THE GRAVE IMPACT A CHANGE OF PROVIDER HAD ON DAY CENTRE

    

One day after ten years it was decided to have a different provider to run Kelloggs Day Centre in Ilford. As a result of this the centre became more and more basic.

Stripped of its contents four grey walls replaced the beautiful decor of the centre and the computers disappeared off the face of the Earth, leaving users with nothing to do other than talk.

They had to bring their own packed lunches for meals could no longer be provided.

Not only that, they had to sit on the floor to eat their meals for the tables and chairs had been taken away due to the changeover from one provider to another.

The centre was now very stark, completely empty.

As for the toilets, you had to dig a hole in the ground in the garden, for the change of provider resulted in the toilets being taken away.

As you know it people have to use the garden, but, 'because digging a hole to create a toilet in the garden would create a terrible smell once the toilet is used means that people going into the garden had to wear gas masks.

However, you had to dig a hole to create a toilet in the garden because the change of provider resulted in the centre's toilets being taken away.

The hole in the ground toilet, a latrine, was done hidden behind a shed so no one could see.

These primitive toilet facilities, digging a hole in the ground, would have to be maintained until new toilets were installed in this day centre.

It was no fun having to dig a hole in the garden to create a toilet all because the centre had been stripped of its toilets due to the changeover from one provider to another.

As for washing facilities you had to use earth to wash your hands with because, again, due to the changeover from one provider to another, there were no washing facilities.

Because people were left with smelly hands due to the lack of washing facilities they had to eat their packed lunches before digging a toilet in the garden.

To remedy this one of the staff suggested that each day centre member buy hand washes that don't use water in the chemist and portable toilets which they could install in their trousers. That way they would save having to dig a hole in the garden to use as a toilet.

it would take at least 20 years before the centre could get back to normal.