Leonard Cheshire Disability propose to close a purpose built home for disabled adults in February 2024. These 22 people aged around 50 -70 years old have been living as a bonded unit for up to 30 years and are integrated into the Gerrards Cross Community which is easily accessible by wheelchair and means they can use all facilities including shops, restaurants, churches, library and railway station. There is a large group of local volunteers who visit regularly and provide activities and help with essential tasks they cannot do independently.  
If these disabled people are moved from the area they will immediately lose their ‘family’ of fellow residents, staff and volunteers. They will lose access to their community groups e.g. churches, clubs, groups and choirs. Most of them have been living together for many years although 2 only arrived in the recent 12 months from another closed LCD home. How can we know this will not be the start of a pattern of moving them from place to place as care providers make cost cuts? The residents have only been given this news in the last few weeks and it has left them feeling that they have no control over their future. Shock, anger and depression have already set in and with their already complex health conditions it is hard for them to look into their future with any hope or feel that they have any agency in the most important decision most people face i.e. how and where they live. 
Time is critical here, the charity has advised that the consultation period will end on 5th October after which they will hand responsibility for each person back to the local authority that funds them. These commissioning authorities are not all local, they do not know the people they will be rehoming and each will need to find another home with suitable facilities to help provide these disabled people with the facilities they need to cope with their disabilities and the complex health issues disability can lead to. 
Chiltern House is a community funded purpose built building with beautiful gardens (currently neglected due to cost cutting measures and covid restrictions) It has a physiotherapy room and an in house physiotherapist, a dedicated activities room with activities staff and a communal kitchen as well as individual kitchens for each of the three wings that house the residents. Until 2 weeks ago it was a safe and secure home to 22 disabled adults with conditions such as Cerebal Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Aquired Brain Injury and some rarer syndromes. Sadly it is now under threat due to the value of the land it sits on, the Packhorse Road is a prime target for redevelopment into high end apartments, we hope that with your help we can persuade the charity to sell to another care provider who will look after our friends in their own home and within their supportive community. Please sign our petition!