Users of a disabled centre forced to close by funding cuts have spoken of their devastation at losing the "wonderful place".

The Sutton Centre for Independent Living and Learning (SCILL) announced this week that it will shut its doors next year because of "sustained financial pressure".

It comes after Sutton Council said cuts to central Government funding had forced it to slash contracts to the voluntary sector.

SCILL's trustees held months of talks with the council in a fruitless bid to find an alternative source of funding.

The charity will close on March 31.

LAST WEEK: Charity for disabled people SCILL forced to close its doors amid Government funding cuts

Sylvia Aslangul, who has been using SCILL’s services for two years, said: “It’s very bad what’s happening. 

“I can talk, use the phone and drive a car, but there are others whose only contact with others is at the centre. 

“Many can’t speak and are totally dependent on the service to get out and if SCILL goes then they will be left alone at home.” 

The 77-year-old suffers from hydrocephalus, a condition that causes brain damage, and attends exercise classes at SCILL.

She added: “People will just be stuck at home [now.] I think we are being treated like second-class citizens.”

Another SCILL user, who asked not to be named, described the centre as a "wonderful place".

She added: "The staff and volunteers are caring, friendly and dedicated. Visitors are always greeted with a smile. In fact the atmosphere is like one big happy family.

"The trustees tried to resolve the financial issues but of course no one can get past [Sutton Council] once they have set their sights."

Cllr Simon Wales, the council’s lead member for finance, assets and the voluntary sector, said the authority would explore how to offer alternative services for SCILL’s users.

He said: “We understand this decision may be upsetting for residents and staff, so I want to reassure everyone that we are doing all we can, as quickly as possible, to ensure these essential services provided by SCILL remain available to the community in the borough.

"Ultimately we respect the decision of the trustees and the council will now support the orderly closure of the centre next year.

"Our focus has always been how we support all SCILL’s clients, particularly the most vulnerable. Our immediate attention now turns to exploring all options available to secure the future of services on which residents depend.”

The centre's closure comes two years after the charity, based in Robin Hood Lane, axed classes and staff due to financial difficulties.

The charity provides services for about 1,200 people with a range of physical and mental disabilities, but that figure does not include the number of ‘drop-in users’ who attend coffee mornings. 

A letter to staff from the charity’s management team last week read: “We are now facing sustained financial pressure on both income and costs.

The reduction in funding by central Government has meant that [the council] has been forced to reduce its spend on contracts with the voluntary sector; contracts ending have not been renewed.

“It has also meant that our individual clients are facing increasing pressure on their budgets."

Samantha Walker, chief officer at SCILL, said: "We are now looking to see if anyone would want to take on different services and run them and unless we can find one wealthy individual it will be in parts. We want to leave a legacy and for there to be a transition that our users barely notice.

Earlier this year, Sutton Council said it needed to cut its annual spending by £31m by 2019.

A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government, which allocates funding to councils, said: “The Government has provided a long-term funding settlement which will give Sutton over £600 million to spend between now and 2020.

"This will allow them to deliver high quality services whilst keeping council tax bills down. Sutton’s core spending power will increase by 0.9% over the course of this Parliament.”

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