OUTRAGE OVER NURSERIES AXE.Byline: Katie Katie may refer to:In sports:
threat The Sankofa Nursery (main picture), Tiddleywinks at the Deighton Centre (bottom left) and Cambridge Road Nursery Centre Parents and staff vow to fight cuts THREE Huddersfield nurseries face the axe. But outraged staff and parents have vowed to fight the money-saving cuts proposed by Kirklees Council's Children and Young People's Service. The nurseries under threat are: Tiddleywinks, at the Deighton Centre; Sankofa Nursery, on Great Northern Street, Hillhouse; and Cambridge Road Nursery Centre. Parents have just heard the shock news of the triple closure plans. Worried mum Mel Mills, from Thornton Lodge Thornton Lodge is an area 1Km south of Huddersfield, bordering, Crosland Moor, Lockwood, Longroyd Bridge and Rashcliffe. It mostly comprises urban housing and some small shops, with industrial units around the area bordering Longroyd Bridge. , has been sending her three-year-old son, Jevaugn Johnson, to Tiddleywinks since he was seven months old. Her 12-year-old daughter, Paris Allette, goes to the Chequers after-school club there. Ms Mills said: "We don't want to lose our children's places. "We are still waiting to be told why. The nurseries have waiting lists, they are very well used. "It is shocking for us and the staff are heartbroken." Ms Mills added that it would be difficult to find nursery places in the area. Staff at the three nurseries are members of public services Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly (through the public sector) or by financing private provision of services. union Unison unison, in music, tones identical in pitch produced by two or more parts or voices. In popular usage a vocal composition is said to be sung in unison even though some of the voices are separated from others by the interval of an octave. . The union was told about the closures by the council's Director for Children and Young People, Alison O'Sullivan. The union had been told last August that a review was being conducted. But Mike Forster, chief education steward for Kirklees Unison, said they were not told closures were an option. "They promised that there were no planned closures," he added. Mr Forster said the union was angry about the lack of consultation. He said: "We've just been told the proposals have been put forward as a way of significantly reducing costs. "We are furious they have bypassed the staff and the union. "The nurseries are providing a high standard of care and parents have enormous confidence in them." Union members from the nurseries have voted to campaign against the closures. About 200 staff and parents plan to lobby the next full council meeting at Huddersfield Town Hall on February 28. Petitions against the closures are being circulated. Parents are set to meet at Tiddleywinks at 5.30pm on Thursday to co-ordinate their protest. Clr Jim Dodds, Kirklees Cabinet member for children's services, said the final decision on whether to close the nurseries would be made at the full council meeting. He said the nurseries had to be closed because they were losing money. They had been subsidised Adj. 1. subsidised - having partial financial support from public funds; "lived in subsidized public housing" subsidized supported - sustained or maintained by aid (as distinct from physical support); "a club entirely supported by membership dues"; by a total of pounds 600,000 during 2005/2006. "There is no requirement for the council to run its own nurseries," he added. Clr Dodds said there was no timescale for the closures, but they would be phased in. "We are a caring organisation. We are going to do this sympathetically. "We are going to ensure that children who are there finish their time in nursery or are moved somewhere of their parents' choosing. Clr Dodds said all staff would be relocated re·lo·cate v. re·lo·cat·ed, re·lo·cat·ing, re·lo·cates v.tr. To move to or establish in a new place: relocated the business. v.intr. and no redundancies are planned. He also denied that there had been no consultation with the union. |
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