SIR,
Recently we were privileged to attend another ceremony at Overmonnow Family Learning Centre to see our daughter Helen and a number of her friends receive awards for their hard work and involvement in the garden project at the Centre.
We cannot express the joy and fulfilment that this group experience on this particular project and it is thanks to Rose and the staff for their input, without whose help this would not be possible.
Many will have seen the exhibits proudly displayed at Monmouth Show and tasted the fruits of their labours.
Speaking for Helen, any input she has is with a great deal of effort because of her disabilities, nevertheless the camaraderie, community spirit and sense of achievement given for the most menial of tasks has a most positive effect in the very limited world she lives in.
When one has a disability, obstacles appear everywhere and anyone who is disabled or a full time carer will undoubtedly agree with me that on many occasions one just has to make do with what is available.
Despite all the good works and events going on at The Family Learning Centre, there is a problem with the toilet facility for the disabled. One has to remember the age of the building and whilst a facility has been provided, basically it accommodates the disabled, not the disabled needing assistance. Perhaps this sounds like a play on words but believe me, having squeezed in many different facilities all over the country sometimes having had to lift Helen into the cubicle, leaving her chair outside because of a lack of room, we have become experts on this subject!
We all know how the present credit crunch is hurting and that funding for public services is going to be reduced further in the year to come, so it is of no surprise that there is little or no money available to improve these facilities and whilst I am yet to investigate further, a figure of £25,000 has been suggested!
This seems to me a huge amount of money but reading in last week's Beacon that Monmouth is to have £10 MILLION pounds of investment, this figure becomes minuscule and yet it is a basic facility that is required by an already disadvantaged group.
Whilst there are many groups who desperately need funding in this difficult time, we still hope that someone reading this will be able to help with finance, practical support or suggestions.
Pat and Michael Skidmore
(Monmouth)