An Open Day to welcome adults with learning difficulties, who used to attend the Ryefield Centre, to a new day centre in Ross-on-Wye, was a great success.

A large number of people who used to attend the Ryefield Centre were among several groups of visitors to the new Ross Horizon Day Centre.

The new centre, which was set up in an amazingly short amount of time by three former members of staff, held the Open Day on Wednesday, November 22nd, to allow people who had to find alternative arrangements to see what is now on offer in Ross.

Many of them were thrilled to meet up with the team behind the new centre, who they consider to be friends. Maria Barnett, one of the trio of women behind Ross Horizon, told the Ross Gazette: “Some of them have not been anywhere since the Ryefield Centre closed. That is why it was so important that we got this up and running so quickly.”

Maria, with colleagues, Clarissa Hill and Lou Elsmore, were made redundant when their employer, Brandon Trust, withdrew from running the day centre at the Ryefield Centre and Herefordshire Council was unable to keep it open.

The women, who have pooled their redundancy pay to get The Ross Horizon Day Centre started, are desperate for more funding and hope that donations to their Crowdfunding page will raise £10,000 to cover set-up costs and keep the service going. Lou said: “We have applied for grants but these take time to be awarded and we need money quickly.”

They are really grateful for the support they have received so far, especially from local businesses.

Among the visitors to the Open Day were a group of teenagers who attend Herefordshire Vocational Training based at a farm just outside Ross. Many of them are interested in careers in farming or gardening and the Ross Horizon Centre has a site at Model Farm, in partnership with EnviroAbility. Charlotte Sullivan told the Ross Gazette that some of the teenagers are also looking to work in the care industry when they leave school and they would love to work with Horizon in the future.

As well as the garden at Model Farm, the centre will offer activities that the adults with learning difficulties previously enjoyed. Clarissa and Lou have started to set up a woodwork room and an arts and crafts area. They will hold music and exercise groups, and have a café. But Maria added: “We will listen to our users and make sure we do want they want. Before we left the Ryefield Centre we asked them all for their special requests and we held a country music event, a chocolate party and even went out for cocktails. We hope to be able to make more dreams come true for them all.”

Maria added that they were all really pleased with how well the day had gone and how many people had attended.

To support the Horizon Day Centre you can visit crowdfunder.co.uk/ross-on-wye-horizon-centre/