Nowhere for our children to go
Jackie Hopfinger | 26.06.2002 14:26
The 40 year old service is set to close on July 31st - unless action is taken NOW by all those with an interest in childcare provision in Hackney - if parents don't join together to fight this closure - there will be many more
closures to follow!
It can be saved!
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?
make a phone call, write a letter, call by in person and ask them how you can help, start a petition...
* TELEPHONE both Jackie Hopfinger Head of Early Years + Alan Wood Director of Hackney Education to complain about the withdrawl of this service call them on:
0208 356 7415 or 0208 356 7540 or call the council's main switchboard or WRITE to them or even better go in and demand to see them IN PERSON!
You can also call:
*Springfield One o'Clock club directly on: 0208 806 0970 or
* Hackney NOT 4 Sale on: 07950 539 254 - for copies of petitions or latest
information as to how you can help.
----------------------
* Brief Background *
Springfield One O'Clock Club. is set on Spring Lane, at the bottom of Big Hill.
It is adjacent to the beautiful River Lee in Upper Clapton and lies directly opposite Walthamstow Marshes. The land is a developers dream - or would be if the land wasn't already occupied by the One O'Clock Club.
But developers may soon be one large step closer to getting their greedy hands on the land if the council get away with the closure of this much needed facility.
Clapton is one of the poorest areas in the borough and has already been on the receiving end of many closures in childcare and youth facilities as well as many other groups, such as Springfield After School Club, facing closure and funding cuts.
It all adds up to an unbelievable attack on kids in the area, and especially shocking in light of the already high youth crime in the streets around Springfield Park, as bored kids with little to entertain themsleves, take part
with such pastimes as joy riding cars and motorbikes and then setting fire to them on an almost daily basis.
---------------
Despite many rumours abounding over recent months about possible closure, the letter below is the first confirmation workers and parents at the club had
received.
----------------
The parents and carers recently receive the following letter from Jackie Hopfinger, Acting Head of Early Years, although the headed paper referred to:
Alan Wood Director of Education, Hackney Technology and Learning Centre, 1 Reading Lane, London, E8
Dated: 28th May 2002
To Parents/Carers using Springfiled 1 O 'Clock Club
As you may well be aware the council is facing a very difficult position financially. Difficult decisions have had to be taken by elected members -
councillors - in respect of the allocation of available resources. Priorities are established by the statutory duties placed on the council and this means that not all existing services can continue to receive the same level of
resources. These decisions are never easy to resolve but once the Council's returned to finacial stability we hope to be in a position to plan and develop services in partnership with the community.
Regretfully this situation means that the Early Years Service is closing Springfield 1 o'clock club on July 31st 2002.
I realise that this is very disappointing to both children and parents/carers that this valuable provision will no longer be available.
Please do take one of the Early Years leaflets which outlines other provision in the borough which your child can attend as an alternative.
Yours sincerely
Jackie Hopfinger
Acting Head of Early Years
-------------------------
A PRESSURE GROUP GAS BEEN FORMED BY PARENTS CARERS AND WORKERS
Parents and carers have formed a pressure group and have been meeting to discuss the recent news of closure and have already taken the first step of drafting a response to some of the ridiculous points in the council's letter
including the facts:
i) that the club provides an essential service
ii) that there are NO Alternatives to this service within walking distance
iii) there has been NO consultation with workers or users
iv) there has been NO open disclosure about future plans for the site
v) that the club provides an essential service
The club has been running for 40 years, providing an essential service to under fives and their carers in the Springfield area, an area that has a great deal
of high density council housing. It is a clean, safe, traffic free site and dog free environment where carers can socialise and where young children can learn social and physical skills.
The club is well used by a multi-cultural community, including children with special needs, and parents are referred there by the helth service.
In a borough in which crime is high, and a local area which is known as "murder mile" it is worth stating the obvious: that withdrawing early years services is a dangerous and short sighted move. Any attempt to address rising crime and
disaffected youth must begin with young children.
vi) that there are NO Alternatives.
The Early Years Provision List has been put forward to provide alternatives.
The first thin to say is that it is an out of date document. Many services have changed, some have already closed down! So it does not give an accurate picture of what is available elsewhere in hackney. Secondly, there is nothing in this provision which replaces what the one o'clock club offers. Nurseries and playgroups are a different kind of service. Waiting lists are long, and they
are not designed for parents an carers o be with their child. The clissold one o'clock club is too far away to be easily used (and is also set to close next year!) by those without cars. It is essential that this sort of service is
local.
vii) there has been NO consultation with workers or users
No attempt was made to seek the views of the users of the club regarding its closure.
viii) there has been NO open disclosure about future plans for the site There has been no public discussion about plans for the land the club is on.
The group is now seeking legal advice to find out what legal avenues can be followedas well as talking about other action that can be taken to ensure that this service remains open.
closures to follow!
It can be saved!
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?
make a phone call, write a letter, call by in person and ask them how you can help, start a petition...
* TELEPHONE both Jackie Hopfinger Head of Early Years + Alan Wood Director of Hackney Education to complain about the withdrawl of this service call them on:
0208 356 7415 or 0208 356 7540 or call the council's main switchboard or WRITE to them or even better go in and demand to see them IN PERSON!
You can also call:
*Springfield One o'Clock club directly on: 0208 806 0970 or
* Hackney NOT 4 Sale on: 07950 539 254 - for copies of petitions or latest
information as to how you can help.
----------------------
* Brief Background *
Springfield One O'Clock Club. is set on Spring Lane, at the bottom of Big Hill.
It is adjacent to the beautiful River Lee in Upper Clapton and lies directly opposite Walthamstow Marshes. The land is a developers dream - or would be if the land wasn't already occupied by the One O'Clock Club.
But developers may soon be one large step closer to getting their greedy hands on the land if the council get away with the closure of this much needed facility.
Clapton is one of the poorest areas in the borough and has already been on the receiving end of many closures in childcare and youth facilities as well as many other groups, such as Springfield After School Club, facing closure and funding cuts.
It all adds up to an unbelievable attack on kids in the area, and especially shocking in light of the already high youth crime in the streets around Springfield Park, as bored kids with little to entertain themsleves, take part
with such pastimes as joy riding cars and motorbikes and then setting fire to them on an almost daily basis.
---------------
Despite many rumours abounding over recent months about possible closure, the letter below is the first confirmation workers and parents at the club had
received.
----------------
The parents and carers recently receive the following letter from Jackie Hopfinger, Acting Head of Early Years, although the headed paper referred to:
Alan Wood Director of Education, Hackney Technology and Learning Centre, 1 Reading Lane, London, E8
Dated: 28th May 2002
To Parents/Carers using Springfiled 1 O 'Clock Club
As you may well be aware the council is facing a very difficult position financially. Difficult decisions have had to be taken by elected members -
councillors - in respect of the allocation of available resources. Priorities are established by the statutory duties placed on the council and this means that not all existing services can continue to receive the same level of
resources. These decisions are never easy to resolve but once the Council's returned to finacial stability we hope to be in a position to plan and develop services in partnership with the community.
Regretfully this situation means that the Early Years Service is closing Springfield 1 o'clock club on July 31st 2002.
I realise that this is very disappointing to both children and parents/carers that this valuable provision will no longer be available.
Please do take one of the Early Years leaflets which outlines other provision in the borough which your child can attend as an alternative.
Yours sincerely
Jackie Hopfinger
Acting Head of Early Years
-------------------------
A PRESSURE GROUP GAS BEEN FORMED BY PARENTS CARERS AND WORKERS
Parents and carers have formed a pressure group and have been meeting to discuss the recent news of closure and have already taken the first step of drafting a response to some of the ridiculous points in the council's letter
including the facts:
i) that the club provides an essential service
ii) that there are NO Alternatives to this service within walking distance
iii) there has been NO consultation with workers or users
iv) there has been NO open disclosure about future plans for the site
v) that the club provides an essential service
The club has been running for 40 years, providing an essential service to under fives and their carers in the Springfield area, an area that has a great deal
of high density council housing. It is a clean, safe, traffic free site and dog free environment where carers can socialise and where young children can learn social and physical skills.
The club is well used by a multi-cultural community, including children with special needs, and parents are referred there by the helth service.
In a borough in which crime is high, and a local area which is known as "murder mile" it is worth stating the obvious: that withdrawing early years services is a dangerous and short sighted move. Any attempt to address rising crime and
disaffected youth must begin with young children.
vi) that there are NO Alternatives.
The Early Years Provision List has been put forward to provide alternatives.
The first thin to say is that it is an out of date document. Many services have changed, some have already closed down! So it does not give an accurate picture of what is available elsewhere in hackney. Secondly, there is nothing in this provision which replaces what the one o'clock club offers. Nurseries and playgroups are a different kind of service. Waiting lists are long, and they
are not designed for parents an carers o be with their child. The clissold one o'clock club is too far away to be easily used (and is also set to close next year!) by those without cars. It is essential that this sort of service is
local.
vii) there has been NO consultation with workers or users
No attempt was made to seek the views of the users of the club regarding its closure.
viii) there has been NO open disclosure about future plans for the site There has been no public discussion about plans for the land the club is on.
The group is now seeking legal advice to find out what legal avenues can be followedas well as talking about other action that can be taken to ensure that this service remains open.
Jackie Hopfinger
