9:47am Tuesday 20th January 2004
By Michaela Robinson-Tate
An ambitious £2.8 million rescue bid has been launched this week to ensure that 24 disabled people will not have to face the devastating prospect of being moved from their beloved Lakeland home.
A group of seven people has come forward to create a charity called New Holehird to take over the running of the home when Leonard Cheshire pulls out in 2006 or 2007.
They say they have already detected a huge groundswell of public support for the treasured home, and they hope that people will respond by coming forward with donations.
The group, who announced their plans to residents on Friday, are determined to succeed but realise they have set themselves an enormous challenge.
However, New Holehird member and resident Carole Pouton said: "The bottom line is if we don't do it, we are no worse off."
The well-known home has been under threat since October last year when the national charity Leonard Cheshire announced it was pulling out after more than four decades at Windermere.
Residents and scores of volunteers spoke of their devastation, while politicians petitioned to keep Holehird open.
However, Leonard Cheshire said it was not able to upgrade both Holehird and Oaklands in Garstang, Lancashire, to conform to the new Care Standards Act.
Instead, it is proposing to build a new home for 20 residents in the Lancaster or Morecambe Bay area.
The seven members behind New Holehird believe that they can run the home successfully long-term.
Malcolm Thorogood, of Grasmere, one of the team who are prepared to become trustees of the incorporated charity, said that after meeting with residents and volunteers he had become willing to do whatever it took to keep the home open.
"It soon became apparent that despite public and political pressure Leonard Cheshire's management was rock solid and not going to change their mind.
"So we decided the only way we could help these residents was to set up a new charity that was willing to take over and run the home.
"But simultaneously we had a vision not to just keep Holehird going but to enhance it. We realised we could enable many more severely disabled people to visit the Lakes for a respite holiday and at the same time give the very best care to the permanent residents."
Mr Thorogood and his colleagues believe Holehird can become a leader in its field, and that they can comply with the Care Standards Act more cheaply than previous estimates. However, they need to put a substantial sum into an endowment fund to provide income to cushion the home in future years. They foresee that fund-raising will play a more important part in Holehird's future.
Fellow New Holehird member Robert Smith, from Troutbeck, a director of the Rayrigg Motor Group, said they wanted to give residents the choice of where to live.
"We would not be doing what we are doing if there was not such very strong feeling among residents that they want to stay here."
The building is owned by the Holehird Trust which is managed by Cumbria County Council. It is understood both CCC and Leonard Cheshire were being informed of the launch of New Holehird by letter today.
To make a donation contact Malcolm Thorogood at 015394 35243.
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