THANKS to a successful campaign to preserve Haslemere’s ‘lifeline’Alzheimer’s branch, a new support service for the town and surrounding areas opens on Monday, July 17.

Following the announcement in January that the Alzheimer’s Society was closing its long-running branch at the Marjorie Gray Hall, Grayswood Road, in June, dedicated campaigners have been battling to find a way to continue the vital service.

Thanks to generous donations, the group is launching a new local charity, The Hunter Centre, which will continue to offer care, respite and support for those living with dementia at the hall.

The new service will be offered for three days a week initially, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The centre is named after Haslemere resident and former assistant neurologist Dr Anne Hunter, who was a founder member of Alzheimer’s Society in 1979 and formed the town branch in 1994.

The new operations director will be Elaine Clement, who was formerly the support manager at the society’s Haslemere branch and her team of dementia-trained staff, supported by volunteers, will provide care.

Welcoming the successful outcome of months of hard work, Mayor Malcolm Carter said: “This is a fantastic effort that brought the whole community together to save such an important facility for the residents of Haslemere and a wide surrounding area, extending to Liphook and Farnham.”

The town council will be the guarantor of the lease with NHS Property Services for the first 10 years, and it has been granted as a rolling two years agreement.

An anonymous donor has already funded the first year’s lease.The service will cover Haslemere and the surrounding areas but the aim is to extend it to support clients and their carers from South West Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex.

Donations have continued to flow in, recent donor John Bigos said: “The work, support and comfort given to dementia clients and their families at the Marjorie Gray Hall prior to the withdrawal of Alzheimer’s Society support to operate the centre, was simply outstanding.

“For our community to have saved the centre to allow this work to continue for the benefit and use of our local community is an achievement that cannot be overstated. The Bigos family are delighted to support The Hunter Centre and as local residents for over 30 years we fully understand the significant importance of this facility.

“My late parents both suffered from Alzheimer’s. Thus my family have personal experience of the stress and strain placed upon all members of a family when this disease takes hold.

“The contribution of the team at Marjorie Gray Hall cannot be overstated and our family are delighted that under the new Hunter Centre charity, they have agreed to carry on their caring, compassionate and, indeed, essential work for our local community.”

Swelling the total and providing a colourful mascot for the centre, Haslemere Hog ‘PIGpen’ raised £1,800 for the service at Tuesday night’s charity auction (see above) and will shortly take up residence in his new home.

For more information about The Hunter Centre’s service, call 07482 464322