Supporting the Charlie Reid Community

Over the past few months I’ve watched with the greatest of concern what has happened to the Charlie Reid Centre in Glasgow’s Elmbank Street.
It is a long complicated story but one that more people need to know about and respond to.
Background
The Charlie Reid Centre was run by Support in Mind Scotland . The Centre provided support for people with serious long term mental health issues. Members of the Centre could receive counselling and support, learn new skills, and take part in social events. A cafe, also open to the general public, was run by the members. 
The main funding for the Centre was from Glasgow City Council via a block grant. But with the move to “personalisation” or “self directed support” the Council took the decision to withdraw the block grant.
Centre members could apply for an individual budget which they could then spend on membership of the CRC (or on other support).
Support in Mind Scotland said this in May:

“Support in Mind Scotland is deeply saddened to announce that our fight to keep our long standing Glasgow service open, the Charlie Reid Centre, has been lost and the centre will close on May 30th. The financial challenges in replacing a large core grant from Glasgow City Council with income generated from budgets allocated to our service users proved insurmountable and the organisation had no choice but to recognise the loss.”

So the Charlie Reid Centre is now closed.
What the CRC had going for it was that

• it was relatively informal
• the membership supported each other in a caring and accepting way
• people could use it as much or as little as they wanted to depending on their situation at any point in time
• the cafe of the CRC was a public place
• the members were fully involved in the running of the centre
• staff in the centre provided support, and direction to other appropriate help

What has been happening since the closure
The members have been trying to keep together and to explore setting up an alternative. They have been meeting regularly in the Mitchell Library and in other venues. They are using the term Charlie Reid Community to describe themselves.
The trade unions Unite and Unison have given them support in this situation.
A wider campaign under the title of “Glasgow Care Crisis” has been set up and has had a number of meetings. (The Charlie Reid Centre is not the only such group to be in this situation as a result of self directed support – for example some day centres for the elderly have closed)
A motion of support was passed at the STUC conference.
Where to get more information
www.savethecharliereidcentre.com
www.glasgowcarecrisis.com
www.facebook.com/SAVECRCfromClosure
www.supportinmindscotland.org.uk/news/charlie-reid-centre-loses-fight-stay-open
www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/mental-health-sufferers-at-risk-from-drop-in-centre-closure.22913778
The future
The ex-members of the Charlie Reid Centre are still exploring the setting up of an alternative facility. But that will not be easy. Anything people can do to support them in this will, I’m sure, be greatly appreciated.