Five thousand sign petition to save Whitehaven care home

Staff at a closure-threatened Whitehaven care home have collected 5,000 signatures to try and save it.

Anchor Trust, which runs the Briarwood home in Mirehouse, intends to close Briarwood and move its 22 residents.

Copeland MP Jamie Reed has branded their actions as callous and despicable and has joined a fight to save the home.

He has written to the trust but it has not yet answered to the satisfaction of him or other concerned parties.

Mr Reed has said he intends to take the petitions to Parliament to a debate, and if necessary will look at changing the law.

Staff and families have been discussing their next options.

One worker at the home said: “Nothing has been resolved yet. There is a local man who has come forward who said he would like to take over the building. He said he is going to speak to Anchor about it. But other buyers have been rejected so we don’t know what is going to happen. It just depends if Anchor will give us a bit more time.

“We don’t know what we can do. It is all up in the air. We would love the option of someone buying it. We are still fighting. We are not giving up yet.”

A member of staff at the nursing home said that residents, families and staff are delighted with the support that they have received from the community. She said that the fight to save the home is not over. She added that the families are devastated because their relatives are happily settled in the home where they are well cared for. Residents are aware of what is happening and are really distressed.

The next meeting will be at Kells Legion on April 17 from 7pm.