"Please save our children's centre"
Parents plead with council not to go ahead with planned closure, saying they'd be "gutted"
PARENTS of youngsters who attend the Thatcham and Area Children’s Centre have pleaded with West Berkshire Council not to take away their “lifeline” – describing the proposed closure of the centre as “gutting”.
The council is looking to close four children’s centres in South Newbury, South Thatcham (Lower Way), East Downlands and Calcot and start charging £3.50 for sessions that are currently free as part of its plan to make predicted savings of £10.8m in 2016/17.
Currently, only children under the age of five can use the centres, but the council is planning on renaming the six remaining centres “family and wellbeing hubs” and offering sessions to youngsters up to 19.
If approved, the proposed changes would come into effect in April 2016 and save the council £300,000 – 25 per cent of its entire children’s centre budget.
Thatcham mum Laura Megarry has a 19-month-old daughter attending sessions at the Lower Way centre and said: “It has been a lifeline for me being a first-time mum and suffering with anxiety.
“We’ve made so many friends there. It’s so welcoming and friendly and like a little family as most people know each other. My little girl loves it.”
Niki McCloud, who lives on the Kennet Heath estate in Thatcham, added: “I’m absolutely gutted they are potentially closing the Lower Way centre. They say it is going to be consulted on but the letter from the council sounded pretty definite.
“My girl is 14 months old now and in the early days I don’t know what I would have done without that centre. I feel so sorry for the staff who have no idea what is going to happen. They are amazing people.”
Another mum, Michelle Newland-Bragg, added: “These potential cuts will drastically affect me and my family. I have a three-year-old son and eight-month-old daughter.
“My children love the facilities and staff at the children’s centres. They are like our second home. Telling my son we can’t go would really upset him; he would miss the friendly staff and his wonderful friends. I don’t think the council quite understand that it’s the children who will miss out.”
From April 2016 the council will start charging for fun-based family activities – which include sessions such as Stay, Play and Learn or Messy Play. The fee for each family will be £3.50. It also warned it may revise other sessions and start charging for those too.
Laura Benson added: “I have made some fantastic friends who I see now on a regular basis. This would not have happened without these centres. They are an amazing support for mothers, especially in the first year when they are very vulnerable.”
Another parent, Rhea Hopwood, said: “The centre at Lower Way is a real asset. It’s not only good for social interaction, but a place parents can meet.
“My son Jack loves going there and it would be such a shame if it were to close.”
Centre manager Aimee Read said: “I would like to thank everyone who has responded to the consultation so far. I would urge anyone who hasn’t had their say to do so via the consultation channel as this is the only way that your comments and opinions can be considered.”
Newbury MP Richard Benyon said: “I think children’s centres do outstanding work and I’m sure it’s the last thing the council would want to cut.
“The support they provide for vulnerable parents is fantastic. The council has got a lot of tough decisions to make but they are going about it the right way.”
When asked whether he felt it was hard being a Conservative MP at this time, Mr Benyon added: “It would be a lot more difficult for future MPs if we don’t pay off our debts.
“I’m proud to be part of a party that is taking tough decisions which governments have ducked in the past. Everything has to be affordable if we are still racking up debts, which we still are.”
West Berkshire Council portfolio holder for education and Thatcham town councillor, Dominic Boeck (Con, Aldermaston) said: “We are living in very challenging times and we are determined to make sure that West Berkshire doesn’t suffer. We’re aiming to offer the same levels of service in a more cost-effective way.”
When asked what he thought of the proposed cuts, Thatcham West district councillor Steve Ardagh-Walter (Con) declined to comment.
