Lobby stops closure of highly regarded Dunoon care home

25 April 2013

UNISON members joined community activists today in a successful lobby to stop the closure of a highly regarded care home.

Argyll and Bute UNISON members and a large number of community activists demonstrated outside council head offices in Lochgilphead.

Struan Lodge in Dunoon is a much loved care home for the elderly run by the council. If it closes, residents will be moved to private care homes.

Marion Power local UNISON Branch Secretary said “The fact that so many people travelled from Dunoon to Lochgilphead to protest outside a council meeting on a weekday morning shows how strongly people feel about the proposed closure.

“UNISON represents staff in Struan Lodge and we were delighted to unite with the community to call on councillors to think again. We are very pleased the decision today was not to proceed with the closure and the removal of current residents.

“It is so wrong that the most vulnerable in our society like the residents of Struan Lodge are being asked to pay the ultimate price of being turfed out of their home due to the austerity brought about by bailing out the banks.”

The top picture shows resident Kenny McLeod, with his 'Don't Evict Me' placard, with all the demonstrators.

 

Today's council decision was reported in the Dunoon Observer

.