A SHOCK twist in a town centre rift between two leading Haslemere charities – Haslewey Community Centre and The Orchard Club – saw the latter quit its home just before Christmas.

As matters stood, The Orchard Club Day Centre, which provides a range of activities and services for elderly people in Haslemere and surrounding areas, was due to relocate to a new, as yet unspecified location in March.

The service is grant aided by Waverley until 2018. But The Orchard Club closed its office in Haslewey unexpectedly early on December 23, notifying the lease holder Haslemere and District Community Centre, the charity was setting up meeting “hubs” elsewhere for its elderly members.

But it remained unclear as The Herald went to press on Wednesday, where the new meeting place for The Orchard’s Thursday and Friday group for the elderly would be.

Residents of Waverley Borough Council-owned Rolston House sheltered housing development in Wey Hill contacted The Herald to say they were opposed to a proposal to relocate the group to their lounge on Thursdays and Fridays.

Two elderly Rolston residents, who asked to remain anonymous, called to say 10 of the residents had objected to the plan to host the Thursday and Friday groups in their lounge, at a meeting to discuss the proposal and provide feedback held last month.

“We were told – not asked – if we agreed to our lounge being taken over two days a week,” one resident said.

“It seems they are running roughshod over us.

“We were told there would be another meeting before it happened but we haven’t been told when and we believe it has already been decided this will happen.”

Another resident said: “We were told there are people with Alzheimers who are very vulnerable who are members of the Thursday and Friday groups. We totally understand they need somewhere to go, but it’s not appropriate to take over our community area two days a week and we are very angry about it.”

The Herald was unable to contact The Orchard Club for a comment to confirm where its groups will relocate to and when.

A council spokesman said: “Waverley Borough Council has been working closely with The Orchard Club since they decided to leave the Haslewey Centre for the community.

“The council provides grant funding to The Orchard Club by means of a service level agreement.

“The club is meeting the terms of its funding and we are confident the services they provide will continue with minimal disruption during this transition period.”

The Orchard Club has been based at Haslemere and District Community Centre, at Haslewey, since the community centre opened in Wey Hill in 2003. But it was told in 2015 a new licence agreement was needed, because the day centre for the elderly did not pay “a realistic income” for the facilities used.

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 last year it would quit the premises by the end of March 2017.

Negotiations between the two charities soured to such an extent last year that town mayor Sahran Abeysundara, deputy mayor Malcolm Carter and county councillor Nikki Barton called in an independent arbitrator to aid their private discussions with the trustees of the two groups to find a “positive way forward” for both parties.

But despite their best efforts attempts to heal the rift and continue community services under the same roof in Haslewey, which also runs a host of community activities, councillors admitted defeat in August.

The three councillors said in a joint statement then: “It was clear past disagreements and ill-feeling would have to be set aside to enable progress to be made. Unfortunately neither side was able to do this, with the result that options were not explored.

“After much consideration, both charities have decided the only positive way forward is if they both go their own separate ways. This may not have been the outcome we hoped for, but there may actually be a silver lining: with both offering services for our community at two separate locations, we may, geographically, see a wider spread of service offered to the elderly.”

The town council, together with councillor Barton, wished both charities the best for the future and pledged to support them during any transitional stage.