FAMILIES with relatives who have learning difficulties are making an emotional last plea for the Dursley Training Unit to be saved from closure.

The whole community is pulling together to collect signatures on a petition to hand to Gloucestershire County Council, which is proposing the closure of the facility for adults with learning difficulties under its programme of cuts.

They have just days left to get people to sign up before cabinet members discuss the closure on Wednesday, February 2.

Chris Pockett, whose brother Gary has been attending the unit for over 15 years, said he and many others were desperate for the council to rethink the proposal which could leave the 21 members isolated and housebound.

Mr Pockett, of Wotton, said: "There is such outrage about this. The cuts are temporary but the closure won’t be and it will impact on them for the rest of their lives.

"I used to say I was very proud of the services offered in Gloucestershire, but I cannot say that anymore and that is sad."

As part of its proposal the county council said it wanted to move away from traditional day centres to ‘personalised care packages’ where individuals would be given budgets to spend on the services they want.

Gary Pockett, 44, has severe learning difficulties, is almost completely blind and has epilepsy.

Mr Pockett said his brother would be devastated if the unit closed and would not be able to access services elsewhere in the district as he could not cope with travelling alone on public transport.

"I admire the county council for saying they want to help people live more independently but this is not the way to do it. The reality is that it will just push these people back into their homes, where they will be very isolated.

"It is shocking because the council said that they would protect the vulnerable under the cuts and they are not doing that."

Liz Robinson's sister-in-law Mandy Robinson, 44, has Down's Syndrome and is a member of the unit.

Ms Robinson, of Dursley, said: "It will be devastating for her. The money that the council would give her would never cover the extra support she would need if she didn't attend the unit each day."

Cllr Tony Hicks, Gloucestershire County Council cabinet member for adult social care, said: "While we're protecting spending on vulnerable adults, we're focusing those resources on helping people to live as independently as they can in future.

"Everyone will have their needs reassessed and will be allocated a personal budget so they can choose how to meet those needs."

Cllr Hicks said as they move towards personal budgets they anticipate people choosing different activities and social opportunities rather than ‘traditional’ day centres. He said it could "improve people’s lives and save money".

Copies of the petition, which over 200 people have signed, are available in all the churches in Dursley and in the Gazette reception until Monday.