Day care service improvements work nearly completed

Work to improve one of Blackburn with Darwen Council’s day care centres is nearing completion.

The improvements at Hopwood Court in Audley will provide more group rooms, fully equipped disabled bathrooms, a training kitchen and a therapy room.

The investment was pledged after people who use the service and their families said they really valued the facility.

Councillor Mohammed Khan, Executive Member for Health and Adult Social Care, visited the facility to inspect progress of the work.

People who normally attend the centre are temporarily based at alternative venues across the borough, including Stansfeld Centre, Derwent Hall and Kingsway, until the building work is finished.

Councillor Mohammed Khan, Executive member for Health and Adult Social Care, said: “It has been extremely tough times for this Council and we have had to face heavy cuts to our budget.

“But we have always said we will try to protect services used by the most vulnerable and those which residents value most.

“I spoke to service users and their families and they really do value this service.

“We wanted to invest money in this facility despite the tough times we have faced and the limited amount of cash we have available precisely because it is used by some of the borough’s most vulnerable residents.”

Work is due to finish in spring.