Elmbridge: Community day centers to open four days a week

Day centers which were shut in Surrey in November are to reopen for four days a week.

Elmbridge Borough Council closed its community centers for fire safety checks and staff training before reopening one day a week in February.

Residents previously called on the borough council to fully reopen the centres, which were accessible five days a week, saying the closures were a “loss for our whole community”.

From April 29, all the Centers for the Community will be open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, from 10:00 BST to 15:00.

The centers in Claygate, Cobham, Hersham, Molesey, Walton and Weybridge, which provide food, activities and socialization for members, will be closed on Wednesdays to allow managers and staff to continue their training, planning and administration.

Additional resources worth £431,000 over 18 months have been invested into safety procedures and staffing levels, the council said.

“We will always strive to meet, if not exceed, these standards in all our Centers for the Community,” a spokesperson said.

“However, as we gear up for the future, there may be times when we cannot open a center safely or provide center lunches due to staffing levels, and on these occasions, we will inform our center users as soon as possible.”

The Meals on Wheels service provided by the centers will also continue to run seven days a week, while dementia services will run on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the Claygate and Walton Centres.