KIND-HEARTED Evening Star readers have donated thousands of pounds to a day care centre which has resulted in a price-hike for its elderly users being scrapped.

Anthony Bond

KIND-HEARTED Evening Star readers have donated thousands of pounds to a day care centre which has resulted in a price-hike for its elderly users being scrapped.

Age Concern Suffolk had planned to increase its daily charge at Foxhall Day Care Centre in Parliament Road by �3.35 per day this month.

This followed a �3.95 price hike in January and angered 80-year-old Irene Abbott, from Emily Bray House in Woodbridge Road.

The concerned pensioner spoke to the Evening Star last week and following the story generous readers have donated around �3,000 to Age Concern Suffolk - meaning the planned price hike has been cancelled.

Daphne Savage, chief executive of the charity, said: “We had a flurry of donations from people saying they had read the Evening Star.

“I was thrilled. It is a time when people do not have much money and everybody is watching their money and not wanting to spend it because they are not sure what the next year or two is going to bring.

“The fact that people have donated is really wonderful, and it shows that in difficult times people can be touched by what they read in the papers.”

The planned �3.35 increase would have taken the daily cost of attending Foxhall Day Care Centre to just under �20.

This would have meant that Mrs Abbott - who lives on her weekly pension - would have had to use the centre only once a week instead of twice.

Last week she told the Star: “I will not be able to afford it. It is very important because I would not know what to do otherwise. I really look forward to it.

“It is a day out and I have lots of friends there. I think lots of us are angry. It gives me a lot of pleasure. I would not have all my friends that I have got if I did not go. We have a lot of fun.”

But today she spoke of her delight saying: “I'm very pleased. I am surprised. I spoke out because I thought the prices were going up and I couldn't afford it. So it is really good what they've done.

"It's a relief. It was causing me and a lot of other people worry."

Have you raised money for a good cause or did you donate money to Age Concern? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.