This Saturday: Parents campaign to protect Sure Start

Article published: Thursday, February 24th 2011

Families across Manchester are joining for a demonstration outside Manchester Town Hall at 1.30pm Saturday 26 February to protest against cuts to Sure Start children’s centres.

Campaigners are calling on the council to ensure that the children’s centres, due to face £5.9million cuts, will not be contracted out to for-profit companies and will remain open to all families who wish to use them. Users of Sure Start across the city, supported by Tony Lloyd MP, Unite and local councillors, are being urged to attend the protest.

Launched in 1998, Sure Start centres provide a range of services that include childcare, ‘early years’ education for children aged 0-5 and health and family support. While the council has denied it has plans to close any of the centres it currently intends for them to be wholly contracted out to voluntary organisations, schools and other organisations.

However, up to 29 per cent cuts to contracts and grants to voluntary organisations in the council’s Children’s Services budget, itself facing 25 per cent cuts and funding reductions for schools have led to fears that services will be severely reduced and that universal access to the centres will end. Although the final settlement may not be known for at least six months Children’s Centres Teachers, who provide qualified teaching support to pre-school children, have already been cut.

Claire Tomkinson, whose children use Clayton Sure Start, told MULE “We want a reassurance the council will act responsibly and that any organisations will respect the values and beliefs of Sure Start.”

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Comments

1. Sure start is essential for giving children the best start in life.Providing a space and support for the parents enables then to provide a great start for their little ones. Without this resource it feels that children will be loosing out. Looking at the larger picture our children are our future so surely this is an investment rather that a luxury?

   Comment by michelle Griffiths on February 24, 2011 at 10:02 pm

2. Save sure start.

   Comment by michelle Griffiths on February 24, 2011 at 10:04 pm

3. sure start is amazing and without it there will be nothing in communities for children…….OUR PIONEERS OF THE FUTURE… lets protect them and give them what they deserve….SURE START…

   Comment by jojo mac on February 25, 2011 at 8:06 pm

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