Parents fight to keep creche open (From Echo)

Parents fight to keep creche open

6:45pm Tuesday 4th March 2008 in News By Christine Sexton

PARENTS are campaigning against the closure of a popular creche at a sports centre.

Castle Point Council said it can no longer afford to subsidise the children's creche at Waterside Farm Sports Centre, on Canvey.

A petition is now being compiled by mothers who rely on being able to pay £1.25 an hour to leave their child in the creche, while they exercise at the centre.

Jill Brignall, 38, of Central Avenue, Canvey, is leading the campaign.

Mrs Brignall, who uses the creche three times a week for her 20-month old daughter Amelia, said: "The mothers who currently use the creche can't afford to pay private nursery fees and will have to stop using the centre.

"I go to the gym and the pool, but I will have to stop.

"There are about 40 mothers, with about 60 children, using the creche each week.

"I think this will backfire on the council, because they will lose the membership of all those parents.

"We want to keep fit, knowing our children are safe in the creche.

"The council is supposed to be supporting good health."

The group hopes to collect 1,000 signatures to present to the council in an effort to stop the closure at the end of this month.

Neville Watson, Canvey Independent councillor for Winter Gardens ward, said: "Many leaflets are now being distributed throughout the Castle Point area for people to sign the petition.

"What amazes me is an authority which clearly has a policy to promote health in the borough would even consider shutting this important facility, especially at a time when the Government is trying to cut obesity."

Wendy Goodwin, councillor responsible for housing and leisure, said: "We are closing the heavily subsidised creche because of the running costs and also because there is a huge demand for facilities at Waterside and nowhere to put them.

"The creche is used at limited times, but the space can't then be used for anything else."