Since 1980, the Millman Street Centre has been a haven for older members of the community. The centre currently has 150 members, all local, aged 55 to 99. Many members are otherwise housebound and rely on the centre for their only social contact.

Firstly - thank you to all those who came to our Community Meetings and signed our petition. The petition of 5000 names has now been presented to Camden.

The background for those new to this page is this:

Camden Council has chosen to cut all funding for this essential service which would lead to the closure of the Millman Street Centre on 1st July 2011.

Lily Chitty, a 99 year older member who has attended Millman Street for nearly 30 years, responded to the devastating news saying: ‘Once staff take me home in the afternoon I don’t see anybody until they pick me up again the next morning. I just sit and stare at four walls- now that’s what the Council wants me to do for the rest of my life’.

In a demonstration of anger at the closure of older peoples’ services throughout Camden, Millman Street members joined other older people outside Camden Town Hall on 18th January. They believe the cuts to funding disproportionately affect the most vulnerable members of society and due to their age the Council and central government considers them ‘easy targets’.

Crispin Burdett, Chair of Holborn Community Association, affirmed: "We are opposing the closure of the Millman Street Centre as it would be a tragedy for some of our most vulnerable neighbours; we need a community response to demonstrate the importance of combating isolation and maintaining, wherever possible, all local residents in independent living."