Parents of children attending respite centre in Liverpool 'heartbroken' over proposed closure

• Granada Reports' Zoe Muldoon caught up with parents who have started a campaign to keep Bradbury House open

Parents whose children attend a respite centre in Liverpool say they are "heartbroken" at its proposed closure.Bradbury House at the Royal School for the Blind in Wavertree provides residential stays for children with complex needs.

But from next Summer, the school says it will no longer offer respite stays because of funding pressures.

The proposed closure comes just weeks after children’s hospice Zoe’s Place was saved.

Several mums have said they are devastated and their children have nowhere else to go, including Alison Mooney and her son Alex, who has cerebral palsy.

Alison said: "It is genuinely heartbreaking. It's been a home away from home for Alex when he has needed it the most."

She continued: "It's bee a respite for all of us, not just for Alex. It's lovely for him going there to see his friends and the fact that it will be taken away from us is really upsetting."

Julia Clarke's son Anthony has used Zoe’s Place and Bradbury House, but now they’re faced with nowhere to go.

Julia said: "I really feel sick. I know there is no other place that Anthony can go. His needs are too complex for other respite's so that's the grey area where there's lack of facility for them children and it's so unfair."

Stacey’s son Benjamin is registered blind and has severe learning disabilities. She and the other parents have started a campaign to keep Bradbury House open.

Stacey said: "Bradbury helps all of us as a family. It's not just for Benjamin, it's not just for me. It's for all of us.

"At least when he is at B, I can have that break and that rest. But equally it's a break from him because he gets independence away from mummy."

She continued: "It is frustrating and it should have never got to this point at all in the first place. But at the end of the day, when it comes to our children, we are their advocate."

The Royal School for the Blind said the closure had been a ‘difficult decision’ but the deficit for residential provision is already not financially sustainable, and will only get worse.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know