Announcements of impending closures of day centres in North Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Kent, and at Remploy units elsewhere brings into focus a problem that will face many adults with learning disabilities and their carers not just this Christmas, but at a lifetime of Christmases ahead. 

It is not just prospect of losing one’s job that can depressingly overshadow Christmas festivities, but the wider implications – the loss of a circle of friends and a wider spectrum of recreational and social activities.

90 year old Ron Harris is a classic example of pioneering carers who did not seek sympathy for the long exhausting dedicated battles they fought to enable their adult children to remain in the community - but now fear that their efforts may be lost on the younger generation of carers as these vital resources disappear.. 

In the early 1950s Ron’s son went to an ordinary school but was sent home as uneducable.

From then onwards; through a continuum of occupational centres and day centres Ron with other dedicated carers continually fought for improvements, was highly involved in local Mencap activities, and were gaining satisfaction with vocational and recreational options that were in place in the 1980s. 

Although in 1998 his wife suffered severe health setbacks his son remained at home until, at 83, Ron suffered a heart attack and was compelled to make heartbreaking decisions. It became impossible to adequately maintain support for both family members; a comfortable residential home was found for his 59 year old son; but sadly two years later his mother passed away.

He is truly concerned that so few of the younger generation appear to have little concept of what life was like before the development of structured support in the form of adult day centres - or of the void they will encounter with the nightmares of providing 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year back up when Care in the Community totally collapses. 

He expresses concern that support for local Mencap branches has fallen away; a view repeatedly expressed nationwide over the recent years. Supporting the current campaign is probably the last realistic opportunity to actively participate in appealing for the restoration of sanity to national policies. 

From where Ron stands Care in the Community is a rudderless ship heading for the rocks.