Parents campaigning to save a Birmingham children’s centre have taken a plea for help directly to 10 Downing Street.
A delegation of parents, staff and local politicians delivered a petition and letters calling on the Government to save Lakeside Children’s centre in Kingstanding, Erdington.
It’s one of 26 children’s centres threatened with closure in Birmingham by the city council. The authority has been forced to make savings partly as a result of Government funding cuts.
One letter from a parent delivered to Number 10 warned: “I will have no place to take my children”.
Another said: “My kids will miss out. Where will we go?”
The petition was signed by 1,000 people.
Those delivering the petition and letters included Kirsty Arnold, a senior early years outreach worker at the centre, who also met Birmimgham MPs and Tim Roache, General Secretary of the major trade union the GMB, at a meeting in the House of Commons.
She told the meeting the centre was used by 150 families a week and provided a wide range of services including a creche and parenting classes. It also provided support for parents including help for victims of domestic violence.
In practice, many families would not be able to travel to alternative children’s centres, she said.
She said: “If we lose this then where are the families going to go?”
Labour MPs at the meeting said they would campaign for better funding from central government but also criticised Labour-run Birmingham City Council .
The authority says it is creating “a fairer system for providing early years services for children and families” which brings together health and education services for young children and pregnant women in centres across the city.
Richard Burden (Lan Northfield) said: “What concerns me is that the proposals don’t seem to make any sense. They have all the hallmarks of what goes wrong with a top-down re-organisation.”
Jack Dromey (Lab Erdington) said: “The big problem is that the Government has cut the council’s budget but the council also has a responsibility to get it right, and we are not impressed by the way it has been handled so far.”
Steve McCabe (Lab Selly Oak) said: “The council are saying they have to do something but they don’t have to do this.”
A rally supporting the campaign to save the children’s centres will be held on Saturday 22 July from 11am to 2pm at Victoria Square, Birmingham.
Birmingham City Council has launched a consultation about the plans which continues until August 17.
The children’s centres at risk of closure:
Four Dwellings – Edgbaston
Lillian de Lissa and Belgravia – Edgbaston
Shenley Fields – Edgbaston
Barney’s – Erdington
Lakeside – Erdington
Osborne – Erdington
Pype Hays – Erdington
Anderton Park – Hall Green
Hall Green (Gospel Oak) – Hall Green
Job Marston – Hall Green
Muath – Hall Green
Park Road – Hall Green
Adderly – Hodge Hill
Washwood Heath – Hodge Hill
Bordesly Village – Hodge Hill
Six Ways – Hodge Hill
Summerfield – Hodge Hill
Kings Norton Camp Lane – Northfield
Merrishaw – Northfield
Weoley Castle – Northfield
Maypole – Selly Oak
Reameadow – Selly Oak
Bush Babies – Sutton Coldfield
Four Oakes – Sutton Coldfield
The Deanery – Sutton Coldfield
Bordesley Green East - Yardley