A volunteer at a day centre says she is worried many people will not be able to attend after it goes through major changes.

Sessions for people with dementia run by the Alzheimer’s Society at the Quaker Meeting House in Hemnall Street, Epping, are due to change from two full days a week to two half-day sessions at the end of the month.

Pat Harbott, 74, who has been helping at the service for 14 years, said: “It’s going to be for mildly affected Alzheimer’s sufferers, instead of moderately affected people, as it is now. This is what I have heard.

“As a volunteer, I’ve not been told anything.”

She believes many elderly people currently using the sessions would be classed as suffering from ‘moderate’ Alzheimer’s, so would not be able to visit after the changes.

The resident of Allnutts Road, Epping, added: “It would be a big change and I don’t think any of the people we’ve got would qualify.

“One lady who comes said ‘I love coming here and I don’t know what I would do without it’.

“It breaks your heart.”

A spokeswoman for the Alzheimer’s Society said: “We always individually assess people for all of our services, to ensure we can meet their needs and that the group is appropriate for them to attend.

“Groups can support people with dementia at different levels and whether it is suitable for them to attend will always depend on their own ability to participate and benefit from attending the group.

“This is the case with the current service, and will continue to be the case with the new service.”