'People were crying when told garden centre was closing'

VOLUNTEERS 'DEVASTATED' AND PETITION LAUNCHED AT SITE WHICH HELPS ADULTS WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES

- By PHILIP JAMES LYNCH

VOLUNTEERS at a West London garden centre set to be closed by the council have said they are "devastated" by the news.

Our website MyLondon is joining more than 4,500 who have signed a petition urging the council to change course and keep the centre open as part of our Don't Cut The Heart Out of London campaign.

The Rural Activities Garden Centre in Colham, Hillingdon, supports adults with a range of learning difficulties. These volunteers help maintain the garden centre and some have attended for decades and see it as a critical part of their routine.

Hillingdon Council announced the closure of the garden centre, calling it unsustainable. The local authority says it is making a loss of £137,000 per year, which is subsidised by the Hillingdon taxpayer.

Terry has been volunteering at the garden centre for four-and-a-half years. He says if the council continues with its plans to close the centre he will be extremely upset.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) he said: "I was fairly bullied in school, and I stopped leaving the house. I moved up here, didn't go out a lot, it was difficult.