When Lorry Sarsero’s son was born with special needs 45 years ago, he pledged that he would work hard to improve amenities for people with disabilities.

His dream came true yesterday when Social Solidarity Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca and Parliamentary Secretary Franco Mercieca inaugurated the Gwardjola Day Centre for the disabled in Senglea.

Grupp Gwardjola was set up seven years ago by Senglea residents who had disabled relatives to safeguard those with special needs and their families.

Two years later, the government leased a store in the Senglea bastions to the group and they started carrying out refurbishment works that cost more than €35,000.

The money was collected through the group’s own fundraising, the Malta Community Chest Fund and the National Lotteries Good Causes Fund.

A couple of months ago Grupp Gwardjola was approached by the parliamentary secretariat and was helped to complete the work.

The place was yesterday inaugurated as the 10th centre for people with disabilities in Malta and Aġenzija Sapport will be providing its services there during the day.

Grupp Gwardjola will run the centre in the evenings and during the weekends.

People with disabilities will be taught how to perform everyday activities such as cooking and shopping.

Mr Sarsero noted it was important that relatives did not park the disabled at the centre but engaged in activities so they would be allowed to continue the same tasks at home.

The centre will be able to accommodate 40 people. Mr Mercieca said the support group’s day centre was a godsend as the government was looking for similar places to turn into day centres that would allow the disabled integrate with the community.

There were currently 200 people waiting to be accommodated at a day centre, he told the newspaper, and over the coming two years, the capacity at the Mtarfa day centre will double to 180 from the current 90.