HASLEMERE is set to become home to not one – but two – day centres when leading charitable organisations, The Orchard Club and Haslewey Community Centre, go their separate ways at the end of March next year.

Concerns have been raised that two day centres for the elderly in Haslemere, operated by separate charities largely reliant on grant aid will not be sustainable.

And Orchard supporters have been saying this week, the best solution would be for Waverley Borough Council to provide more funding to enable the club to stay at Haslewey.

The Orchard Club has been based at Haslemere and District Community Centre (HDCC) at Haslewey since the community centre opened in Wey Hill in 2003. But it was told by the community centre last year a new licence agreement was needed – because the day centre for the elderly did not pay “a realistic income” for the facilities it used.

The club pays Haslewey £20,000 a year to rent the cafe area, which opens into an activities room, and a share of the electricity bill.

It also has a ‘peppercorn’ licence agreement to pay £1 per annum to use the cafe, kitchen, kitchen manager’s office and the main Orchard Club office.

Negotiations to agree a new licence at a standard charitable rate, began in February 2015, but it proved impossible for both parties to agree acceptable terms and the club notified Haslewey in April it would quit the premises by the end of March 2017 – as reported by The Herald.

The club has pledged to continue its day centre and is hunting for alternative premises in Haslemere.

This week, HDCC confirmed its intention to continue to provide services for the elderly at Haslewey.

Board chairman Bryan Farley said: “The news that The Orchard Club will be relocating raises the question as to how this will affect the services currently provided for the elderly in the future. The short answer is Orchard will be providing those services from their new location while Haslewey will continue to do likewise from the community centre.

“Thus, the elderly will have a choice. Both charities are so committed by their respective constitutions.

“Haslewey is a community centre for all and welcomes everyone, especially the elderly, to enjoy the facilities provided.

“Haslewey, as one of the three pillars of Haslemere with the educational museum and Haslemere Hall, has a bright future and will continue offering services to the elderly and welcoming new users, charities and businesses.

“May both charities continue to serve the community and, as a consequence, thrive.”

The Orchard Club has a service level agreement with Waverley Borough Council under which it receives a grant of £52,000 a year until 2018 when that level will be reassessed.

The club took over the running of Haslewey cafe, which had been operating at a loss, in 2006 and said it was now running at a profit.

HDCC, which is not grant-aided and relies on room hire for income, said the existing licence agreement was unsustainable, because it continues to run at a loss of £20,000 a year.

It has pledged to continue to run the Wey Terrace and Cafe, offering meals for the elderly and the community, and hopes to get a grant towards running it.

Colin Maggs, who was treasurer of the day centre for almost 10 years when it was Age Concern before it became The Orchard Club, is urging borough councillors to press Waverley to help broker an acceptable new licence agreement to keep the club at Haslewey.

In a letter to ward councillors Robert Knowles, Stephen Mulliner and David Round, Mr Maggs said: “I think everyone would agree the best place for running a day centre in Haslemere is the purpose-built Haslewey building. It is conveniently located and in addition to good kitchen facilities houses the chiropody and hairdressing services used by the elderly.

“Unfortunately, Waverley currently has no effective way of influencing HDCC to accept this best solution because the lease is for 125 years at a peppercorn rent without any conditions as to the use of the building.

“One way of creating some degree of influence would be for Waverley to review its policy with regard to the granting, which I believe is now automatic, of the discretionary 20 per cent rate relief so it can be withheld where significant financial assistance has been provided from ratepayers funds in the past.

“May I suggest the council reviews its policy at the earliest opportunity so as to have some means of ensuring the Haslewey directors at least enter into discussions. I have recently learnt HDCC has said they would be willing to run the day centre themselves if they were to receive the grant currently paid to Orchard.

“As it happens, this would create the structure that was envisaged before Haslewey was built and would give Waverley the influence it needs.”

A Waverley Borough Council spokesman said: “The services The Orchard Club provides are a lifeline to its users. We are proud to have a long-standing partnership with them and are committed to continuing our support. Our service level agreement (SLA) with the club ensures our funding is secure until 2018, when the funding levels will be reassessed, as with all SLAs.

“We understand there will be a period of transition while the club is relocated from Haslewey, but have no doubt it will continue to provide all of its outreach services during this time.

“The council continues to focus its efforts on supporting The Orchard Club and offer assistance, including support to seek an alternative venue.