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Parents' fight to save children's centre

Sarah SandersonEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, Hessle
BBC A group of six adults and three young children stand on a residential street in front of a row of brick terraced houses. Several people hold hand-written placards calling for the protection of a children's centre, with messages including "Save Our Children's Centre" and "Please Help Save Our Children's Centre". Two pushchairs are positioned at the front of the group, one occupied by a young child and the other carrying children's items. Another young child is being held by an adult at the right-hand side of the group, while another is with an adult on the left. Parked cars line the street behind the campaigners. The photograph shows support for the children's centre and an appeal for its future to be secured.BBC
Parents are fighting to save the purpose-built Hessle Children's Centre

Parents are campaigning to keep a children's centre in its purpose-built building.

Under government plans announced last spring, councils were asked to set up Best Start Family Hubs.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC) said it had agreed to move services, which are currently delivered at Hessle Children's Centre, to a "flexible, community-based network". Alternative venues have yet to be decided.

Bridie Richardson-Rack, one of the parents urging the council to reconsider its plan, said the centre is a "private, safe space to connect with other mums".

A close-up portrait of a campaign supporter, Bridie Richardson-Rack standing outdoors on a residential street. Bridie has shoulder-length light brown hair and is wearing a dark fleece-style jacket over a pink top. A small red remembrance poppy pin is attached to her jacket. Behind her, slightly out of focus, is a brick building with two white-framed windows and a sign mounted on the wall. A parked car can be seen at the right-hand edge of the image.
Bridie Richardson-Rack says the Hessle Children's Centre has provided invaluable support

In a statement, ERYC said: "Children's centres have become Family Hubs this year, and it provided an opportune time to look at how the council provides services and support to families."

It added that an eight-week consultation had taken place with "families and professionals" and views were sought about using community venues such as schools, libraries and church halls to deliver services and groups.

Richardson-Rack, 30, began attending Hessle Children's Centre when her son, now two, was just five weeks' old.

"It has been invaluable," she said.

"I really struggled with postnatal depression and anxiety. This building allowed a place where it was private, safe and also a space to connect with other mums."

She believes family hubs are a great idea on paper, but added: "Having the children's centre in a central location is essential for us.

"The schools that they're looking at are actually less central than what this building is. The library doesn't have locked doors so our children can run in and out.

"It's public so anyone can come in. There are no toilets, there's no baby changing area. The places that they're saying they're going to move (our services) to just aren't acceptable."

A close-up photograph of Sammie Scott holding her young child while standing outdoors in front of a brick community building. Sammie is positioned on the right side of the frame and wears round glasses, a black T-shirt and a black-and-white patterned fleece jacket. Sammie has coloured pink and red hair extending past the shoulders. The child, held on Sammie's left side, wears a light-coloured outfit with pink stripes and small strawberry designs. The pair are photographed from approximately the waist up and are looking towards the camera. Behind them, slightly out of focus, is a brick building with white-framed windows and a mounted sign. Residential buildings can be seen further along the street to the left, while the edge of a parked vehicle appears on the right-hand side of the image.
Sammie Scott says Hessle Children's Centre provides support "beyond words"

Sammie Scott, 35, said her son and daughter have used the centre.

She said: "My son has autism and ADHD, so we got a lot of support from the early help team here and his support worker. They absolutely changed our lives."

Scott added: "If it was to move to the library in Hessle, it's on a main road. You can get in and out very easily with an automatic door. It's not really secure. It's not private. Anybody can look in because it's just surrounded by windows."

A close-up photograph shows Lauren Foster holding her young child outdoors in front of a brick community building. She is positioned on the left of the frame and is wearing dark-framed glasses, a black coat and a light-coloured scarf. Her child is being held at shoulder height and is wearing a dark padded coat decorated with white star patterns. Behind them is a brick building with white-framed windows and a noticeboard mounted on the wall. Parked vehicles, including a red car, can be seen in the background, along with a residential street and neighbouring buildings.
Lauren Foster says the centre has a "real sense of community"

Another parent, Lauren Foster, 36, added: "It's brought mums together and I probably wouldn't have gone to a mum's group had it not been a dedicated space for us.

"We had a really tough start to our breastfeeding journey. It's been massively aided by the staff and the facilities here. It's safe, it's familiar."

Ward councillor David Nolan said he shared the parents' concerns.

He said: "What we have here is a dedicated young mums and baby centre, for want of a better word, which provides specialist advice on things like breastfeeding, postnatal depression, all the sorts of things that mums may need support with.

"They (the parents) will be pushed out into the cold. At the moment, they have a nice warm building that's dedicated to their needs."

'Heart of communities'

In response to concerns, Councillor Victoria Aitken, cabinet member for children, families and education, said: "For me, this has always been about the families we serve.

"We are not here to support buildings for the sake of buildings. We are here to support children and families with good, accessible services in the heart of their communities.

"That is exactly what we want the Family Hub offer in Hessle to provide. The services are moving, not closing, and our focus now is on making that offer the very best it can be for Hessle families."

A council spokesperson said it had considered proposals around how support is provided to families at four specific locations – Hessle, Howden, Beeford and Hedon.

Cabinet considered the proposals at the end of October and "agreed to move towards a flexible, community-based network at these four locations", they said.

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