'Please don’t close our children centres': Parents plea as Ealing Council to close 12
West London parents have called on their local council to u-turn on plans to close 12 children's centres in the borough.
A demonstration was held on Wednesday, 14 May with parents, centre staff and opposition councillors attending.
Ealing Council voted overwhelmingly in favour of the budget in March which included measures to close 12 of the borough's 25 children's centres.
Despite pleas from parents the council has given no indication that it plans to change course.
Kinga is a mother who uses the children's centres in the borough. She described them as vital in supporting mothers looking after their mental health.
She said: "For me, I'm a mother of one child, I don't have family here or a support network around me, and the centres were a lifesaver.
"It helped me get back to work, it let my son socialise, it let us mothers connect about what works for them and how we raise our babies."
She added: "If they really close them… I can't, I can't even think about it."
Catrina, a mum from Southall said she is "shocked" to see a Labour council making such a decision. Catrina has attended Greenfields in Southall with her son, who is autistic, for several years.
She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): "In the beginning it's difficult… [being able to] speak to anyone and get some support…
"I could just go in and ask parents if they are experiencing the same things. Sometimes we need someone to speak to and as a community we don't want them to take it away."
Southall is one of the areas worst affected by the decision to close the centres, with four of the six in the town marked for closure.
One children's centre staff member told the LDRS that the centres work with children with SEN (Special Educational Needs) who may struggle to find support elsewhere.
They added: "For some mothers the next closest will be 25 minutes away, and they'd rather not go, it's not possible.
"Some families are stricken by such financial difficulty and poverty that they are choosing between eating or travelling."
Ealing Council says that there will still be outreach services provided in different venues, including places of worship.
Campaigners have criticised this because some people may feel uncomfortable, or because some mothers experiencing domestic abuse may struggle to speak openly and ask for help.
Sarah, a new mother from Hanwell, told the LDRS her message for Council Leader Peter Mason and the rest of Ealing Council would be: "Please don't close our children's centres."
She describes the centres as providing vital help in the early stages of parenting her firstborn.
She said: "When you first have a baby, it's the most overwhelming thing you can do.
"The children's centres basically allow us to talk to other parents. We can ask a silly question, and someone will answer and you realise they're experiencing the same thing.
"We were able to take part in so many classes… sign language, baby massages, stay and play. She [my daughter] really enjoys seeing other kids and learning from them, it's a safe environment.
"Kids already don't have a voice and are having their services taken away… it makes me really upset. Please, don't close our children's centres."
A public consultation was held between February and April, ending on April 27. The results of that are still being analysed by the council with a date for closure yet to be set.
It's unclear if any changes will be made to the closure plans as a result of the consultation.
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