Watford MP secures Nascot Lawn extra funding

Nascot Lawn will now stay open until at least the end of January after the MP for Watford secured three months extra funding for the respite centre. Richard Harrington has been leading the negotiations to prevent the closure of Nascot Lawn Respite Centre, which is a vital local service for disabled children. The decision to close Nascot Lawn was taken by the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in June this year and Mr Harrington has been actively campaigning against this. The Watford MP has been working closely with the relevant local authorities, as well as the families affected, and wrote a public letter to the CCG in June, where he stated his strong opposition to the closure. He met with the Chairman, Dr Nicolas Small, in July and they discussed future funding for the centre. He has also been in regular communication with Jenny Coles, who is responsible for Children’s Services at Hertfordshire County Council, and has organised a further meeting with her next week. Mr Harrington MP said: “Nascot Lawn is an essential local service and a lifeline to so many families. Following my meetings with the CCG and Hertfordshire County Council, I’m pleased to confirm that funding has been guaranteed until at least the end of January, which is an extra three months. This is a step in the right direction, but we now need to find a long term solution. We all agree that Nascot Lawn is a fantastic place and no one wants to see it close. There is a real strength of feeling locally, and I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to get in touch with me about this. I’m seeing the Director of Children Services at Hertfordshire County Council next week and I’m confident that we can find a way forward. I will be updating residents afterwards.” Picture courtesy of Hoss