The recent campaign to Save the Bitterne Walk-In Centre was covered brilliantly in your paper and I believe it shows everyone in the city and elsewhere that if you fight, you can win.

When we heard of the proposed temporary closure of the centre, we in the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) immediately set about campaigning by setting up stalls in Bitterne speaking to the public.

The feedback we got was overwhelmingly in favour of fighting to keep the centre open.

We held a public meeting inviting the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) responsible for the proposed closure along with local councillors and politicians.

They, to their shame, did not attend the meeting that turned in to a passionate and informed discussion.

We all voted unanimously to continue the campaign and to attend the meeting of the CCG and Health Overview and Scrutiny Panel on October 30.

It turned in to a “standing room only” affair and I believe it was only this pressure that forced those with the power to act with the panel “recommending” the closure is put off until after the general election.

This was accepted by the CCG but we don’t believe this is enough.

Not one councillor or politician backed the demand to keep the centre open but instead asked that a public consultation is followed before any decisions are made.

We in the TUSC stand together with the residents who say the centre is vital for many in the east of the city and should remain a resource available to them.

All of the proposed alternatives to the centre include dialling the new 111 advice number, speaking to a pharmacist, self medicating and attending the Minor Injuries Unit at the Royal South Hants Hospital are not acceptable and can be seen as a push for people towards the private sector providers found in all of these options.

Contrary to what some local councillors and politicians claim, this was a victory for the people in Southampton and won by the people in Southampton. But we must remain vigilant and determined to fight again as we will undoubtedly have to.

Many thanks to all those who joined and supported the cam-paign and we hope to see you soon. With the council imple-menting further cuts there will be more vital services under threat and when that happens we will be there to fight against it.

DECLAN CLUNE, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition.