THREE women have put their redundancy money towards setting up a new day care centre in Ross-on-Wye.

Maria Barnett, Clarissa Hill and Lou Elsmore were made redundant when their employer Brandon Trust withdrew from running a day centre for adults at the Ryefield Centre in Ross-on-Wye. 

As no other provider came forward to run the service, Herefordshire Council was unable to keep the day centre service open.

Determined to keep the service in Ross, they have now opened The Horizon Centre for adults with learning disabilities at the Wolf Business Park at the Alton Road Industrial Estate.

Maria said: "What we have done is we have pulled together our redundancy money for the three of us and are paying for things that way."

They have also set up a Crowdfunding website with the hope to raise £10,000 in eight weeks to cover set-up costs and keep the service going.

Maria said they are also going to apply for grants and carry out fundraising, and businesses in the town have also offered their support.

In the new year hope to have at least 12 adults attending.

The centre will offer activities that people at the Ryefield already enjoyed such as arts and crafts, woodwork, gardening, music and exercise groups, but they will also be offering new opportunities, especially in the local community.

Maria said: "It is very different to your average day centre."

They have set up a committee with the three members of staff and two service users.

Maria said:"It was a really hard thing for the service users to leave the Ryefield Centre. Some people had been there for a decade.

"When we found out we were going we decided to have a month of wishes. I said to them all, 'This is going to happen. If we have got to go we go out with a bang.' I said that anything they ever wanted to do they could do that month.

"A country music performer came and performed. We had a chocolate fountain, a pyjama party, afternoon tea.

"That is how we are going to run it now. If people have an aspiration we are going to see if we can make it happen."

The centre will be open four to five days a week and is being run as a Community Interest Company.

To support the centre go to www.crowdfunder.co.uk/ross-on-wye-horizon-centre/