Campaign launched to save Elm Park Children's Centre

Dagenham and Rainham MP Jon Cruddas has written to council leader Ray Morgon and chief executive Andrew Blake-Herbert outlining his dismay at plans to shut children's centres in the south of the borough.

The proposals were among cost-saving measures set out by the council in its 2023/24 budget consultation as it faces a projected £70million funding gap over the next four years.

READ MORE: Community facility and prayer space planned in Elm Park

Plans would see Elm Park, Chippenham Road and Hilldene Children's Centres shut, which the council says would save it around £1.1million.

Although the Elm Park site is outside of his constituency, Mr Cruddas said he has been inundated with messages from constituents who use it.

He urged council bosses to reconsider the closure plans and wrote: "During an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis, frontline services for the most vulnerable in society must be retained as a matter of the utmost importance.

"Children's centres like the one in Elm Park provide an invaluable family service that simply cannot be lost at this moment in time."

A petition to save the centre has also been launched by Margaret Mullane, recently chosen by Labour as its candidate for the Dagenham and Rainham seat at the next general election.

Ms Mullane urged people to support the campaign and said: “Elm Park Children’s Centre provides a vital service for our most vulnerable families – often supporting those with nowhere else to turn."

One Elm Park parent, Amber Hoadley, recently told the Recorder the children's centres are a "lifeline" to many in the community.

She has also written to the council opposing the children's centre closure plans.

A Havering Council spokesperson said: “The leader will be responding directly to Jon Cruddas. However, a decision hasn’t yet been made and there is still time for residents to have their say on the proposals.

“As part of the consultation we plan to permanently close three of our children’s centres, this includes Chippenham Road and Hilldene which were closed during the pandemic. Both were used to support the Covid-19 vaccination programme and have not re-opened. Services have transferred to other local locations.

“We are also considering closing a third venue. Elm Park has been identified and forms part of the council’s wider budget consultation.

“The services we offer from our children’s centres will be more targeted and we will look at how we can continue to support parents from other centres, such as community hubs and buildings.”

The budget consultation runs until December 30 - to view and take part in a survey, visit consultation.havering.gov.uk/corporate/budget-2023/.

To view the petition, go to dagenhamandrainham.org.uk/news/2022/11/30/campaign-to-save-elm-park-childrens-centre/.

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