Disabled Lancaster mum faces months of being ‘a prisoner in her own home’ after lift breaks down
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Mum-of-three Julie lives in Millennium Heights in Lune Street, where there is currently a broken lift which the management company say could take months to fix due to protocol.
Her daughter Kim Jenkinson has now set up an online fundraiser in a desperate bid to raise the money needed for maintenance staff to help her from the building for a day out.
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Hide AdWheelchair user Julie, 61, was diagnosed with primary progressive Multiple Sclerosis in her mid 30s.
"Although life has thrown obstacles at her she has always tried to keep her inner strength and smile through it," Kim said.
"After being widowed and losing her own mum, she moved to this more accessible place to get back doing the things she loves the most - feeling free and doing things for herself.
"In her apartment now she is able to cook herself and has an accessible bathroom; these things were only a dream for many years.
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Hide Ad"Yet now the lift in her apartment building is broken, with a £14,000 repair bill and a timeframe of 3-4 months due to management company rules.
"Her world is crumbling apart. Every day her motivation is leaving her and her mood is dropping, affecting her mentally.
"The lack of physical movement and activity seems to be making her MS symptoms worse.
"We can't bear to watch our mum fade this way - she's the strongest woman we know.
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Hide Ad"We're desperately trying to raise money to pay the lift management company to manually let her out in the meantime - the cost is £360 per afternoon out," Kim said.
"So if you can, please donate anything at all to help her get out as many times as possible during this horrible time."
You can support Julie online at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/Disabled-lady-trapped
David Bentham, managing director of Homestead Consultancy Services Ltd, who manage the block, said a meeting is being held next week with leaseholders to discuss the issue.
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Hide AdThe age of the lift means the parts are now obsolete and modernisation is needed.
As a result, a consultation process has to be followed to inform and engage all the owners, who also jointly own the freehold of the building.
Alternative ways to allow leaseholders with disabilities to exit and enter the building have been looked at, including the possibility of a temporary ‘overhaul’ of the lifting equipment to try to bring back a limited service.
"We are in contact with owners and occupiers via written communication, email and telephone calls on a frequent basis," Mr Bentham said.
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Hide Ad"The legal processes being followed isn’t conducive to fast repair, but has to be followed to comply with the relevant Acts of Parliament.
"We have spoken with the insurer to see if the resident on the top floor can be rehoused to no avail.
"We have spoken with Lancaster City Council Social Care Team who have conducted the necessary checks and acknowledge that the steps we have taken to date demonstrate we are dealing with the matter as urgently and efficiently as possible."
Mr Bentham said the fire service has also been informed and their firefighting policy for the building remains unchanged.