The campaigners who saved an Abergavenny day centre from closure are campaigning to save the provision it offers for adults with additional learning needs once again.

In last week’s Chronicle, it was reported that the charity that runs Tudor Street Day Centre, The Gathering Community CIO, was going to have its lease terminated by the landlord, Monmouthshire County Council (MCC).

In a report recently published by the council, it was found that during a period of assessment and conditionality a number of volunteers and trusteed ceased involvement with the group. Following representation from the same members, MCC claimed to have serious concerns about governance, financial controls, management conduct, safeguarding and the process by which trustees had either left or been removed.

In 2022, the centre was still closed following the pandemic, and some say the situation MCC faces is a result of the council’s own actions.

“It is disgusting that the Centre was not reopened straight after Covid,” one signatory of the new petition said.

“The Council should feel ashamed of themselves for ignoring vulnerable people. They should pull up their socks and do the right thing as soon as possible and not think of closing it again. They need to look at what they spend our money on and make sure it is not spent on unnecessary things but on things that should not even be questioned.”

The management of Tudor Street Day Centre was assessed on a criteria which was set out in March 2026. A deadline was set for the management to prove they were competent to continue the daily operation of the centre dated the end of July 2026. However, a further four weeks was given following a request by The Gathering.

On AGMs and board minutes, the council found that there was not sufficient evidence of appointment and removal processes, but evidence of a governance structure was supplied.

The council officer overseeing the assessment also found that there was only a partial assurance the centre could be run day-to-day, there was no satisfactory evidence of training or review and DBS checks remained outstanding.

MCC also requested the appointment of four additional trustees with relevant competencies for the role the centre plays in the community. While the appointments were reported, their identities, competencies and supporting governance records were not fully evidenced by the deadline.

While the council acknowledged some level of effort by The Gathering to demonstrate an ability to run the centre, the officer consensus was that the threshold for a further lease has not been met. The council has decided against operating the centre itself, and looks likely to undertake an expressions of interest process instead.

The Gathering must vacate the premises by January 2027.

The Cabinet Member responsible for buildings in the county, Cllr Ben Callard, said the tender for the building will be made available to “under-represented” groups at the special committee meeting earlier this week.

But some of the campaigners who originally persuaded the council to give them the lease in 2024 have said this doesn’t go far enough. They have now launched a petition to ensure the purpose of the building remains dedicated to adults with learning disabilities. They are concerned MCC sees the building from a ‘leasing’ point of view rather than in the context of what campaigners consider a ‘Health and Social Care’ service.

Monmouthshire Council has been asked to comment.