Facing closure: Hull's Menorah House Jewish care home at risk

DWINDLING funds have put a Jewish care home in west Hull at risk of closure.

Trustees who help run Menorah House say they are doing everything they can to stop the closure from happening.

But relatives of residents have been sent a letter saying it will "probably have to close down" as the "financial situation is so grave".

Terry Wilson says his father George Goodrick, 84, who has lived at the care home for nine months, would not cope well with a move.

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Terry, 54, said: "My father suffers from dementia so I haven't told him what is happening.

"I wouldn't want to have to tell my dad until we definitely knew what was happening."

The Anlaby Road care home was set up by the Hull Hebrew Board of Guardians in the 1950s.

It used to be exclusively for Jewish people but now takes residents of no faith as well.

The home is run as a charity and a board of trustees are in charge of the finances.

But a dwindling Jewish population in Hull, coupled with a drop in charitable donations due to the recession, has been blamed for the financial crisis.

Trustee chairman Harold Flasher said: "For years, we have been running as a charity and have had enough money in reserves to keep going.

"But that money has dried up now.

"The Jewish community in this area is dwindling but obviously we don't want to rush into anything like bankruptcy.

"We've been in discussions with social services and want to raise money and get some donations.

"We're trying to sell the home as a going concern, so residents don't have any undue upset.

"If we can get a buyer, we won't have to close."

Care home manager Maggie Johnson says the 23 staff at the home will be very upset if it has to close.

She said: "All of the residents are family to us – we know all their funny little quirks.

"We've formed attachments to them and look after them a lot.

"Some of them are very poorly and we wouldn't want them to have to go through a move."

She thinks the answer would be to have a businessman at the helm of the trustees, who would be more knowledgeable about raising funds and managing finances.

She said: "None of the staff are Jewish and not all the residents are, but everyone gets along well.

"I would hate to see the home close."