THE DAY CENTRE THAT CHARGED MASSIVE FEES

Once upon a time, there stood a day centre in Ilford that charged massive fees. It was the Halfway Gardens Day centre, in which admission charge fees amounted to £45 per day just to attend.


The centre was open from Monday to Friday.


On entering the centre, ‘you were asked to pay £45, which meant that you had to pay £225 fees each week just to attend. Even going to the toilet in the centre ‘wasn’t entirely free. Every time you visited the ‘loo you were asked to pay £6. ‘It’s no wonder that people held it up because it was too dear to relieve yourself so you had to put up with it until you returned home.


There were plans in Halfway gardens day Centre to introduce fees for failing to be ready for dinner when it was 1 pm. ‘If you turned up for dinner a minute late you were asked to pay 23p.


‘Even going to toilet at dinner time was costly because it was a time when you should be eating.  Normally it was £6 per visit, ‘but at lunch it was £10. 
You weren’t even allowed talk at lunch time otherwise the staff would charge you 2p per for every word you uttered.


A day centre that charged £45 per day fees was an example of recession gone mad, it’s no wonder that many people couldn’t come, but there was no a plan to make attendance compulsory otherwise you would end up in an institution.