Two Guildford Borough Children’s Centres to Close

Published on: 14 Nov, 2018
Updated on: 16 Nov, 2018

Boxgrove Children’s Centre – Photo Google Maps

By Amina Sahbegovic

Two of the five children’s centres in Guildford are to close, Boxgrove Children’s Centre which serves much of the town centre, Burpham, Merrow and the villages east of the borough; and St Paul’s C of E Sure Start Centre in Tongham.

Another casualty of Surrey Council’s £200 million budget cuts is Ash Grange Children’s Centre in Ash, which will be downgraded to a “satellite centre”. That means families in the west of the borough will have to travel to the Spinney, in Park Barn, for most services.

The centres support families with young children in need. They offer advice to parents, help them access other needed services and prepare children with the right skills to enable them to benefit from education right from the beginning.

County Cllr Fiona White

Lib Dem County Cllr Fiona White (Guildford West) told The Dragon: “I am appalled at these cuts. Education experts have identified time and again that children who are best prepared for school make the best progress. It is a big step to giving equal opportunities to all children and creating a level playing-field.

“There are many parents who will struggle to access services if forced to travel long distances on public transport, especially those who are disabled or are on low incomes. These cuts will leave families isolated and alone without the support they need.

“This will have a knock-on effect on the NHS and local schools. We know that children’s centres are vital for early intervention, not just with parenting and child health issues, but also through providing emotional support to parents as well as advice on issues such as housing, finances and employment.

“Without that early intervention, the issues that children’s centres help with will end up becoming issues for already overstretched schools to deal with. The damage these cuts will cause cannot be overstated and they must be stopped.”

Dave Hill, Surrey’s director of children’s service, came from Essex County Council where there is only one family hub per district or borough, run by Virgin and Barnado’s.

County Cllr Chris Botten

Cllr Chris Botten, leader of the Liberal Democrats at County Hall,  said: “If this model were to be replicated in Surrey, more than 40 children’s centres would close, severely depleting the support for vulnerable families across the county and putting at risk the rich diversity of our current provision, which is tailored to local needs.”

A couple of months ago, Lib Dems were worried by the sudden departure of council officer Ben Byrne, a leading advocate for the service.

Mr Byrne did not give a reason for his departure, it might have been part of the significant staff cuts taking place in County Hall but Lib Dems believe it may have followed discussions about the council’s plans. Cllr Botten added: “This departure is worrying. Ben Byrne oversaw children centres across Surrey and worked hard to keep them open. Lib Dems are still working to find a replacement.”

The county council has been having internal discussions about the future of children’s centres across Surrey and was due to consult on their proposals this autumn. But that consultation was withdrawn on short notice. It is difficult to say yet how many people will be affected by the closures. They will also cause many lost jobs.

The government aid to Surrey’s funding has been cut to such an extent that the council does not receive a rate support grant at all (a direct grant made by the government to local councils).

The SCC also plans to reduce budgets in local schools and “raid their cash reserves to help make up for cuts elsewhere”, Guildford’s Lib Dems said. Other services are threatened, including community recycling centres, libraries, concessionary bus passes for disabled people, children’s services and adult social care for the elderly and disabled.

A non-partisan community campaign, “We are not bound to any political party or organisation”, to save Boxgrove children’s centre has already been started and ask people to sign a petition: www.SaveBoxgrove.org/petition.

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