Fears for future of Derby mental health home Stonehill Lodge after funding is halved because of cuts
A LODGE which houses people with mental health needs said its future is in jeopardy because its funding is to be cut by 50%.
Stonehill Lodge in Normanton looks after 11 people who live there.
They have varying degrees of dependence but all live at the lodge and receive help with planning and managing their budgets and lives.
The charity which runs the lodge, Ilkeston-based P3 Charity, receives £44,000 from Derby City Council to run the centre.
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That makes up about half of its income. But the money is due to end in April next year because the council has reduced its housing-related support budget.
Mark Simms, deputy chief executive of P3 Charity, said: "For many of the residents, this has been their home for a long time. It's not a residential care home as such. Residential care is very expensive but a lot of these people would be in residential care if it wasn't for us and it would be costing the council a lot more that way."
Thomas Marklew is one of the 11 residents at Stonehill Lodge, in Stonehill Road.
Aged 70, he has lived there for 20 years. He lost several loved ones, including his wife to a heart attack, girlfriend to cancer and a close friend who was involved in a fatal accident.
He suffers from schizophrenia and struggles to cope on his own. He said: "I need this place – I need this help more than ever.
"I can't cope on my own. They help me make my bed here and clean up and make my meals. If it wasn't for this place I'd be in hospital."
Wayne Bickerton, 55, has lived at Stonehill for three years. He said: "I was getting evicted from my last place and I came here. I have nowhere else to go. The people here are my family now."
Mr Bickerton is a schizophrenic and said that before he moved to Stonehill, he could not get on a bus on his own.
He said: "They helped me here so now I can catch a bus and can do more. I tried to move and live on my own but couldn't cope. I had my own flat but couldn't deal with the stress. I've no family here."
Councillor Fareed Hussain, cabinet member for adults and health, said that the council would be working to find alternative support for the residents.
He said: "Funding for housing-related support services will be significantly reduced from 2013 and this service has received notice of termination of the funding it receives from March 31, 2012, as have other providers.
"The council is working with every provider to prepare for the impact the changes will have on each service and, most importantly, service users."
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