Campaigners trying to stop the closure of day centres for people with learning disabilities were today targeting a charity.

The Day Centres Support Group were staging a protest outside the Enable Scotland headquarters, in Glasgow’s Argyle Street, in a bid to gain support.

The council made the decision to axe three facilities as part of a revamp of services at the executive committee meeting on March 21.

Three centres: Summerston, Berryknowes in Cardonald and Hinshaw Street in Maryhill will be closed.

Bosses at Enable have said they will work with Glasgow City Council and carers groups to help put in a place a Public Social Partnership (PSP) to find out what other services can be provided for adults with learning disabilities.

Tommy Gorman, spokesman for the campaigners, said a letter would be handed into the charity.

He said: “We are calling on the charity, which people with disabilities use, to stand up against the victimisation of the learning disability community in Glasgow.”

“After three meetings with Peter Scott, CEO of Enable Scotland, the charity has decided to ignore the request to call a moratorium on the PSP with the council until day centres are included as an option for the learning disability community in the city.

“It is sad that Enable Scotland has chosen to undermine the efforts of the families affected by these cuts to retain vital services for the learning disability community to further their commercial interests.

“Many of our campaigners are long-standing supporters of Enable Scotland and they are angry and confused by the actions of Peter Scott and the leadership of the charity.”

“We are trying to highlight the fight the learning disability community continue to face.”

Four day centres – Riddrie, Carlton, The Wedge and Southbrae – will be kept open for around 200 people with severe learning difficulties.

Around 320 vulnerable people currently attend the facilities to be closed.

Mr Gorman, whose daughter Patsy, 21, attends Summerston day centre, said: “This campaign could go on for a very long time.

“The city council has made the decision to close the three centres and continues to refuse to listen to the views of the families but we remain committed to our brother, sisters, sons and daughters who need this service.

“This campaign will continue because we cannot walk away and there is one certainty in all of this – the learning disability community in Glasgow is not going anywhere anytime soon.”

The council has defended the moves and says a Public Social Partnership is the best option for service users, carers and providers. The lobby was taking place at noon today.

Peter Scott, CEO of Enable Scotland, said: “It is important once again to emphasise that the decision to close the three learning disability day centres in Glasgow, a decision which the Carers’ Coalition are trying to overturn, was made by Glasgow City Council alone.

“Enable Scotland played no part in this decision.”

“The Carers’ Coalition would like Enable Scotland to support their campaign to stop the closure of these three day centres. However, Glasgow City Council has made it clear that their decision will not, indeed cannot, be reversed.”

rachel.loxton@eveningtimes.co.uk