• MANY people, including users, volunteers, fundraisers and staff, are saddened at the turn of events at the Age UK Camden centre at Henderson Court.

We’re told that from October 1 it will cost £25 a day to use the centre and £65 for people with dementia.

At a special meeting held on July 18 we were told by Monica Riveros, the service manager, and Janet Guthrie, the chair, that users would be assessed by Camden Council, who would then pay for the admissions. I would prefer to say “may” pay for the admissions because I don’t see Camden doling out money that easily.

What is more interesting is to examine the accounts in the annual review. These show that total income and endowments went up from £2.2million in 2015 to £3million in 2016.

The resource centres, there are two, Henderson Court and Great Croft, are listed as having income of £740K (2015) and £648K (2016). Expenditure for these resource centres was listed as £714K (2015) and £738K (2016).

The worrying feature of these four figures is that they do not differentiate between the two centres. We were given no figures for the current year which might have shown a deteriorating situation.

Some reasons for the action from the head office were given by chief executive Gary Jones who said: “We have liaised closely with adult social care to make sure there is a good fit in our model with the council’s own plans.”

The chair, Janet Guthrie, added: “The changes are needed to reduce a deficit and fit in with social care changes locally and nationally.”

But no evidence was offered by way of figures and policy changes. It would be interesting to hear from Age UK about the meetings they had with Camden and central government to decide on this new policy.

The first casualty of this sorry affair was that the manager of eight years, Laurie White, offered his resignation and left a fortnight ago, (The high cost of retreat as elderly are hit in pockets, August 4).

He had in fact been signalling up the financial state for at least a year but nothing happened until now. If this was a developing storm at head office then, I am tempted to ask, why did they not do anything about it before now?

Perhaps members of the organisation should be considering their positions. For an organisation that includes Rothschilds and the Guardian among its charitable benefactors then I think explanation is due!

CHRISTOPHER MASON
Volunteer, NW1