Last week The Argus launched the Save Our Centres campaign against council-proposed cuts to children’s centres and related services and groups. Today we are urging people to lodge their views with Brighton and Hove City Council on the last day of the public consultation on the plans. Flora Thompson reports.

Today is the last chance to tell Brighton and Hove City Council not to introduce cuts to children’s centres.

Families, staff, and anyone else concerned with the proposals have until midnight tonight to fill out a consultation survey online.

The services are a lifeline for parents and in the wake of cutbacks The Argus launched the Save Our Centres campaign.

Four centres are at risk in a bid to save the local authority £800,000.

As well as trying to cram the service into fewer venues, the council is proposing shutting down all the baby groups in libraries and some community centres across the city.

There are also proposals to cut back on staff as well as health visits and restricting attendance to sessions.

Families will be expected to travel further to get help in the remaining venues or will need to club together to form their own support groups or pay for private services.

Ultimately it will be children, the city’s future generations, who will suffer at the hands of council cuts.

Senior reporter Flora Thompson and photographers Simon Dack and Terry Applin visited two baby groups at risk of closure.

Moulsecoomb and Rottingdean library groups are just two of a number led by Clair Barnard and George Miles, who are part of the Early Childhood Project.

The project, which has been running since 1988 and has four staff, is facing cuts to its funding and Mr Miles’ position is at risk.

The groups meet once a week for an hour-and-a-half in five libraries offering children and their parents, grandparents or carers a chance to take part in art activities, games, and reading.

Each session finishes with the group singing a series of nursery rhymes and songs with actions.

Kaya Bennett’s husband works full-time and she relies on the Bevendean children’s centre and the Moulsecoomb library group during the weekdays.

The 35-year-old, pictured above left, from Falmer, travels on a bus with her three-month-old Shen and two-year-old Malakai.

She described the service as a lifeline.

She said: “If I have to travel further into the city centre to attend these groups it would take twice as long and it would separate my children from the set of friends they have made and the parents I have got to know.”

Clair Barnard, the Early Child Project co-ordinator, who joined the team in 1990, runs the Rottingdean Library group among others.

It is the only group of its kind for under-fives for families in Rottingdean, Ovingdean, and Saltdean.

She would lose part of her job if the cuts go ahead.

She said: “The groups prevent social isolation and we can signpost parents to other services.

“The families gain a lot from being together. Part of their success is their diversity and the fact they are not targeted.”

Phil Smith, 39, of Rottingdean, pictured right, walks to the group each week when he looks after his three-year-old daughter Eleni. He has been attending since she was nine-months-old.

He said: “It is such a social thing. You can see the children forming friendships and learning social skills.

“There is an assumption being made by the council that these are the more affluent areas of Brighton where people could find other means of childcare or activities but this is not true.

“It is really difficult to find other similar groups for young children, and it’s important to have these groups near where you live instead of having to travel elsewhere in the city as it builds up relationships.”

Grandparents Anne and Steve Woodbridge, also of Rottingdean, take their 21-month-old grandaughter Luna to a group nearby.

Mrs Woodbridge said: “Her mother works two days a week and we look after her.

“We can see how much she enjoys the groups and it gives us something to take her to. It is a really lovely group.”

Liz Pupplett, 69, of Horley, looks after her three-year-old grandson Barnaby while his mother, who lives near the group, goes to work.

She said: “Barnaby loves books so this is a really great group for him to attend as he is surrounded by them.

“It is a long time since I had children so it was a good place to come and get advice while I look after him but I can see it is a vital service for young families particularly.”

Visit any story about children’s centre cuts at theargus.co.uk/saveourcentres to click straight through to the council survey, and the petition.

Experienced roles under threat

George Miles, 29, of Brighton, leads groups in Moulsecoomb, Coldean and Whitehawk libraries and at the City View Children’s Centre two days a week.

He has 11 years’ experience in childcare and joined the team about six months ago. However, he could lose his job if proposals to cut back on staff are approved as part of cuts to children’s centre services.

He said: “I love the job. You get to know the whole family at these groups. You can see how the group is not just about having somewhere for the children to play, but about support for the whole family too. It builds a sense of community. If the family is happy, the children are happy.”

Mr Miles is separately employed at the Roundabout Nursery in Whitehawk Road. He added: “I will have another part-time job if I can’t do this position but it will be a shame. I really enjoy it and we put on a range of activities for children. I plan the groups around the children’s interests and you can see how they respond to this.

“For example when it snowed a few weeks ago I brought some in to show the children and they were so excited and interested. You can see how the children progress as the weeks go on and these sorts of activities extend their learning. It would be a real shame if the groups closed.”

The cuts in detail

Brighton and Hove City Council is looking to make savings of £779,000 to children’s centre services. The venues and related services cost £2,471,000 but the council wants to run them for £1,692,000 in the 2015/16 financial year. If the plans are approved, tens of thousands of parents and children could be affected.

The plans include:

- Cutting the number of main centres from 12 to eight, by merging four. The four at risk will effectively close, but the council insists the venues will not be sold. A council spokesman said health visitors could continue to operate from the sites. The centres at risk are City View Children’s Centre in Elm Grove, Cornerstone Children’s Centre in Church Road, the Hollingbury and Patcham site in County Oak Avenue, and West Hove centre in Portland Road. City View and Cornerstone could be merged into Tarner Children’s Centre in Ivory Place. The Hollingbury and Patcham site could be merged into the Hollingdean centre in Brentwood Road. The West Hove centre could merge into Conway Court in Clarendon Road.

- Baby groups which meet each week in Moulsecoomb, Whitehawk, Coldean, Woodingdean and Rottingdean libraries, and in the Meadowview Community Centre, could be axed. The libraries themselves are not under threat.

- Early-years visitors, receptionists and service support managers are under consultation and the equivalent of 11.5 full-time posts could be axed.

- Funding to both voluntary groups the Early Childhood Project and the Brighton Unemployed Centre could be halved.

- The City View and Cornerstone advisory groups could merge into one at the Tarner centre, and the Hollingbury and Patcham group could be combined with the one at Hollingdean.

- The current 30 baby and toddler Stay and Play groups across the city could be slashed to 20.

- Drop-in baby and toddler groups, which are open to everyone, could be time limited, with appointments introduced.

- Parents with babies would only be able to attend an eight-week course and children under two may only be able to attend for a term.

- Home visits will be cut back by a third and parents will be encouraged to travel to a centre for a check-up instead.

- In June last year, East Sussex County Council announced plans to reduce services at children’s centres in Eastbourne, Hastings and St Leonards, although no centres are at risk of closure.

A final decision is yet to be made.

West Sussex County Council has said it has no plans to cut back on children’s centre services.

Protest group’s meeting

Parent group the Brighton Children’s Centres Campaign held their first meeting on Friday. Families met privately in the Brighthelm Centre, North Road, to discuss the impact the proposed cuts could have.

Group leader Leila Erin-Jenkins, pictured, said: “The meeting was very productive and we had 30 attendees which is such a brilliant turn-out considering the time of day, short-notice venue change and difficulties parents have with attending meetings when they have to simultaneously care for small children.

“We think as far as possible, children’s centres should be available to be used by all parents and carers according to their individual needs and wishes. Targeting of children’s centre services runs the risk of stigmatising families and dividing communities.

“In the light of this, and in the current context of proposed drastic cuts to all the city’s children’s centres, it is abhorrent to present targeted services as if they are better for the families most in need.”

Support the campaign

1. Complete the Brighton and Hove City Council survey by midnight tonight by clicking here

2. Pledge your backing of the campaign and contact senior reporter Flora Thompson at The Argus to express your views on 01273 544539 or email flora.thompson@the argus.co.uk.

3. Sign the change.org petition ‘Stop the proposed cuts to children’s services’ online set up by parent group the Brighton Children’s Centres Campaign by clicking here

4. Join parents in a peaceful protest on Thursday, February 26, ahead of Brighton and Hove City Council’s budget meeting at 4.30pm where the future of the children’s centres and related services will be determined. The meeting takes place in Brighton Town Hall, Bartholomew Square, Brighton.