GLASGOW carers are urging people to get behind a campaign to halt the closure of day centres.

The Day Centres Support Group is taking part in this year's Trades Union May Day march on Sunday – and wants city residents to show their support by attending a rally.

Glasgow City Council's decision to axe three facilities as part of a revamp of learning disability services was made at the executive committee meeting on March 21.

The closures of Summ-erston, Berryknowes in Cardonald and Hinshaw Street in Maryhill will be phased.

The council is working to bring in a new social care system called personification, which will give people with learning disabilities their own budget for care.

Four day centres – Riddrie, Carlton, The Wedge and Southbrae – will be kept open for around 200 people with severe learning difficulties, while around 320 vulnerable people currently attend the facilities to be closed.

Tommy Gorman, whose daughter Patsy, 21, user the Summerston centre, has been invited to speak at the May Day event, organised by Glas-gow Trades Union Council.

Mr Gorman said: "We hope to highlight the victimisation of the learning disability community in Glasgow by the council.

"We also want to alert the Trade Union movement and others about how much families will be affected by the planned move to close the centres.

"We are looking for support from the whole city to stand up to the council on this issue.

"These plans will severely affect the lives of 520 families."

The group is asking people to bring along placards and banners to march.

Mr Gorman said the support group was inspired by the families who launched a campaign after the Accord Centre closure, in the East End of Glasgow.

He said: "We've seen what happened to the families in the east of Glasgow. And the group is so strong because we have people who have experienced it behind us.

"We are organising a section of the march as part of our campaign against the closure of the Glasgow day centres and we need as much support as possible."

The support group is asking carers, centre users, families and supporters to join them at George Square at 11.30am this Sunday.

The rally will take place in the O2 building in Eglinton Street at around 12.30pm.

Councillor Matt Kerr, executive member for Social Care, said: "The way social care is to be delivered will be completely changed by the Scottish Government's self-directed support legislation and we have to manage that change.

"We believe that a Public Social Partnership offers the best possible way ahead as providers, service users and carers will all be involved in the design of future services.

"This is not a money saving exercise and never has been. No-one will leave their day centre until they have a personal care plan that details exactly how they will be supported in future."

rachel.loxton@eveningtimes.co.uk