Devoted resident Dorothy Devereux has spent 12 years living at Woodlands, a care home where she once worked as a nurse tending to its elderly inhabitants. Now aged 93 and having become a resident herself, she told our sister paper the Mirror: 'This was the obvious place to come. It is home and everything I own is here.'
However, she and numerous friends at the Clayton-le-Moors home narrowly avoided being forced out when Reform-run Lancashire County Council earmarked it for closure last year as a cost-cutting measure, until a wave of public opposition halted the plans.
A group of residents, ranging from 83-year-old Carmel Wickham to 100-year-old Ken Ormerod, have penned an open letter, published today by the Mirror, urging voters to prevent Nigel Farage's party from gaining further council seats at Thursday's elections.
Dorothy said: 'Vote and speak up. You might think it doesn't count, but it does. I might have felt the same if my Reform-run council hadn't tried to force me out of my care home. But they did. I hope nobody votes for Reform. I understand the need to cut costs but we are not lines on a spreadsheet. We are people who've spent our lives caring for others and deserve dignity and stability in our final years. Reform thought the elderly would be an easy target, and no-one would notice if they closed our homes, but they were wrong. We've had so much support.'
Residents of Woodlands continue to face an uncertain future. Dorothy added: 'We don't know if they're going to keep their promise, privatise Woodlands or increase the fees, which I can't afford.'
Her daughter, former teacher Frances Duxbury, 68, said: 'The level of stress this has caused the residents and family members has taken its toll. My mum has not been well since and this can't have helped matters.'
Wayne Campbell, 68, whose mum Joyce Porter, 88, lives at the home, said: 'When she moved in three years ago she was on end of life, but it changed her – she came alive again. She fell in love with the place. There's a real warm atmosphere and the staff are outstanding. The thought of it closing has affected her and her dementia has come on. She hasn't got a good word to say about Reform. This is good money spent on good public services. It's not wasted. I spoke to Reform at a consultation and found they were out of their depth.'
Last October, the council launched a review of five care homes and five day centres in an effort to save approximately £4 million. These facilities were flagged due to concerns over their condition, safety and long-term viability. Following public protests, Reform announced the homes would remain open, pledging 'investment' in the facilities. It also came to light that Graham Dalton, a Reform councillor, co-owned a private care company.
Reform secured 52 of 84 Lancashire County Council seats in May 2025. In Derbyshire, a Reform-led council has revealed plans to close eight care homes after unsuccessful sale negotiations. A spokesperson for campaigning organisation Avaaz stated: 'This is a stark warning of what Reform in power could mean.' Unison's Jon Richards commented: 'Reform's only interest is in peddling easy answers, not rolling up sleeves to fix problems.'
A spokesperson for Lancashire County Council confirmed: 'A report about the outcome of the consultation is due to go to our Cabinet later this month. Members will then consider next steps. We will be keeping residents and their families fully informed and very much value their contribution.'
The open letter - signed by residents and their families
The letter below was signed by residents and their families including Ken Ormerod, 100, Dorothy Devereux, 93, Brenda Radford, 88, Sylvia Henderson, 94, Anna Zieba, 88, Carmel Wickham, 83, Marion Wolstenholme, 93, the son of Joyce Porter, the wife of Keith Ralph and Marjorie Searling, 98.
'To people across England, For many of you, the local elections on May 7 will be just another vote. For many of us, they could be our last chance to be heard. We're writing as elderly people living in a care home in England, together with our families, who love and support us. Many of us have complex needs. But we've also spent our lives caring for others - as parents, nurses, teachers. We believed that, in our final years, we would be cared for too. But when Reform UK took control of Lancashire county council, they proposed to close our care home, as well as four other elderly care homes, and five day care centres, in a bid to save money. Since then, we've been terrified. Our care home is where we are known, where we feel safe, where wonderful staff understand our needs, our routines, our memories. The thought of being moved on, our care homes becoming privatised, or our local day care centres being closed, is frightening - not just for us, but for our families too. To us, this feels like a betrayal of elderly people in England. We don't usually get involved in politics, and many of us have never written anything like this before. But we can not stay silent while decisions are being made that could tear us from our homes - especially when what's happening to us today could just as easily happen to you, or to the people you love most: your parents or grandparents. So, please, vote in the local elections on 7 May. Vote to protect the care and dignity of older people, who've contributed so much to this country. Vote to stop Reform winning any more council seats - and leaving more people like us behind. The choices we make now will decide the kind of country we all grow old in. Thank you for hearing us.'
