SIR – I was amazed to see your correspondent (Letters, July 16) Jean Walker of BDSP castigating the Council for their apparent lack of vision.

According to her, it has no vision for the 55 and over age group and are only capable of activities comprising of “armchair exercises and bingo”.

This is very true, and the very old and frail do enjoy this activity with their peer group.

Perhaps she has not heard of the Thornbury Centre, the Rockwell Centre, the Eccleshill Mechanic’s Institute, and many others throughout the city all supported by this Council she condemns – and most, if not all, do give lessons on the skills Ms Walker believe she is pioneering.

I do not believe after all these years of hope there is a benefactor willing to offer her a prime site in the very valuable centre of Bradford To believe she can afford to be independent is simply not possible, as I am sure she must have realised over the years. It is far better to support a local group and help it to grow than try to duplicate it with impossible dreams.

P Raistrick, Neighbourly Care (Bradford), Westgate, Eccleshill, Bradford