Cash bid to save One Stop Shop
Campaigners’ appeal to back autism service
Parents campaigning against the closure of the Autism One Stop Shop ( OSS) in Motherwell have taken steps to fundraise to reinstate the service.
Campaigners have set up their own crowd fundraising page in a bid to raise enough cash to keep the facility, which was based in Motherwell, going.
The crowd fundraising page reads: “The Scottish Autism Lanarkshire One Stop Shop is closing due to both the local councils and the Scottish Government not willing to continue the funding.
“This service is a lifeline to thousands of people throughout the whole of Lanarkshire.
“Unfortunately, this service has become a postcode lottery due to seven other areas funding their One Stop Shops but not Lanarkshire.
“This service needs to be saved. Please donate a pound or two to help with this.”
A target of £37,500 has been placed on the page and already donations are flooding in and the total stands at just over £2000.
Earlier this month campaigners who fought to save the service handed in petitions to both South and North Lanarkshire Councils.
The petitions were set up in a bid to save the Autism One Stop Shop (OSS) in Motherwell from closure and have attracted more than 7000 signatures.
Despite an intense campaign led by Hamilton mums Jennifer Gough and Karen Noble, and others to save the shop from closure, it shut its doors.
But the fight to save the service is very much not over according to campaigners who say it has been a lifeline to and a “wonderful support”.
Jennifer Gough said: “We really hope people will click onto our crowd funding page and donate. We are very serious about keeping the service in Lanarkshire as it means so much to everyone who uses it. We really just want our old service back.
“Anyone wishing to access our crowd funding page can log onto: https://crowdfunding.justgiving. com/larnarkshireonestopshop.”
South Lanarkshire Council have since set up a new Autism OSS service, at the Fairhill Lifestyles Centre, for those in South Lanarkshire area.