Taking a tour of the vital Juniper Centre

Juniper provides day care for 100 adults with learning disabilities and could be closed by Dorset County Council to save money.

Normally in the Juniper Centre you would find a lot of happy people.

Now there is an air of uncertainty as councillors decide their futures.

There is a cabinet meeting this morning and full council seven days later when Juniper's fate will be sealed.

During my visit there, one of the service users, Jenny, repeatedly asked if the Daily Echo was going to keep it open.

The best I could tell her was, "We're trying," adding rather lamely, "Try not to worry. Forget about it for now."

On Tuesday there had been a service users' committee meeting.

Manager Neil Bunting said: "They asked questions about what was going on and some of their feelings about the centre, the importance of the centre and their life.

"We're all in the position of waiting and hanging around to see what happens next."

Juniper provides the service users, people with varying degrees of learning and physical disabilities from the mild to the profound, with the chance to begin to fulfil aspirations most take for granted.

There are lessons in subjects like reading, writing, handling money and gardening.

Some users are on a cooking course at Brockenhurst College, others are learning more basic skills in the Juniper's two kitchens.

Cottage pie was being cooked there yesterday.

In the other kitchen hygiene was on the menu with fridge cleaning as the main course.

Elsewhere issues like road safety and stranger danger were discussed.

There is a multi-sensory room for those with profound disabilities.

"The aim of the Juniper Centre is to help people lead interesting, fulfilling lives in their own community," said Mr Bunting.

"It's normal stuff: It's regular hopes, it's being able to go to the pub if you want to, how to use your sports centre, knowing which bus to catch to go to your work, your adult education centre or your work experience placement."