Today, campaigners from Save the Dementia Gateway gathered in protest following Dudley Council’s decision to cut £500,000 from the Dementia Gateway budget, resulting in the closure of the Crystal Dementia Day Centre. The council’s plan to merge dementia day services with centres supporting individuals with profound and lifelong physical disabilities has sparked outrage among families, carers, and staff. 

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The protest saw a strong turnout, with demonstrators not only opposing the devastating cuts but also standing in solidarity with dedicated staff members, who were kept in the dark about the changes until today—when redundancies were officially announced. Campaigners argue that these changes will have irreversible consequences for those living with dementia and their carers, many of whom rely on the service as a vital lifeline.

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The council are proposing a ‘new’ service in which they anticipate taking those living with Dementia out gardening and doing more interactive outdoor activities, however many who attend the Day Centre would find this incredibly difficult and would require their carer to remain with them. Currently, the centre provides fully supervised sessions allowing the carers some much needed respite which, many have told the group, allows them to continue caring for their loved ones at home.

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The campaign group has vowed to continue fighting for the retention of dementia services and to hold the council accountable for the impact of these cuts. 

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