to help.”
