Parents at St Johns agreed the following basic ideas:

WE ARE FOR keeping BOTH St Johns and Fernbank nurseries open. They play a vital role for children, parents, carers and society in general. Both of these nurseries are well run and popular. Both nurseries have many inquires from people trying to get their children into them. The government is supposed to be for expanding childcare. Hackney council is supposed to be for better childcare. Good nurseries make children happier, healthier, and more aware of children from other backgrounds. They play a role in combating poverty, prejudice and racism.

WE ARE FOR children going to nurseries close to where they live. They should not be forced to “commute” over long distances because there is a lack of provision.

WE ARE FOR children having stability in their lives. They should not be wrenched away from an environment they have grown used to.

WE ARE FOR more nurseries at affordable fees in Hackney.

WE ARE FOR council nurseries which are not run for profit and which have high standards of play, education, safety etc.

WE ARE FOR the council demanding more money from central government for vital services such as nurseries.

WE ARE AGAINST any attempt to divide us from Fernbank nursery, which is also threatened, or to set us against them in a frantic competition to get “the other one” closed instead of “us”.

WE ARE AGAINST anything which reduces the number of childcare places available for today’s children or those in the future. We note that Atherden, Wetherall and Oranges & Lemons nurseries have closed in the last 15 months. We also note that the community nurseries have been told they face a 13 percent cut in their grants, which will lead to possible closures and certainly a loss of places.

WE ARE AGAINST privatisation (which makes profit come before service to children) or fee increases (the fees are already too high) or transfer to a community nursery (which makes the future dependent on the lottery of a grant which changes every year and which means that a committee of us would be able to decide how to run the nursery - but without enough money to do it properly). We are also against a reduction in the number of reduced fee places or free places. These places help people who are poor, unemployed, students, ill, disabled etc.


Parents have agreed to do a street stall on Saturday 23 March (in Mare Street) and to lobby councillors next month. We also plan other exciting and innovative forms of protest!