by Lynn Cox

lcox@thekmgroup.co.uk

Nine jobs have been lost after the closure of the Sunlight Cafes in three healthy living centres in Medway.

The cafes will pull down their shutters for the last time on Wednesday at the centres in Rochester, Rainham and Lordswood.

Four full-time and five part-time jobs will go. Three of the people involved chose to take voluntary redundancy.

The closure of the cafes was exclusively revealed in the Medway Messenger in February when staff and customers at the cafes said they were heartbroken about the news.

Customer Mike Wareing (below) spoke of his dissapointment at the time.

The branches are run by the Sunlight Development Trust and are closing because they are not making a profit.

The healthy living centres are managed by the health trust NHS Medway, which is trying to find other caterers to run them.

News of the closures was met with sadness, especially for people who used the Lordswood cafe, who described it as a hub of the community.

At the time, more than 100 people signed a petition in protest at the closure.

Roy Batty, 87, who went there every day for a hot meal, said: “I don’t know what I will do when it closes. I guess I’ll have to cook my own meals again. I will miss the place.”

A spokesman for The Sunlight Development Trust, said: “Cafe Sunlight has undertaken a restructure of its catering services across the five outlets we run in Medway.

“This has occurred as a result of the need to close the three loss-making cafes.

“Unfortunately, we have had to make four full-time and five part-time posts redundant.

“Of these, three people chose to take voluntary redundancy.

“As many of the staff as possible have been redeployed and three new posts within the trust have been created.”

Jill Norton, assistant director of property for NHS Medway said: “We want to ensure that people continue to benefit from the community cafes in our healthy living centres, which are a great place to relax, have a healthy snack or meal, and catch up with friends or family.

“We have had interest from other providers and will be meeting with them over coming weeks.”