I WAS very pleased to see Clive Crook's letter of November 29 praising the services of the Clapham Hobbs Centre.

The staff and the facilities at the centre are first class and do an excellent job.

The borough has had a working group of councillors of all political parties, together with service users and carers. The interim report of the working group concluded that the centre, far from being closed, should be expanded and its services made available to a wider group of service users.

There are indeed funding problems, but I am certain that, with goodwill from all sides, these can be overcome and together we can ensure that the service provided by the centre is available for many years to come.

(Coun) STEVE ALLSOPP

Lead member for social inclusion and regeneration

Swindon Borough Council