Vulnerable hit

HUNDREDS of vulnerable people suffering from health problems could be left untreated unless The Quiet Mind Centre can find a new home by next month.

The Exmouth-based charity has for 25 years been a vital lifeline for residents on low incomes and benefits who suffer from stress-related, physical and emotional illnesses.

But the landlord of the Hartley Road-based health centre wants to start converting the building into offices in May.

This will relegate the charity to just four rooms slashing the 5,000 treatments they perform annually by two-thirds.

Charity founder and manager Mrs Bobby Neil said: "We have to leave in a few weeks time.

"We were told at the end of February and since then we have desperately been looking for a new building, but we just cannot find anything suitable."

She said they urgently need a large town-centre building with parking for clients with mobility problems and disabled access, but she added:

"Any building with many rooms would be of interest - we are not looking for a handout. We are prepared to pay commercial rates.

"But we have seven very heavy hydraulic treatment beds which are not something you can just pack away at the end of the day. I really don't know what we are going to do."

In the six years they have been at their current base they have performed upwards of 30,000 healing, counselling and complementary therapy sessions.

The professionals working for charity do so for free - waiving the �30 hourly rate they would normally charge and often treating people GP referrals.

Patients are not charged but a minimum donation of �5 per treatment is suggested to help cover costs.

Mrs Neal added: "If we do not find new premises it will cause huge problems and affect hundreds.

"If you go to a GP for counselling they will normally put on awaiting list - here you will get seen almost immediately.

"We provide a vital service to so many."

If you think you can help call The Quiet Mind Centre on: (01395) 270070