Olympics May Hurt Bingo Players

By now, you will probably have heard about the huge disruption that the Olympics are likely to bring to the daily lives of so many ordinary people. Obviously it is only really London and surrounding areas that will be affected but when you think of how many people that this will affect, it is clearly a huge thing. People getting to and from their work may suffer big delays but people looking to enjoy leisure activities like bingo may also miss out.

However, one of the more worrying aspects is the news that the travel disruption may lead to people missing out on support and assistance that they really need. It transpires that about 40 users of a day care centre which provides support for dementia sufferers and their carers received letters stating the centre would be closed for eight weeks. This is due to the fact that they are close to Olympic sites which are likely to suffer a great deal of traffic congestion. It has been announced that the centres will close on the 25^th of July and will reopen in mid-September. This is clearly a lengthy amount of time for people who rely on these services.

Bingo players may miss out

There are many great things taking place in centres including bingo games which have been declared a great success in stimulating the participants. It is also a fun activity bringing people together and helping the carers to take a break from their work as well. The Olympics are clearly important to London but casting aside vital services like these seems to be a very bad move for councils to take. Even accepting there will be disruption, these services should be ringfenced.

A spokesperson for the council said; “We’ve spoken to service users in person and also explained the situation to their carers and loved ones as well as informing them in writing. We are also offering home visits to people who want or require them and have been working hard across the board to make sure our most vulnerable residents get the help and support they need during the Olympic period. We know that the people who visit the centres – be it for lunch, a game of bingo or simply a chat with their friends – really value them, so we’ll be reviewing the situation on a daily basis and doing everything we can to minimise disruption.”