Community campaigners in West Cumbria backed by UNISON were jubilant last week when Cumbria County Council’s Cabinet voted to retain two care homes threatened by closure: Park Lodge in Aspatria and Richmond Park in Workington.
This decision followed a sustained campaign of opposition mounted in both communities that gathered over 10,000 signatures on petitions against closure and saw local people place posters in hundreds of windows across the area registering their opposition to the cuts.
Branch convenor Paul Lloyd says: “The campaign had a high media presence in the local press and TV in addition to facebook pages that helped get the message across.
“Regular impassioned interventions from family members with relatives living in the homes were made at cabinet and full council and local councillors and council officers were grilled at consultation meetings.”
The campaign in Aspatria was able to draw on the support of local councillors, GP and clergy as well as the local Rugby League club, who demonstrated their support by donning Save Park Lodge t-shirts backed by young people from the town’s youth club, Dreamscheme.