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Parents play up to stop leisure centre crèches shutting down

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Published Date: 13 March 2008
By GARETH ROSE
PARENTS are campaigning to keep crèche facilities at six council-run leisure centres amid fears that their loss will exacerbate post-natal depression.
Mothers and young children with placards and tambourines protested outside today's full council meeting at Lothian Chambers over the plans.

The group of around 30 mothers with toddlers were joined by city Labour MP Mark Lazarowicz, and leaflets were handed to passers-by on George IV Bridge.

Around 1200 people have now signed a petition against the closures by Edinburgh Leisure, which come after the city council cut its grant by £300,000.

Mother of one Karina McFall, from Lockhart Gardens, said: "The creches are a lifeline for so many women in Edinburgh. We are disgusted they will be closed.

"Our opinions have been disregarded and the council is discriminating against babies, children and their carers."

The facilities at Drumbrae, Gracemount and Kirkliston leisure centres, Leith Victoria and Portobello swimming centres and Craiglockhart Tennis and Sports Centre are to be closed.

The crèches were used by thousands of children last year while their mothers worked out or swam. Emma Jones, 31, a childminder from Portobello, uses the gym at Portobello Swim Centre, while her son Aidan, two, plays in the crèche.

She said: "We've been going there for two years. He loves it, I don't know what I'm going to say to him.

"A lot of the parents have two children and will put one child in the crèche while they take the other swimming, because you're not allowed to be in charge of two youngsters in the pool at the same time, so this is going to see a lot of children missing out as well."

Ms Jones added: "A lot of the people I've spoken to about this have been referred here by doctors as a way of getting through post-natal depression."

The importance of free time and exercise to new mothers has been backed by the Edinburgh-based post-natal depression project, which is also opposing any move to cut services. Pauline Gibb, deputy manager, said: "It's vital if you're suffering from post-natal depression."

Beverley Klein, 45, a solicitor from Willowbrae, whose two-year-old daughter Mhari uses the crèche at Portobello, said: "I've been surprised by the response. Every time I've been in the crèche there have been parents coming up and wanting to sign the petition."

A motion condemning the closures has also been tabled in the House of Commons by Mark Lazarowicz. Deputy council leader Steve Cardownie said: "Edinburgh Leisure's main job is to provide sports facilities, not childcare," he said.

"£13 per customer for each visit is a huge subsidy and one that isn't sustainable."

• Edinburgh Leisure website
• Edinburgh City Council website

The full article contains 473 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 13 March 2008 1:41 PM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Fifi la Bonbon,

13/03/2008 12:32:03
There's actually quite an important principle at stake here.

The reason why child care is provided for such public services is to make these services equally accessible to all. Taking away childcare will have a disproportionately harsh effect on women who are main carers for young children. It's directly comparable to providing support and adaptations to allow people with all kinds of physical impairments to use public services. Sure, the Edinburgh Leisure organisation is not in the business of supports for disabled people, but it requires to provide these supports to ensure moe equal access.

And of course there was no consultation.

Cllr Cardownie is demonstrating the increasingly obvious sexism that characterises the SNP and Lib Dem administration currently being endured by Edinburgh. Equalities is getting a lower and lower priority in the city thanks to reactionaries like him.

Fresian, wht are you talking about? Nowhere in the story is it suggested that the creches were unused.
2

Mr Crisps,

Musselburgh 13/03/2008 12:47:03
#2, £13 per customer suggest usage isn't as high as is needed to make the provision cost-effective.

Equally, if the usage levels ARE high, how is it costing so much to run the service that the figure of £13 is quoted?

Maybe another branch of the Council could subsidise Edinburgh Leisure specifically for this purpose?
3

AD in sunny Livingston,

13/03/2008 13:16:14
The creche at the Gyle charges around £3.50 for an hour - pressumably this isn't subsidised - I think the Council are just pulling numbers out their heads.
4

The_Doctor,

13/03/2008 13:51:19
#5

- I'd guess there are no creche facilities at Livingwell or David Lloyd. But, since single parents probably can't afford their fees, I doubt that's much of an issue.

Creche's are expensive to run, but in this case they open up leisure and exercise facilities to people who otherwise cannot afford to use them. In order to visit a pool for, say, an hour a parent would have to arrange (and pay) for maybe 3 hours of childcare, to give them time to get there and back, get changed etc. That would add, at least, £15 onto the cost of their visit, putting it out of the price range of many parents on low incomes. These are social facilities, which should be trying to encourage greater community use, not exclude certain members of the community.
5

The Judge,

13/03/2008 13:51:37
"Save OUR Creche" Says it all really, these freeloaders think they own the creche, if they are so bothered why not pay for their own child's care and stop relying on handouts from the taxpayer.
6

Dragonlord,

13/03/2008 14:43:13
£3.50 an hour for a child minder is rather low. parents were paying that and more 10 years ago.
7

Moscow Central 42,

13/03/2008 18:40:23
Let's see now. The Dear Leader, Councillor Dawe, is constantly telling us that she wants the citizens of Edinburgh to become more involved in the process of local government. That sounds pretty hypocritical to me when decision like this are taken without any consultation whatsover.

My son, who has a wife and two very young children, has family membership with Edinburgh Leisure. It costs him £60 a month. He opted for the more expensive family membership so that his wife could put the children into the creche for an hour or so when she goes to the gym.

Now that will no longer be possible event if members had been willing to pay more for the creche service. This Council is run by penny pinching idiots, because the loss of businenss resulting from this measure is quite likely to exceed the £300,000 they say they will save.


8

Single Mother,

Leith 13/03/2008 19:35:25
I thought the council were meant to be providing access to leisure facilities for all. That includes the low paid and single parents. How can they exercise if they have no creche! They have just told a large section of the community that they have no right to fitness. As many cannot afford private memberships!
9

Charles Linskaill,

Edinburgh 13/03/2008 19:48:50
Back on this one soon, but there is a host of problems, in keeping these " crèche's" open.
10

Charles Linskaill,

Edinburgh 13/03/2008 21:48:47
What has to be realized, these "crèche's, are not a bunch of adults, with toys looking after your 'wee-ones'
All staff working with your children, must be Qualified or 'in training' to become Qualified, and must also be 'disclosed', the administration work is no easy task and 'costs' to take care of.
Qualified staff don't come cheap, also there is Soo much new legislation coming out in the childcare sector, its becoming even more expensive to run a Nursery or "crèche"

Average cost for a child under 2years, to be in a Nursery for a week, is now approaching £200.00
I am no mathematician and it is a shame the crèche's are getting the 'chop', but unless you don't start charging the 'posh&Beck's for the service, while they are having their, 'leisure-time', I cant see how anyone can keep the 'losses' of "crèche's' sustained.
11

gaffer,

Kamloops 13/03/2008 23:19:15
the only comment I have on this subject pay more for the service, and when did the name creche com from, when I lived Scotland it was a day nursery , what happened that it took on the new name
12

Charles Linskaill,

Edinburgh 13/03/2008 23:53:08
#14 gaffer, that's quite funny ;-))

the "creche" or Scotsman News "crèche"..
notice the letter 'e' had to paste that one, as I don't know how to achieve it on my English set keyboard!

But!!!! if you take this as, childcare in Scotland, you are 101% correct, it is a "Day-Nursery Service" and is governed exactly the same as our "Nurseries"
If they were not under tight legislation, who knows, another Jersey all over!
And this is why the 'upkeep' in all the aspects of running a "crèche" (call it what you want) is not without complications and expense,
We should be proud of the 'childcare' in Scotland, because it is 'second-to-none' not even England!
But we must 'realise this' and if needed, find a way to fund childcare like this topic in the article,
The very much needed help and childcare services, like Nursery are needed by the poorest Mothers, whose last thoughts would be going to a leisure centre, and cant afford the 'luxury!
13

Charles Linskaill,

Edinburgh 14/03/2008 00:27:45
BTW! Whats with the,..'NEWS BLACKOUT' on Jersey,??
14

COLINTON.MAINS,

Oakville Ontario 14/03/2008 01:59:11
dear god iwas working when iwas three times have changed
15

GDP,

uk 14/03/2008 08:32:41
#15
accessories, system tools, charactermap should help you find all the characters you need ????
16

Charles Linskaill,

Edinburgh 14/03/2008 09:11:11
GDP @#18,
That I never knew! but may be a danger, folk say I use the ones I have 'Too Much' as in !! '' :-))
17

James (1),

14/03/2008 20:28:22
The council provide sports facilities not child facilities.
Get your husband/partner to watch the child.

Tell you what, you tell me when you would like me to come and babysit for you and I will come and look after YOUR child.
I will drop everything just so you don't become stressed by having to arrange child care.

Try getting those that signed your petition to put their hands in their pockets. Lets say £10 a head to sign your petition and then see how many signatures you would get. Signing is SO cheap and not really any sort of commitment

I do wish these mothers would stop wanting strangers to pay for looking after their children.

Perhaps the topic of responsibility should be introduced in sex education at school?

 

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