Around 250 campaigners have shown their opposition to Derbyshire County Council’s plan for the closure or sell-off of the Ada Belfield Centre, a vital care home in the area, says UNISON today (Monday).
Protesters marched through Belper on Saturday before attending a rally, organised by the union at which local councillors and Mid Derbyshire MP Jonathan Davies addressed community concerns.

The Ada Belfield Centre is one of three care homes slated for closure by the council, citing escalating financial pressures. Eight other care homes and five dementia day care centres were earmarked for closure following a council decision in November.

UNISON East Midlands regional organiser Dave Ratchford said: “The county council gave repeated assurances that the views of the public would be fully considered, but there’s been no evidence of this in practice. People will lose trust in the process if their input is ignored.
“UNISON has vigorously opposed these closures from the outset and will continue to fight for vulnerable members of the community and the staff who provide quality care for them.”
UNISON Derbyshire branch secretary Martin Porter said: “The Ada Belfield Centre is a nearly new facility with a dedicated team of staff who collectively possess centuries of caregiving experience. Handing this over to a private sector provider, driven more by profit margins than care standards, would be a disastrous decision.”