howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
many thanks to clair hawkins for this photo of the visit by sharon hodgson m.p. to "triangles" community centre this morning.
Many familiar faces in the photo, spotted gordon cowan, viv revell and mike eddy straight away.
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
Shadow children? I knew times were tough...but.
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i should have stressed that ms hodgson was visiting in response to kent county council's plans to close "sure start" centres and spent time chatting with concerned parents this morning.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
just had an interesting chat with gordon cowan in town on this subject, he has invited jenny whittle the cabinet member at kcc down to dover on the 23rd of this month.
ms whittle does not believe there are any areas of deprivation locally, an idea that gordon doesn't agree with.
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
Good old Gordon always on the ball,,,,
but to get on the subject, there are a number of deprived areas around Dover im sure everyone has seen them
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Guest 756- Registered: 6 Jun 2012
- Posts: 727
Strange thing about those statistics again.......
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
will be interesting to see ms whittle's reaction and and waffle given before leaving town.
the current belief is that all current sure start places will close and then amalgamated into a town centre location, probably the discovery centre.
this in turn will severely hit triangles and put their future in doubt, hopefully i have understood what gordon told me and given a fair assessment.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
That appears to be correct Howard
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Guest 756- Registered: 6 Jun 2012
- Posts: 727
Let's hope her research includes school academic achievement, Gp and Hospital data relating to pediatric health and diet, crime figures and availibilty of Health Visitors for newborns. My gut feeling is that the data prior to Surestart and indeed the hard work undertaken by supporting child and healthcare workers, will prove the need for ongoing support for both children and their parents in the district.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
I think Lesley the administration at KCC is ready to close the majority of these centres
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Guest 756- Registered: 6 Jun 2012
- Posts: 727
Hope they have budgeted for the resulting needs, but I doubt it very much. Hope I don't have to say " I told you so".
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
hard to blame kcc, paul carter has repeatedly stressed that they have cut things down to the bone to keep services running but the cobbled together people keep demanding more whilst cutting funding.
i am told that st radigunds is one of the most deprived areas in kent, young parents living there will feel the brunt badly.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
That's why the centre was put there howard
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Guest 745- Registered: 27 Mar 2012
- Posts: 3,370
What impact would an extra £53 million a day have on these services?
See EU costing UK £53 million a day?
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
no surprise there keith but ukip are the official opposition at maidstone and they are not doing anything to fight the closures.
by all accounts they are sleeping partners with the blues leaving red gordon to fight dover's corner.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
good point howard
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
the fight to save the centres goes on, good to see my recently elected district councillor getting involved.
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/east_kent_mercury/news/-families-campaigning-for-threatened-7158/Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
This came to (DDC) Scrutiny a week or so ago and it isn't the closure of the actual children's centre per sae, but the administration offices and some management staff.
The cost of renting rooms is very expensive, even at places like Triangles and the Ark; these centres may merge and be sited at the Discovery Centre so more people can access them, but is all up for further consultation.
The point of "no area is deprived" is relating to no area is deprived of children's centres and won't be after this. It's the 23 children's centre administration offices, that are being discussed.
I have no doubt that this will become a political football (has already) by Labour councillors who will (do) exaggerate for political purposes.
Roger
Guest 756- Registered: 6 Jun 2012
- Posts: 727
Mmmm... doesn't the Discovery Centre get its funding from KCC and DDC in the main? Seems to me that by removing these services from Community Centres that rely on the income for their survival is going to impact on the other services they provide?
