00:00A place many in Medway called home. A reason to get up in the morning, to put on something nice
00:05and to spend time with friends. Now gone.
00:09It's almost been a month now since Age UK Kent Rivers shut its centre in Gillingham, but residents are still
00:15feeling the impact. Many of them say they feel alone and isolated.
00:19It had everything that you could need in that centre.
00:24This is Diane and Phyllis. They were regulars at the centre, and since its closure, they've only been able to
00:31stay in touch with friends over the phone.
00:33It's affected them in the same way it has affected me. They're desperately, desperately lonely.
00:40I haven't got a good family around me, so really I'm on my own, really, without going into it. And
00:49so that was really important for me.
00:51The closure was linked to severe financial difficulty and has left hundreds without support.
00:57Living in Chatham, Gloria is 89. She says the only communication she received after the closure was a letter outlining
01:06alternative services.
01:07But like many former users, she's found those options out of reach.
01:12They don't seem to understand that when you get into your real old age, I mean, 89 is quite old.
01:20Not many people make it these days. You feel a bit abandoned by society in a way.
01:27They seem to think you're a blessed nuisance, you know. But you can't just switch off and die, can you?
01:31And so you've got to carry on as best you can, really.
01:36And if you haven't got somewhere central to go, which was the whole thing, was that we were all in
01:43a similar situation.
01:45Fortunately, I've got family that come to see me, and this morning my granddaughter and great-granddaughter came to see
01:51me.
01:52And other people haven't always got that. So they're completely abandoned.
02:00For the second time, I was directed to Age UK Kent River's website when seeking comment.
02:06From the national charity Age UK, which says it is not involved in the financial governance or decision-making of
02:13its independent local branches,
02:15states its priority has been supporting service users and signposting them to alternatives.
02:21I also contacted Medway Council, which says it hopes to announce a permanent provider shortly.
02:27But for residents, words alone don't go far enough.
02:31They want their support centre back.
02:33And today, one month since Age UK Kent River's shut its doors in Gillingham,
02:37that sense of hope is slowly slipping away.
02:41Maisie Walker for KMTV, Medway.
02:44That's our new name for KMTV, Medway.
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